2001 Ford Escort problems, recalls, safety rating, MPG & value

Q: Does the 2001 Ford Escort have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2001 Ford Escort. Whether an individual car still needs a recall repair depends on its VIN — check it on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer. Recall repairs are done at no charge.

Q: What is the 2001 Ford Escort safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2001 Ford Escort crash-test ratings of frontal 3★, side 3★ (out of 5; this model year pre-dates NHTSA's overall score).

Q: What gas mileage does the 2001 Ford Escort get?

The 2001 Ford Escort has a U.S. EPA estimate of 26 mpg combined (23 city / 32 highway).

Q: How much is a 2001 Ford Escort worth?

Comparable 2001 Ford Escort listings run roughly $500–$1,000, typically around $750 (from 8 vehicles).

2001 Ford Escort at a glance

Safety recalls1

Owner complaints99

Combined26 mpg

Typical price$750

Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.

2001 Ford Escort recalls 1

Seat Belts:front NHTSA Campaign #04E048000 · 12/07/2004

CERTAIN TRW DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS MANUFACTURED ON DECEMBER 6 AND 9, 2002, FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR 1997 FORD ESCORT 4-DOOR AND STATION WAGON PLATFORM VEHICLES, FORD'S P/N F7CZ54611B09AAC. THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES EXHIBIT A NO-LOCK CONDITION WHICH DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.

Fix: TRW WILL NOTIFY THE CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 27, 2004.

Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.

2001 Ford Escort common problems

The most-reported problem areas across all 99 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Engine And Engine Cooling

Check coolant level and color, look for leaks, and confirm the engine reaches normal temperature without overheating.

Power Train

Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.

Vehicle Speed Control

Test cruise control and throttle response, and watch for any hesitation or unintended acceleration.

Suspension

Listen for clunks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for uneven tire wear and worn shocks or struts.

Electrical System

Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.

Air Bags

Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.

2001 Ford Escort safety ratings

Frontal crash★★★★★

Side crash★★★★★

Frontal — driver★★★★★

Frontal — passenger★★★★★

Side — front seat★★★★★

Side — rear seat★★★★★

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2001 Ford Escort 4-DR.. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2001 Ford Escort MPG & running costs

Combined26 mpg

City23 mpg

Highway32 mpg

Est. annual fuel cost$2,600

EPA size classCompact Cars

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Passenger volume87 cu ft

Cargo volume13 cu ft

5-yr fuel cost vs average new car$1,000 more

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov.

What's a 2001 Ford Escort worth?

Low

$500

Typical price

$750

High

$1,000

From 8 comparable 2001 Ford Escort listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2001 Ford Escort costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$13,000

Fuel only$13,000

Per mile$0.17

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

Investigations & service bulletins

Manufacturer service bulletins 42

Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 42.

FORD: CERTAIN 1999-2001 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES UP TO 6000 LB GVWR REGISTERED IN NEW YORK AND CERTAIN 2001 VEHICLES UP TO 6000 LB GVWR REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF MAINE, CERTIFIED FOR SALE IN CALIFORNIA-FEDERAL EMISSION WARRANTY REFUND. *PE

Bulletin CSP-08B01 · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2008

FORD SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. CSC LETTER WAS RECEIVED FOR MODEL YEAR 1999-2001 VEHICLES REGISTERED IN NEW YORK IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE CALIFORNIA EMISSION WARRANTY. MODEL IS UNKNOWN. *PE

Bulletin SP-08B01 · Engine And Engine Cooling, Power Train · May 2008

REPLACE TIMING BELT IDLER PULLEY DURING 2.0L ZETEC ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT - SERVICE TIP. *TT

Bulletin 19016 · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2006

REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT

Bulletin 04189 · Visibility · Dec 2004

GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT

Bulletin 042107 · Power Train · Dec 2004

MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED - SYSTEM LEAN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) - SERVICE TIPS. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 2004 F-SERIES. *TT

Bulletin 04174 · Electrical System · Sep 2004

TRW VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC. IS RECALLING CERTAIN SERVICE REPLACEMENT SEATBELT RETRACTORS (DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT RETRACTOR IN GRAY) MANUFACTURED IN DECEMBER 2002 AND SOLD AS A SERVICE REPLACEMENT PART BETWEEN DECEMBER 2002 AND JULY 2004. *TT

Bulletin 04V09 · Seat Belts · Aug 2004

REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT

Bulletin 041514 · Visibility · Aug 2004

INOPERATIVE ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER (HEATED BACKLITE) GRID LINES, INTEGRAL ANTENNA CONCERNS. *TT

Bulletin 031501 · Visibility · Jul 2004

ROUGH IDLE, LOW POWER AND / OR STALL AT IDLE, A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0300 THROUGH P0304 STORED IN MEMORY. *TT

Bulletin 020901 · Electrical System · May 2004

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the ESCORT. Model-year data, not specific to one car.

About the Ford Escort

Ford Escort may refer to one of several vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company:Ford Escort (Europe), a vehicle manufactured by Ford Europe from 1968 to 2002 Ford Escort RS Cosworth, sports and rally version of the fifth generation European Escort Ford Escort WRC, a rally car based on the Ford Escort RS Cosworth Ford Escort, a compact car manufactured for the North American market from 1980 to 2003 Ford Escort (China), a Ford Focus-based compact car for the Chinese market from 2015 to 2023 Ford Escort, a variant of the Ford Squire built and marketed in the United Kingdom from 1955 to 1961

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.

2001 Ford Escort trims & engines on record

Trims

ZX2

Engines

2.0L 4-cyl 130 hp · 2.0L 4-cyl 110 hp

2001 Ford Escort vehicles on record

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP13P41R234170

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP11301R174341

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP11351R136538

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP11361R209397

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP13P11R183291

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP11351R107346

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP11361R164672

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP13P31R196544

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP11341R109492

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP13P11R137671

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP11311R123351

2001 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP13P41R221497

2001 Ford EscortWF0VXXBBAV1J87196

2001 Ford EscortWF0VXXBBAV1P10570

2001 Ford EscortWF0VXXBBAV1M07282

2001 Ford EscortWF0VXXBBAV1J00483

Other Ford Escort model years

2001 Ford Escort — frequently asked questions

Does the 2001 Ford Escort have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2001 Ford Escort. Whether an individual car still needs a recall repair depends on its VIN — check it on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer. Recall repairs are done at no charge.

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Escort?

Across all 99 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are engine and engine cooling, power train, vehicle speed control.

What is the 2001 Ford Escort safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2001 Ford Escort crash-test ratings of frontal 3★, side 3★ (out of 5; this model year pre-dates NHTSA's overall score).

What gas mileage does the 2001 Ford Escort get?

The 2001 Ford Escort has a U.S. EPA estimate of 26 mpg combined (23 city / 32 highway).

How much is a 2001 Ford Escort worth?

Comparable 2001 Ford Escort listings run roughly $500–$1,000, typically around $750 (from 8 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.