1998 Ford Escort Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/14/2026

24Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

6.4%Of all 375 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL59 · 15.7%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE26 · 6.9%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION24 · 6.4%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM19 · 5.1%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE15 · 4%

Share of the 375 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Ford Escort overview page.

What owners report

“FUEL GUAGE FAILS TO REGISTER THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL. ALSO, TRANSMISSION WOULD JUMP/JERK FORWARD IF PLACED INTO GEAR. WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE…”NHTSA complaint 865251 — filed 07/11/2000

“VEHICLE STARTED, ENGINE RATTLED UPON ACCELERATION AT ALL SPEEDS AT 2300 MILES. AFTER NUMEROUS FAILED REPAIR ATTEMPTS BY DEALER,I SENT COMPLAINT TO FORDS DSB BOARD.WORKING…”NHTSA complaint 717171 — filed 01/10/2000

“INTERMITTENTLY TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.”NHTSA complaint 846707 — filed 09/03/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Ford Escort have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 1998 Ford Escort: 24 of 375 complaints on file (6.4%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Ford Escort have in total?

375 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 84 involved a crash, 11 involved a fire, 78 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.