2002 Ford Escort problems, recalls, safety rating, MPG & value

Q: Does the 2002 Ford Escort have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2002 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 2002 Ford Escort safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2002 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 2002 Ford Escort get?

The 2002 Ford Escort has a U.S. EPA estimate of 26 mpg combined (23 city / 32 highway).

Q: How much is a 2002 Ford Escort worth?

Comparable 2002 Ford Escort listings run roughly $750–$5,995, typically around $1,835 (from 7 vehicles).

2002 Ford Escort at a glance

Safety recalls1

Owner complaints90

Combined26 mpg

Typical price$1,835

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

2002 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.

2002 Ford Escort common problems

The most-reported problem areas across all 90 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Power Train

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

Engine And Engine Cooling

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

Suspension

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

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.

Service Brakes

Brakes should feel firm and quiet — no grinding, pulsing or pulling. Check for an ABS light and uneven pad/rotor wear.

Hydraulic

Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.

2002 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 2002 Ford Escort 4-DR.. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2002 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 2002 Ford Escort worth?

Low

$750

Typical price

$1,835

High

$5,995

From 7 comparable 2002 Ford Escort listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2002 Ford Escort costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$13,000

Depreciation (5 yrs)$1,050

Total$14,050

Per mile$0.19

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. Depreciation compares today's typical asking price for this model year ($1,835) with the same model 5 model-years older ($792), from CarLogs listing data. 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 53

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 53.

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

REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT

Bulletin 03181 · Electrical System · Sep 2003

IDLE VIBRATION ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0L SPI OR ZETEC ENGINE ONLY. *TT

Bulletin 031515 · Engine And Engine Cooling · Aug 2003

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.

2002 Ford Escort trims & engines on record

Trims

ZX2 Deluxe · Premium Fleet · ZX2 · SE

Engines

2.0L 4-cyl 125 hp · 2.0L 4-cyl 110 hp

2002 Ford Escort vehicles on record

2002 Ford Escort ZX2 Deluxe3FAFP11332R227034

2002 Ford Escort ZX2 Deluxe3FAFP11342R152067

2002 Ford Escort ZX2 Deluxe3FAFP11362R185202

2002 Ford Escort Premium Fleet3FAFP13P32R193497

2002 Ford Escort ZX2 Deluxe3FAFP11332R121070

2002 Ford Escort ZX23FAFP11392R182259

2002 Ford Escort ZX2 Deluxe3FAFP11372R227182

2002 Ford Escort ZX2 Deluxe3FAFP11362R198421

2002 Ford Escort ZX2 Deluxe3FAFP11352R145418

2002 Ford Escort SE3FAFP11342R139304

Other Ford Escort model years

2002 Ford Escort — frequently asked questions

Does the 2002 Ford Escort have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2002 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 2002 Ford Escort?

Across all 90 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are power train, engine and engine cooling, suspension.

What is the 2002 Ford Escort safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2002 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 2002 Ford Escort get?

The 2002 Ford Escort has a U.S. EPA estimate of 26 mpg combined (23 city / 32 highway).

How much is a 2002 Ford Escort worth?

Comparable 2002 Ford Escort listings run roughly $750–$5,995, typically around $1,835 (from 7 vehicles).

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