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Ford Escort statistics

How many Ford Escorts are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, how new registrations have changed and which fuels they use. Built from DVLA licensing records.

Last updated
Records analysed
46,521 Escort records (licensed and SORN)
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed in Great Britain 12,342 +0.3% on a year earlier
  • Declared SORN 34,179 Off the road, not taxed
  • Rank by number licensed No. 313 of 1,159 models we cover
  • Licensed in 1994 1,698,777 when this data begins
  • New registrations in 2025 123 registered for the first time
  • Most common fuel Petrol 99.3% of those licensed

How many Ford Escorts are left in Great Britain?

There were 12,342 Ford Escorts licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 34,179 declared off the road (SORN). That is 99.3% fewer than the 1,698,777 licensed in 1994, when this data begins.

Ford Escorts licensed in Great Britain

The count was highest in 1994, when this data begins.

Ford Escorts licensed in Great Britain at the end of each year
Year Licensed
1994 1,698,777
1995 1,668,168
1996 1,683,651
1997 1,659,224
1998 1,611,564
1999 1,517,243
2000 1,403,312
2001 1,275,389
2002 1,129,943
2003 976,084
2004 834,370
2005 688,824
2006 543,656
2007 425,949
2008 318,510
2009 226,523
2010 155,820
2011 102,558
2012 68,005
2013 45,155
2014 31,638
2015 23,894
2016 18,635
2017 15,182
2018 13,476
2019 12,735
2020 12,189
2021 12,464
2022 12,429
2023 12,064
2024 12,340
2025 12,237
2026 12,342

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Ford Escort versions

31 versions of the Ford Escort have their own page. The figures above include every version; each version page covers only the cars DVLA records under that version’s name.

Versions of the Ford Escort with their own page
Version Licensed SORN
Ford Escort RS Turbo 504 3,914
Ford Escort Cabriolet 460 2,678
Ford Escort XR3i 449 2,448
Ford Escort RS2000 612 1,173
Ford Escort RS Cosworth 246 1,071
Ford Escort Mexico 638 497
Ford Escort RS Custom 516 388
Ford Escort RS 439 401
Ford Escort GTI 89 642
Ford Escort Popular Plus 277 419
Ford Escort 1100 L 268 352
Ford Escort XR3i Cabriolet 71 548
Ford Escort 1300 L 290 298
Ford Escort Ghia Cabriolet 97 394
Ford Escort 1300 XL 241 248
Ford Escort RS1600i 190 287
Ford Escort 1100 Base 208 235
Ford Escort XR3 165 265
Ford Escort 1300 GL 190 236
Ford Escort Calypso 91 298
Ford Escort 1300 Base 150 147
Ford Escort Ghia X 36 229
Ford Escort RS2000 4x4 18 245
Ford Escort 1300E 141 112
Ford Escort 1300 GT 127 110
Ford Escort Deluxe 95 135
Ford Escort Sport 116 103
Ford Escort SI Cabriolet 26 176
Ford Escort Super 89 100
Ford Escort Mexico II 93 80
Ford Escort 1600 Ghia 51 66

Ford Escort MOT reliability

We do not show MOT figures for the Ford Escort. 17% of those on the DVLA record are vans, and DVSA’s MOT results do not separate car and van tests of the same model, so the figures would not describe the car. How we work out MOT figures.

Ford Escort registrations over time

Registrations of Ford Escorts for the first time in Great Britain were highest at 3,888 in 2001, when this data begins. In 2025, 123 were registered.

Registered for the first time, by year

Ford Escorts registered for the first time in Great Britain, by year
Year First registrations
’01 3,888
’02 1,192
’03 767
’04 464
’05 279
’06 196
’07 162
’08 95
’09 86
’10 86
’11 60
’12 54
’13 56
’14 73
’15 120
’16 150
’17 141
’18 136
’19 164
’20 173
’21 250
’22 214
’23 147
’24 141
’25 123

Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated

Ford Escort engine sizes and fuel types

Of the 13,021 Ford Escorts licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 31.1% have an engine of 1,501cc to 1,600cc, and 19.4% have an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc. The share with an engine of 1,501cc to 1,600cc has fallen from 57.4% in 2014 to 31.1%. Petrols made up 95.1% of those licensed in 2014 and 99.3% in 2025.

Engine sizes, end of 2025

DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.

Ford Escorts licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size Share of those licensed
1,501cc to 1,600cc 4,056 licensed 31.1%
1,901cc to 2,000cc 2,520 licensed 19.4%
1,201cc to 1,300cc 1,658 licensed 12.7%
1,601cc to 1,700cc 1,169 licensed 9.0%
1,301cc to 1,400cc 1,091 licensed 8.4%
2,001cc to 2,100cc 942 licensed 7.2%
1,701cc to 1,800cc 567 licensed 4.4%
1,001cc to 1,100cc 403 licensed 3.1%
1,101cc to 1,200cc 358 licensed 2.7%
Other sizes 257 licensed 2.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated

Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size Fuel Licensed Share
1,501–1,600cc Petrol 4,053 31.1%
1,901–2,000cc Petrol 2,515 19.3%
1,201–1,300cc Petrol 1,658 12.7%
1,601–1,700cc Petrol 1,158 8.9%
1,301–1,400cc Petrol 1,090 8.4%
2,001–2,100cc Petrol 942 7.2%
1,701–1,800cc Petrol 502 3.9%
1,001–1,100cc Petrol 403 3.1%
1,101–1,200cc Petrol 358 2.7%

Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025

Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.

Ford Escorts licensed in the UK by engine size, share of each year’s total
Year 1,501–1,600cc1,901–2,000cc1,201–1,300cc1,601–1,700cc
2014 57.4%4.3%7.3%1.7%
2015 54.9%5.8%8.2%2.3%
2016 51.3%7.4%9.1%3.3%
2017 47.6%9.0%9.9%4.2%
2018 43.0%10.9%10.5%5.3%
2019 39.6%13.3%11.0%6.1%
2020 37.3%14.5%11.3%6.7%
2021 34.3%17.3%12.0%7.6%
2022 32.5%18.3%12.2%8.3%
2023 31.0%19.0%12.7%8.7%
2024 31.2%19.1%12.7%9.0%
2025 31.1%19.4%12.7%9.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated

Fuel type, 2014 to 2025

Share of those licensed at the end of each year.

Ford Escorts licensed in the UK by fuel type, share of each year’s total
Year PetrolDiesel
2014 95.1%4.8%
2015 95.9%4.1%
2016 96.6%3.4%
2017 97.1%2.9%
2018 97.7%2.3%
2019 98.1%1.9%
2020 98.4%1.6%
2021 98.8%1.2%
2022 99.0%1.0%
2023 99.1%0.9%
2024 99.2%0.7%
2025 99.3%0.7%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated

United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page. How we use engine sizes.

Ford Escort fuel economy and CO2

The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the Ford Escort from 2000, when the data begins, to 2001. On the NEDC test (listings 2000 to 2001), official combined fuel economy for its petrol and diesel versions ranges from 34.0 to 42.2 mpg, with CO2 of 182 to 195 g/km.

Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2000 to 2001
Engine and fuel Combined mpg CO2 g/km Listed Euro standard Versions
1.6 petrol 34.0–35.3 188–195 2000–2001 Euro 2 4
1.8 diesel 40.4–42.2 182–187 2000–2001 Euro 2 4

Source:VCA July 2000 to 15 September 2026 Updated

  • Official figures from laboratory type-approval tests. VCA says they may not be achieved in real-world driving, and should not be used to rank cars with similar figures.
  • Engine sizes are rounded to the nearest 0.1 litre. A version is one line in VCA’s data (description, gearbox, engine and fuel), counted once however many years it was listed. Matched from VCA’s model name “Escort”. How we use VCA’s figures.

Ford Escort safety recalls

DVSA lists 12 safety recalls for the Ford Escort since 1992. The most recent was launched on 30 July 2002.

Loss of steering power assistance

Launched 30 July 2002 DVSA recall R/2002/105 Manufacturer ref. 2C837

Defect
The power assisted steering pump drive pulley may crack or break up. this could result in the steering being heavy/stiff to operate.
Remedy
Fit a modified drive pulley to the affected vehicles.
Vehicles affected
2,858 Escort vehicles
Built
13 Aug 2001 to 24 Sept 2001

All 12 Ford Escort recalls, with defects, remedies and build dates

17% of the Ford Escorts on the DVLA record are vans. DVSA’s recalls cover every body type, so some of these recalls may apply only to vans.

A recall applies to cars built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every Ford Escort. The details come from manufacturers through DVSA, which says they may be delayed or incomplete. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check or ask the manufacturer or a dealer. How we match recalls to models.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Compare the Ford Escort with other Ford models

Ford Escort compared with other Ford models
Model Licensed Change on a year SORN Rank Main fuel
Ford Escort 12,342 +0.3% 34,179 313 Petrol
Ford Fiesta 1,249,904 −5.2% 111,058 1 Petrol
Ford Focus 857,445 −6.6% 100,497 4 Petrol
Ford Kuga 367,678 +3.9% 7,528 17 Diesel
Ford Puma 244,729 +27.6% 6,445 30 Hybrid

More Ford models

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed and SORN counts Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 46,521 Escort records (licensed and SORN) 15 September 2026
Registered for the first time Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport 2001 to 2025 – 15 September 2026
  • Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
  • Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
  • First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
  • Models are grouped by DVLA’s generic model name, so every generation and trim counts together.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.