711 problems have been reported for the 1997 Ford Escort. The following chart shows the 22 most common problems for 1997 Ford Escort. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's air bags with 156 problems. The second most common problem is related to the vehicle's electrical system (148 problems).
The following chart shows the number of problems reported during each of the service years since the debut of the 1997 Ford Escort in 1997.
| Service Year | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| 2023 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2002 | |
| 2001 | |
| 2000 | |
| 1999 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1997 |
When making the decision between buying a new or used Ford Escort, the following table can be used to compare the 1997 Ford Escort with the Ford Escort from other model years. Note that the number of problems reported for the 1997 Escort is 711 while the average number of problems reported for the 8 model years of the Ford Escort is 262.
| Model Year | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| 2003 Escort | |
| 2002 Escort | |
| 2001 Escort | |
| 2000 Escort | |
| 1999 Escort | |
| 1998 Escort | |
| 1997 Escort | |
| 1996 Escort |