FordEscort1998Overview/ford/escort/1998/base/

1998 Ford Escort

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 Escort.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1998 Ford Escort is a compact passenger car equipped with an automatic 4-speed transmission and requires 4.0 quarts of 5W-20 API oil for maintenance. It achieves EPA fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. With 416 total owner complaints recorded, this model year falls in the middle of the Escort's complaint history spanning 1990-2002—below the peak of 647 complaints in 1995 but far above the low of 90 in 2002—with air bags representing the most frequently cited issue and a single recall affecting the model.

Model year200320022001200019991998199719961995

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque65-87 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy22/31/25 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 58R · 500 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 58R · 500 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP185-65R14OEM · verified
Wheel / rim5.5-JJ inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length174.8 in
Overall width66.9 in
Overall height53.1 in
Wheelbase98.4 in
Curb weight2474 lb
Track (front / rear)55.9 / 55.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined22 / 31 / 25 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume87 cu ft
Cargo volume13 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Escort of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.4–7.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.40 sec — 1998 ZX2 Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1998ZX2 Coupe 2.0L I-47.40 sec15.70 sec130 hpFWD
1998ZX2 S/R Coupe 2.0L I-47.80 sec16.10 sec130 hpFWD
1997LX Sedan 2.0L I-410.90 sec18.10 sec110 hpFWD
1999ZX2 Coupe 2.0L I-47.60 sec15.80 sec130 hpFWD
1995RS Cosworth 3-door Hatchback 2.0L Turbo I-44.90 sec13.60 sec227 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.0 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 65-87 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.0 qt
Power Steering FluidATF

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts81-96 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts15-22 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15-17 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts12-15 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts10-12 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0-22.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts65-87 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub174-235 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub152 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft
Spark Plug Gap0.052-0.056 in
Spark Plug Torque10.0-15.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing10 degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance2 degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPMIdle rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.75 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity7.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number58R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance500 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15.0 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14.-17.5 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-195 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)35.0-55.0

Brakes

Torque to Knuckle34-44 ft-lbs / 65-87 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket29-36 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.080; Rear: 0.040 in
Drum Nominal Diameter9 in / 7.874 in
Drum Maximum Machining9.059 in / 7.933 in
Drum Discard at-or-over9.06 / 7.934
Rotor Runout Limit0.004 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.35 in / 0.866 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages
130-44 ft. lbs.30–44 ft. lbs
2Loosen bolts 1/2 turn.
330-44 ft. lbs.30–44 ft. lbs
490 degrees.90 degrees
590 degrees.90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat new bolts with the specified engine oil.

115.0 ft. lbs.15 ft. lbs
230 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
3105 degrees105 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 50,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 50,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 5,000 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Wheel Lug Nut (torque)
Every 5,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 10,000 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Wheel Lug Nut (torque)
Every 15,000 miEngine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Engine Coolant System Hoses (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Fasteners (torque) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect)
At 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miPCV Valve (replace)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

For the 19972002 Escort generation, 1998 represents the early, settling phase after a launch-year spike. It improves on 1997 in every federal metric—complaints fell from 610 to 416, recalls from 2 to 1, investigations from 2 to 1, and TSBs from 186 to 157—yet it still trails the cleaner record of 1999 and the much lower counts of 2000–2002. The leading 1998 complaint areas were air bags (58), suspension (47), engine and engine cooling (46), and electrical system (45), with 85 crash-related and 23 fire-related complaints, though the data does not specify root causes. Given that 1998 carries the second-highest complaint and TSB volume of its generation, it is a usable but not standout year; a well-documented 2000–2002 example is the stronger used-car choice.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
157
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
416
Owner complaints
85 involved a crash · 23 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 416 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags58
Suspension47
Engine & Engine Cooling46
Electrical System45
Power Train36
Service Brakes, Hydraulic26
Vehicle Speed Control13
Visibility13

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

04E048000Seat Belts:FrontReported 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… Remedy: TRW WILL NOTIFY THE CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 27, 2004.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 157 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
0421072004-12-13Power TrainGENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT
04V092004-08-12Seat BeltsTRW VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC. IS RECALLING CERTAIN SERVICE REPLACEMENT SEATBELT…
0209012004-05-17Electrical SystemROUGH IDLE, LOW POWER AND / OR STALL AT IDLE, A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED…
031812003-09-15Electrical SystemREMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT
0315152003-08-04Engine And Engine CoolingIDLE VIBRATION ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0L SPI OR ZETEC ENGINE ONLY. *TT

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Escort. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 Escort take?

4.0 qt of 5W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1998 Escort have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Escort get?

EPA figures are 22 city / 31 highway / 25 combined mpg.