Ford Escort (1990 – 2000) Review

Ford Escort (1990 – 2000) At A Glance

Looked okay in a bland kind of way, three-door more attractive than five-door, formed the basis of RS Cosworth, massively improved with subsequent facelifts in 1992 and '95

The 1990 original was a deadly dull and deeply cynical car, dreadful unassisted steering, rust kills them off

Ask Honest John

Why does my car continue to run even when the key is removed from the ignition?

"I have a Ford Escort 1.8 TD but the ignition lights are on even when the key is not inserted. It goes out if the brake pedal is depressed. The engine continues to run when the key is removed but stops when the brake pedal is depressed?"

Escorts are well known for faulty ignition switch actuators. Check yours by removing the cover under the steering wheel and you'll be able to see where it connects to the ignition barrel.

Answered by Keith Moody

Is a 1995 Ford Escort Cabrio a classic car?

"I have a ‘black grape’ (purple) 1.6 litre Ford Escort Solar Cabrio bought from new in January 1995 so it’s a one-owner car. It has done just over 50,000 miles and has been regularly serviced. It runs well and is in above average condition. Could you tell me what it is worth or how I can get it valued? I believe it has the potential to be a classic particularly as the car is rare now."

We've often wondered why these Escort cabriolets aren't a bit more popular, given the UK's love of (almost) all things Ford. Prices for the XR3i soft-tops have started to pick up a bit, but you can still find special editions like the Silouhette for £1800 in the classifieds - you could probably ask a bit more for yours, given the fact is a one-owner car presumably with FSH. One thing we would say is that we've seen one or two of these go through auctions but not sell - so it looks like the demand isn't quite there yet. Great if you're a buyer, not so great if you're a seller. If you need a valuation for insurance purposes then the best thing to do is contact one of the many Ford clubs.

Answered by Keith Moody

How much would an average condition Ford Escort be worth?

"I'm trying to reach a reasonable value for a 1992 Ford Escort 1.4 base model (3-door). How much do you think it would be worth if I put it up for sale?"

A good rule of thumb is that a car is only worth as much as a buyer wants to pay for it, and a lot of its value is determined by several different factors. Roughly speaking a project would be about £350, an average one about £600, and a really good one about £1150.

Answered by Keith Moody

How many Ford RS2000 4x4 Mk6 models are left on the roads?

"How many Ford RS2000 4x4 Mk6 models are left on the roads. And what's the price of a mint one today?"

According to DVLA data, there are 41 RS2000 4x4 taxed - although there could be others on SORN. There's also an inputting error which lists 4x4 and 4WD separately. According to Stuart Light (Escort mk5/mk6 RS 2000 Registrar at the RS2000 Owners' Club) very good examples sell from £6.5k to £7.5k.

Answered by Keith Moody

More Questions

Ford Escort (1990 – 2000) Buying Guide

Good

• Popular.
• Bland, but not bad looking. 13' 4" long by 5' 7" wide and weighting 980 to 1100kg. three-door hatch, five-door hatch and estate and two door cabrio from 1990.
• 72bhp 1.4 and 90bhp 1.6 CVHs (lifted to 107bhp for the cabrio) or 59bhp diesels.
• Four wheel drive Escort RS Cosworth arrived in 1992 with two litre turbocharged engine putting out 223bhp in standard form.
• 1992 facelift was a quick re-think of initial disaster. Still 13' 4" long by 5' 7" wide. Handling and roadholding improved through the car's model life.
• Oval grille from October 1992 for 1993 model year and 'wide mouth' cars from 1995 model year are much better than original cars. Almost all of these later models from LX up have power steering. Best model is probably a post-1995 1.6iLX, and most late cars had aircon.
• 103bhp twin-cam Zetec E 1.8 from 1992 (option of up to 130bhp for XR3i and XR3i/Si cabrio).
• 59bhp 1.8 diesels continued. 89bhp 1.6 Zetec engine arrived January 1994 along with 148bhp RS2000.
• New front from January 1995.
• Ford had seventh lowest average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 65.51 v/s lowest 31.93) Ford 4th top top of Reliability Index for 2004 combining very low average cost of repair of £207.58 with average 32.16 failures per 100 Warranty Direct policies. Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk
• Some of these Escorts have lasted 200,000 miles with no major components renewed.

Bad

• Nothing to redeem the 1990-1992 Escort. No sensible reason to buy one.
• Had a terrible start. Early cars were a disgrace with awful handling, terrible steering and suspect bodyshells which rotted in the bulkhead and around the rear window. (They continue to rust in the rear chassis rails.)
• Engine range not much cop either. Just a carry-over of old pushrod 1.3 and CVH 1.4 and 1.6. Slow 59bhp 1.8 diesel engine.
• By 2009, rust had become a major problem.
• Rear suspension trailing arms up to 1995 were too weak and twist when they're not supposed to.
• Mid-life 'oval grille' facelift looks terrible and dated almost immediately.
• Two-Star below-average performance in 1999 NCAP secondary safety tests.
• Early diesels had overstrength valve springs which caused them to snap their cambelts.
• Early Zetec engines from 1992 suffered sticky valves (see Mondeo).
• Close to bottom in 'R' reg JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey. 14th from Bottom of 100 models for reliability in Auto Express 2002 survey. 14th from Bottom in 144 car 2002 JD Power/What Car? Customer Satisfaction Survey of V and W reg cars. Rated average for breakdowns and problems, poor for faults in 2003 Which survey. 24th from bottom out of 137 models in 2003 Top Gear survey.

Watch

• Bodged rust repairs on early cars. Clocked mega-mile ex-fleet cars. Inadequate 'home servicing'. Poor quality aftermarket parts - especially brake parts.
• Really best avoided and most apart from Cosworths scrapped by 2007 anyway.
• Bodged rust repairs on early cars. Clocked mega-mile ex-fleet cars. Inadequate 'home servicing'. Poor quality aftermarket parts - especially brake parts.
• Check for uneven tyre wear due to suspension damage from kerbing.
• Electrics may play up (check for damp and/or rusting inside fusebox).
• Rear suspension arms flex too much and may weaken as a result (16-valves were strengthened with rear anti-roll bar).
• Some 1992/93 Escorts came out of the factory with misaligned front suspension which caused the insides of the front tyres to wear excessively.
• Diesels should have had nylon timing belt idler replaced with a steel idler. These should both have been sorted out 'in service', but if the car was maintained 'in house' by a fleet or by a private owner, it may not have been done. Some fleets reckon on just 60,000 miles for Zetec timing belts and idler pulleys.
• On Zetec E petrol engines, several reports of timing belt tensioner pulley heating up and shattering after 5 - six years and 60 - 80,000 miles. Essential to replace the pulley at the same time as the belt.
• CVT automatic is prone to problems and is best avoided.
• Fuse boxes rust out. 

Running Ford Escort (1990 – 2000)

Escort specific forum www.feoc-uk.com