I have a '97 Ford Escort sedan which I have taken care of and it has 117,000+ miles on it. One day the car just stopped. I had run out of gas but when it started it made a very loud sound. I had it towed to the mechanic’s lot. He said my car needed a new engine. He is reliable and I have gone to him for several years. This is not a good time for me to buy a new car. I called another garage and they said pretty much the same thing except that I could have my own engine rebuilt and then I would know what kind of engine I have. I have taken good care of my car. The second guy said it sounds like the bearings got lose. I don’t know what to do. How would I know if the second guy has really used my car’s engine? Did running out of gas have something to do with the engine problem? Does anyone know if this is a “Ford problem?” Should I spend $2500 to rebuild my engine? I have never used the guy who suggested this. The suggestion from the guy I use was to put in a “new” engine for $2000. Any comments on my situation?
Wow, 2500 bucks to rebuild an Escort 4-cylinder? I’d shop around.
If the rest of the car is in good condition, it’s worth it to rebuild the motor.
And what do you mean by “A Ford problem”?
Don’t waste $2000-$2500 on this car.
Ever hear the song got to know when hold them and when to fold. Fold and look for a new ride.
Maybe it was not running out of gas so much as running out of oil and the engine was trying to seize up.
An 11 year old Escort is not worth putting that much money into. The only way it’s feasible if could find a reasonably priced engine at the salvage and possibly let the salvage yard install it for a nominal fee.
It’s not a Ford problem; sounds like an oil has not been checked problem.
You can get another car for the price of repairs. Escorts aren’t made of gold.
Thank you all for your input. I appreciate it. The reason I asked if it was something that happens to Ford escorts when they get old is that I always get my car serviced every three months and there was plenty of oil left when this happened. I hoped it would last longer since I took care of it. But, like it was said, I guess Fords aren’t made of gold.
Running out of gas isn’t going to damage the engine. It might toast the fuel pump (back in the gas tank), but that’s about it. You say it had plenty of oil when it died? You checked after it died and there was sufficient oil in it? If there was no oil at that point, the drain plug might have come out or some other major leak left it dry. It’s also possible that you lost oil pressure due to oil pump failure. Did the oil warning light come on at any point in this adventure?
If the engine really is toast due to running out of oil, you might be able to get a junkyard engine installed for far less than $2000. I agree with the other posters that at 11 years and 117K, it’s not worth dumping a whole lot of money into this car (“new” or rebuilt engine). If the engine died from lack of oil, I have my doubts that a rebuild is going to save it (perhaps, if the damage is confined to the main bearings, but then, $2500 is an awful lot for a lower end rebuild).