High Mileage Escorts

My '93 Wagon has 257,300 miles on the 1.9L engine. Runs great. Starts every time and gets between 35 & 40 MPG. Uses a quart of oil every 3,000 miles but by then it's time to change the oil anyway.

Let's hear from other high-mileage Escort owners! :loser:

I just hit 200k. Had a blown head gasket 7k ago. Replaced, head rebuilt etc - runs liek a top. 35 mpg consistently.
Unfortunately the 5 spd tranny locked up in 4th. Took it apart, looks like its too worn at the shif selector, looking for a replacement tranny now.
After I replace it I expect it to go alot longer.

93 wagon. 190k. finally rusted out enough that i dont feel safe. im junking it as soon as i get a new one.

shame. still gets 37-40 mpg. purrs.

The guy in the post above your's need the tranny! :icon16:

My 96 is at 150K. I'm happy the A/C still blows really cold, and there's no rust yet.

There was a guy on this forum with over 300k on his scort, original motor and tranny.

I'm going to be going to a job where I'll drive 75 miles a day. So late next year I'll hit 300,000! :icon16:

93 1.9L 5sp wagon with 180k. Just drove today on a 140 mile trip. Dang, it's still smooth and purring. In fact, I'm looking on ebay for a 93 - 04 wagon....Is there any year I should avoid?

93 1.9L 5sp wagon with 180k. Just drove today on a 140 mile trip. Dang, it's still smooth and purring. In fact, I'm looking on ebay for a 93 - 04 wagon....Is there any year I should avoid?

yeah, mine has 190k and purrs too.if you dont mind a chassis that's almost completely rusted out, ill give it to you for 35 bucks;)

they stopped making escorts a few years back, so if you want an 04 model, you're looking at the focus, the ostensible escort replacement. ive heard some grumblings about the first couple years of the focus, but recent models- people tend to like them a lot.

they have too many bells and whistles for me. i like an old escort 5spd with no auto door locks and no power windows, etc

ive had good luck with autotrader.com, and to a lesser extent, craiglist.org and cars.com for finding used escorts.

good luck.

Funy, the Focus wagon and sedan are made in Michigan and the hatchback is made in Mexico. To tell a Mexican car look at the VIN (vehicle identification number) in the windshield. The first number will be '3'.

So, if I see an 03 or 04 escort wagon on ebay...I shouldn't buy it because it doesn't exist - LOL. For me, the Focus is too new - I'll stay with tried and true.

So, if I see an 03 or 04 escort wagon on ebay...I shouldn't buy it because it doesn't exist - LOL. For me, the Focus is too new - I'll stay with tried and true.

Right you are Doug&3! :grinyes: Now, I DO have a '99 Focus I'll sell you. Extremely rare collector item :evillol:

I have a 93 Lx-e with 265k and I am by no means nice to it.

I've got a '95 LX 1.9L and with something like 156k on it. it could be 166, but on the title I said the lower of the two numbers the 10k number is stuck between. I mean the odometer moves, it just moves in between numbers heh. Anyway, it runs like a fucking gem, but I believe it's had an engine change somewhere in it's lifespan due to the fact that I've found random bolts around in the engine compartment when I've changed various things. I got it for 400 bucks with very very light front-end damage. I fixed that and recently I rear-ended a mustang. Yikes.

well mine has current done 122,000 miles
but she is still running o.k :)

My 97 sedan has 130,000 on it and runs really great. I have replaced the timing belt, accessory belt, plug wires, spark plugs, battery, all bulbs and headlight assemblies. The cooling system has been flushed and refilled and the oil has been changed every 3,000 miles.
I have never had any trouble with it and I am hoping it will become one of the 71/2% 'Scorts which have gone over 300,000 miles. The gas mileage is very good. I get 40 mpg in town with the AC on and 46 mpg on the highway. The only reason it is this good is that I drive like an old man and rarely go over 50 mph. I'm probably a traffic hazard.

my '99 LX has 160k, and it hits redline daily.

I have bought 4 Escorts off Ebay.Three 1997,one 1996.The last year the Escort Wagon was manufactured was 1999.I believe the sedans were made until 2002.

Forgot to mention I had a 1993 Wagon which I gave my daughter.It has about 290k or more and still going.

My 97 sedan has 130,000 on it and runs really great. I have replaced the timing belt, accessory belt, plug wires, spark plugs, battery, all bulbs and headlight assemblies. The cooling system has been flushed and refilled and the oil has been changed every 3,000 miles.
I have never had any trouble with it and I am hoping it will become one of the 71/2% 'Scorts which have gone over 300,000 miles. The gas mileage is very good. I get 40 mpg in town with the AC on and 46 mpg on the highway. The only reason it is this good is that I drive like an old man and rarely go over 50 mph. I'm probably a traffic hazard.

I dont know how you get that kind of mileage maybe its the gas in your area but thats great.

I dont know how you get that kind of mileage maybe its the gas in your area but thats great.

Here's what I do that the average person may not.

1. I carry 35 lbs. air in the tires. ( calls for 32 on the placard ).

2. Put 4 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in each 10 gallons of gas for an upper cylinder lubricant.

3. Always shift into the next gear when the upshift light comes on. I downshift to lower gears when coming to a stop. Manual transmission.

4. I always keep my fuel tank full. I don't know if this has any advantage for mileage, but when the tank is full the fuel pump is immersed in gasoline and runs cooler which will add to it's life.

5. If I'm running the AC I shut it down to accelerate to speed. If I'm going up a steep hill I shut it down. It seems to blow cold air until I turn it back on if I don't shut it down for more than 2 minutes.

6. I drive 35 mph in town and 55 on the highway.

7. If I'm on the highway I steer hard left and right which loosens up the pads so my brakes aren't dragging at all. I only do this when I am not expecting to stop for a while.

Yes. I am a good mileage maniac. Didn't get this way until gas went to $3.15 a gallon.

Thats a lot to do for just gas mileage. Let me tell you what I do.

Every day on my way to work I hit at least 100 kmp on the on ramp, Im usally passing people in the slow lane before getting to the high way.

I shift at about 4 1/5 to five thousand rpms.

I have a cold air intake, pacesetter exh head, a 3.5L throttle body and its chipped.

To save weight I have a set of fiberglass fenders, took off the a/c, no tar sheets, no spare of jack and I have a hood on order. (On order not going to buy, just waiting for it to come in.)

It has around 220 horses and I still get on average 35 in street and 42 in highway.

Thats a lot to do for just gas mileage. Let me tell you what I do.

It has around 220 horses and I still get on average 35 in street and 42 in highway.

220 hp? This must be the 1.8L motor?

no its a 1.9. I have put in bigger pistons. It ups the compression to 10.5:1.

i have a 95 "pony" lx and it runs great. the car itself just turned over 88,000 miles. the engine has only 27,000 miles on it. i got the engine from a 94. everything on the 94 was in really good condition so i bought the 94. the previous owner rearended someone. so i took the motor, transmission, & most of the interior out of the 94 and put it in my 95. car is in good condition. no rust! the only thing i need is a bumper because there is a whole under the turn signal that is the size of my fist. other than that its a perfect first car!

are the 1.9 engines made by mazda

good question

1993 Pony. 1st owner 18 years old. Four years later I bought it at 42,000. Now has 252,000 and is driven about 500 miles a week. Radiator, A/C compressor (didn't get it serviced), clutch and brake master cylinders, alternator have been replaced. Clutch was replaced at 232,000. Wasn't slipping, springs were giving out! No friction material left but it wasn't slipping! No engine work, no injectors changed. No rust. Runs great, averages about 37 mpg. Fuel injector cleaner added every 2 or 3 months. Slick50 added at 50,000 mile marks. Selling tomorrow. High mileage has me concerned as I need it for work - 20 to 25,000 miles a year. Selling to college student.

bamakodaker

i have a 97 with 250000k on it still gets about 45 mpg cold ass ac hot heat no rust driven 100miles a day just got back from a 3500 mile trip doesnt use any oil or leak at all

1991 tracer Got for free 3 years ago because the " mechanic" who owned it could not get it to run right. Engine had lots of blow by. Removed the hose from valve cover to air cleaner and let it dump to the ground. Removed the oil soaked MAF sensor and replaced it with a junk yard one. Changed oil every 3 k and My daughter still ran it out of oil 3 times before blowing it up on last new years eve. Actually it just had so much blow by it blew out the valve cover gasket and was burning on the manifold. I installed a used engine I removed from a wrecked 93 wagon I bought off ebay for 140 dollars. ( after pulling engine and trans I threw in some misc metal I had here and got 110 dollars from the scrap yard) Previous owner had installed a bypass oil filter and ran nothing but Amsoil in it and had it checked every oil change or two. Used engine had 180 k on it and it has been 6 k now and runs like a top. No oil burning. My daughter has put about 35 k total on car and only total invest ment of 800 dollars including 6 new tires two sets of brakes. Looking for another to replace this one. Rust is taking over.

When my daughter's '86 was T'Boned and totalled several years ago, I hated to lose that well-maintained engine. So I bought a well-used '83 wagon at auction and did the engine swap.

It became the "first car" and taught several of my kids to drive, being used for long distance commuting and extensive vacation travel ... getting a few dents in the process. The odometer has turn over several times, I suspect it has near a million miles on the wagon body.

It went into semi-retirement in my back yard for about a year, with the junkyard in its future ... that is, until gas prices went up. Now I've done an engine/clutch overhaul and the "krappy waggon" is back on the road ... running sweet and getting excellent mileage. I intend to continue to make small restoration steps day by day ... who knows, maybe my wife will ride in it again some day!

My 94 1.9LX hatch back has 166K. I have an air intake, a booming sound system and I am soon gonna be putting a stiffer suspension. A/C is cold, and evrything else works. would really like to have a GT, but I guess I have to make a GT out of what I have.

I have a 95 1.9 manual transmisson escort. It has 320 000km and still has the original motor and tranny. I'm hoping I can get it to last to 400000km. needs a new coolant temp sensor, front struts, springs and probably bearings. I'm hoping thats all. I gave it to my son to drive. Still runs great

I have a 93 LX wagon with 211,000 all original and little or no repairs. Just meticulous maintainance. Rusted badly. Went looking for another, and the Chrysler dealer sold me a 95 LX wagon with 85,000, 4 new Goodyears and a full tank of gas for $850.00 +tax. This car does not have a scratch inside or out and not a speck of rust even on the rocker panels! Still trying to figure out why he sold it so cheap. My 86 F150 has 193,000 on the original everything.

So, if I see an 03 or 04 escort wagon on ebay...I shouldn't buy it because it doesn't exist - LOL. For me, the Focus is too new - I'll stay with tried and true.

They did stop making the wagons and sedans in 02 but they still made the
2 door Escort ZX2 up to 04. Had a 99 ZX2 2.0L DOHC 5 speed and loved it befor it got hit. :shakehead Had 77k on it at the time, and that car was fast on the take off. Now I i have a 95 LX with 244,000 on it and the motor still runs strong.

i have a 1990 ford escort 1.9, automatic. got it used for $800 bucks with 77,000miles on it. it now has 115,000 on the clock. ok, so i had to replace some things on it, no big deal. with gas prices soon to hit 3-4 dollars a gallon, your darn right its a keeper!

I just purchased a 1992 Escort GT with 198,000 miles. Stalls occasionally because I think some sensors are off which I've been told might be due to the crack in the exhaust manifold but I don't know. Other than that runs fine.

I have a 99 with 197000 I did replace the engine and Trasmission 20000mile ago. This car as been wrecked 3 times and it still runs everyday. I love the Ford Escort. I just bought a 2000 ZX2 with 60K for $2000 I would take that deal anyday.

has here found much cars remade, much interesting, see http://xrumer30.phpnet.us/auto.html :rofl:

I love my escort! It's a '97 LX wagon with a 2.0 in it. It just passed 111,150 miles. They only big things that have been replaced so far (knock on wood!) are the radiator, belt, and alternator(which that's kind of normal stuff after a while anyways). I added helper springs in the back to help carry a little extra weight and when they alignment was done last August, I replaced the tie rods. Other than that, it's been a good little car. Gets 35 m.p.g. Now if my husband would quit grinding 3rd whenever he drives it,(it's manual) we'd be good! It's a '97 but I bought it in Jan. '98 because the dealer couldn't sell it(it's white). It only had 12 miles on it. Everyone knows what fun it is to keep a white car clean! It has to be hand washed. I have yet to go to an automatic wash and have it come out clean and with no streaks! It's been a great little car. Even if I could afford a car payment right now, I don't know if I would get a new car. I like having the room a wagon has to carry stuff when needed. But I haven't seen any new wagons yet that I like the look of. I've carried lumber in my car, a 5 foot birdcage, a small upright freezer, and of course it has helped me move many times! I hope I can be one of the owners with 300,000+ miles and still going strong!

I have a 1991 Escort Pony 1.9L 5sp, and I have no plans of getting rid of it anytime soon. Running strong at about 185,000 with original engine and tranny. I'm looking to take her well beyond the 200,000 mark. Might need a little welding on the frame in a year or two, but a local welding shop told me that was no big deal.

hi my 96 escort lx is 270 clicks. I only had the car for 2 years, the only serious issues that i had was replacing the timing belt. The body is rusting pretty bad but still runs great.

I LOVE MY ESCORT

I'm about to hit 180K. But then again, my car is Frankenstein. I dropped a valve seat at 72K and had a Jasper rebuilt engine put in, so I don't even have a lot of old engine problems yet. That and I fix every last little thing almost as soon as it breaks. I think the only thing wrong with the car is a burned out light bulb in the HVAC controls (and some body damage). I'm probably going to keep it until it need a new engine again.

I bought this car new on October 1995.

I probably would have bought a new car by now, but I'm not impressed by the crappy gas mileage, oversized engines, and lack of true hatchbacks, and oversized rims on all new cars.

Im at 200k and going strong

Mine is 250k and still alive!

I have a 1995 Wagon with 150k on it. I am the original owner, paid $9000 for her new with the idea of having a realiable beater. I beat and abused the car and it never caused me much trouble.
I replaced the head after cracking it due to ignoring the dashboard "check coolant" light long enough. I figured out why they call them idiot lights!
One of the stranger facts of my car... I have the original brake shoes on the rear and they still work great.
I have been very happy with the car and hope to be driving it at 300k.

I have a 1995 Wagon with 150k on it. I am the original owner, paid $9000 for her new with the idea of having a realiable beater. I beat and abused the car and it never caused me much trouble.
I replaced the head after cracking it due to ignoring the dashboard "check coolant" light long enough. I figured out why they call them idiot lights!
One of the stranger facts of my car... I have the original brake shoes on the rear and they still work great.
I have been very happy with the car and hope to be driving it at 300k.

I'm sure it would last..mine is about 280 rite now with 6 previous owners...

I'm sure it would last..mine is about 280 rite now with 6 previous owners...

These Escorts seem to be really good long lasting cars for dirt cheap prices.

Mine has had the tranny go almost bone dry, and that was 40,000 miles ago... it's still going nice and strong!

On Michigan roads, mine has a lot of sheet metal and pop rivets though... :jerking:

I've got 4 Escorts, but my pride and joy is my '88 Pony just went over 495,000 miles today and should hit a 1/2 million miles about September of 2009. Still going on the original engine and transmission, neither of them have ever been rebuilt. The Pony still gets about 50 miles a day. I bought it in '93 with 146,000 miles for $500. I also have an '88 GL that I just bought for $800. about 4 weeks ago with 78,000 miles on it, a 97 LX wagon that I bought new and now has 24,000 miles on it and an '02 SE that I bought for $2000. with 80,000 for my son to drive about a year ago, it now has 90,000 miles.

I've got 4 Escorts, but my pride and joy is my '88 Pony just went over 495,000 miles today and should hit a 1/2 million miles about September of 2009. Still going on the original engine and transmission, neither of them have ever been rebuilt. The Pony still gets about 50 miles a day. I bought it in '93 with 146,000 miles for $500. I also have an '88 GL that I just bought for $800. about 4 weeks ago with 78,000 miles on it, a 97 LX wagon that I bought new and now has 24,000 miles on it and an '02 SE that I bought for $2000. with 80,000 for my son to drive about a year ago, it now has 90,000 miles.

WOW! 495,000 miles?? Come back when she crosses 500,000... that is incredible!!

I've got 4 Escorts, but my pride and joy is my '88 Pony just went over 495,000 miles today and should hit a 1/2 million miles about September of 2009. Still going on the original engine and transmission, neither of them have ever been rebuilt. The Pony still gets about 50 miles a day. I bought it in '93 with 146,000 miles for $500. I also have an '88 GL that I just bought for $800. about 4 weeks ago with 78,000 miles on it, a 97 LX wagon that I bought new and now has 24,000 miles on it and an '02 SE that I bought for $2000. with 80,000 for my son to drive about a year ago, it now has 90,000 miles.



Wow all four of them seems to be going strong..and the 88 pony almost 500,000 clicks with original parts..thats amazing...

the escorts seem to have a bad reputation, but there really good cars and last long..

I'll be keeping everyone informed of the progress toward 500K miles. Even with that number of miles it is only using a quart of oil about every 1000-1200 miles. I checked the compression on the cylinders about a year ago and if I remember right the compression was 120-110-110-105. Sometime when I have the time I'm going to recheck it. If I drive it about 50 MPH and try to drive efficiently I can usually get over 45 MPG on it too. I recently took it on a short highway trip. I drove about 55-60 MPH for approximately 150-200 miles and got over 54 MPG.

Sister vehicles are the Mercury Tracer and I've been told the Mazda 323. (to answer a question)

'94 LX (four-door sedan) Manual shfit 5-speed transmission P185/65R14 Kelly Navigator Gold tires. (Yokohamas, still quite meaty, had a tread seperation. :tongue:) Over 230,000 miles, great mileage, squares the tires, still has a finish with a bit of rust below the fuel door and spare wheel well. Virtually cleans itself after a good rain or long highway trip. Never ever garaged or buffed & waxed it.

Never needed an alternator, PS pump, etcetera and as far as AC service, *only* a $2 relay was needed a several years ago. Let it run long enough and my glasses fog up when getting out of the vehicle. (the condensor/radiator for the A/C on these scorts is almost as large as the engine's radiator -- very very large) Never babied the thing, take hard turns with no squeal, run it hard all the time and regularly do 80+mph on the highway. No drivetrain, wheel, etc vibrations runs smooth at 100+mph. I've hit pot-holes the size of craters and have not lost a single cap or dented a wheel; no alignment problems either. It's withstood the saltiest of winter roads and is not (yet) a rust-bucket though some city workers are very much trying to make that a reality.

Only complaint, the things that have worn out prematurely are the speedometer, rack&pinion and one hydraulic roller-lifter. Could use a timing chain as opposed to belt. (at least for manual shifts) It has an aluminum head and iron block + header so like most cars of that era, has had a head gasket and head repaired. But considering early Saturns, Neons, etcetera, all with catastrphic non-repairable gasket, head + bottom failures, the experience has been stellar. Little or no heat for the first 20 minutes during the Winter but I've not replaced the prophylactic thermostat bypass valve on purpose to delay or prevent future HGasket issues. Like all cars with the lateral caliper slide mount design, it may warp rotors until you hone-out the build-up and debris from the slide mounts. This can present some dangers during slippery winter weather as there are no models with ABS. To clean the mounts, attach a stiff wire-brush pipe cleaner to a high-speed plug-in drill. (no battery-operated BS) I simply hack-sawed the handle off of some obtained at Home Depot or Lowes. Chronically warped rotors go bye-bye.

Everything else has been just plain old expected maintenance. The parts that are designed to wear out at given intervals like the waterpump, tie-rod ends, serpentine belt, etcetera, are intelligently designed to give you audible warning as much as 10, 15, 20k before leak or catastrophic failure. Serpentine belts are easy to check and should be replaced. Timing belts should be checked and regularly replaced who's wear may coincide with waterpump replacement.

So in essence, this Ford should never leave you on the side of the road. It has been and continues to be a quality vehicle. Unfortunately there are a ton of junk replacement parts out there though. Quality replacement parts can be tough to find.

Oh, the person who says they have a ton of miles on the original rear drum brake pads, that may be because they're seizing or/and need to be reseated. TO seat them, simply throw it in reverse, ramp to a high speed then brake until the front locks up. You should notice more even braking after doing this a few times. The only way to tell whether or not their seizing... whether buildup and debris is preventing them from moving like they should, is to disassemble them. The last a long time indeed, but not THAT long!

Another attribute of the Escort is how easy the engine is to rebuild. I have rebuilt several Escort engines ... and one several times ... all for family drivers. I like to "freshen up" an engine when it gets close to 200k miles ... just to get the compression back up to snuff. A valve job, a decarbonizing, new rings and we're good to go for another 200k.

I like the belt driven cam. Simple. No metal engine "front cover" to deal with, with all its seals. Yeah, there is a plastic belt cover ... that can be reworked for easier removal. The crank driven oil pump is superb ... a workaholic!

The front upper mount can be removed ... and the engine just "hangs" there on the tranny ... for easy front of engine access.

we ran a 94 escort gt in the demo last year that had 675,000 miles on it. i got it from my niece who bought it with 60,000. heres the kicker,the spedo quit working two years before i got it. original motor and trans. Never did blow up during demo!

183k :P yesterday

I have owned escorts since 1993. There are two in my driveway right now. I drive paper routes in town and in the mountains here in NW Oregon. They are the best. I wear them out though. Not the engines but the suspension. I went to the auto auction a couple years ago to buy an escort for my stepson who was graduating high school. While there I spied an '88 mazda 323. I liked the sound of the engine and the lack of add ons so I bought it for 500. It sat for the most part for over a year. Last winter I used it because it sat high enough to plow thru the snow. I kept thinking about how it reminded me of a 90 pony I sold when my husband died. I am now restoring it to better running condition and I find that although it is not identical it sure has a lot of interchangable parts.
So to answer the question better... Mazda 323 is ford Escort.

UPdate: I'm at 303,000 miles now :runaround:

The '88 Mazda 323 and Mercury Tracer (which was almost the same in body size/shape) were both assembled on the same line in Ford's Hermesillo (sp?) Mexico auto complex. Had the same motor and tranny. Not sure about any Escort model being similar.... don't think so.