Ford Escort
Registered from 1990 to 2002.
About this model
The Ford Escort is a small family car that was manufactured by Ford of Europe from 1968 until 2004. In total, the six generations were spread across three basic platforms: the original, rear-wheel-drive Mk.1/Mk.2 (1968–1980), the "Erika" front-wheel-drive Mk.3/Mk.4 (1980–1992), and the final CE-14 Mk.5/Mk.6 (1990–2002) version. Its successor, the Ford Focus, was released in 1998, but the final generation of Escort was phased out gradually, with the panel van version ending production in 2002 in favour of the Ford Transit Connect.
From the Wikipedia article Ford Escort (Europe), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 1990 1.6 petrol. 104 of 709 tests failed, 15%.
Better than 86% of 1990 cars. The typical one fails 21%, across 86 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 44% | 46 |
| Body and structure | 38% | 39 |
| Suspension | 38% | 39 |
| Brakes | 36% | 37 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 15% | 16 |
| Visibility | 15% | 16 |
The defects inspectors cite
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.
- A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Emissions levels exceed default limits
- Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Suspension — 38% of its failures
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
- Brakes — 36% of its failures
- Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement
- Exhaust and emissions — 15% of its failures
- Emissions levels exceed default limits
- Lights and electrics — 44% of its failures
- Body and structure — 38% of its failures
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
- Visibility — 15% of its failures
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
When it starts failing
At 80–100k miles this one fails 15% of its inspections, against the 20% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 13% | — | 140 | |
| 20–40k miles | 14% | — | 136 | |
| 40–60k miles | 16% | — | 130 | |
| 60–80k miles | 15% | — | 136 | |
| 80–100k miles | 15% | 20% | 157 |
699 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 40k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.