IllustrationSOMETIMES VEHICLE STALLED WHEN PUT INTO GEAR AND ENGINE WOULD CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. *PH THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB
1989 Ford Probe
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Ford Probe do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 78.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Probe years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 77 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports5 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
13 reportsCONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AND THE MOTOR AND RADIATOR FAILED. *MJS
CARS STALLS; BEEN TO MECHANICS, THEY CANT SEE THE PROBLEM IT STALLS WHEN WARM IT SHOULDNT VERY DANGEROUS. *AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE WHILE DRIVING (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
PLASTIC TOP OF RADIATOR FAILED UPON OPENING THE HOOD..17 YEAR OLD WAS SPRAYED WITH HOT LIQUID AND STEAM HOSPITALIZED WITH 2ND AND 3RD DEGREE BURNS 50% OF BODY. *AK
THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED AFTER BEING PARKED AND TURNED OFF FOR TWO HOURS. IT THEN MUST HAVE IGNITED THE STARTER AND STALLED ITSELF, AND FORCED ITSELF TO MOVE FORWARD 10 TO 20 FEET. WHEN MOVING FORWARD ,UP HILL, IT RAN INTO A BUILDING, DOING NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE EXCEPT FOR FIRE BURNS LEFT ON THE WALL. *AK
AT TOP OF A HILL VEHICLE AT LOW IDLE. SUDDENLY VEHICLE STALLED OUT. STEERING SHUTDOWN. HAD NO CONTROL. VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL DOWN HILL. APPLIED BRAKES TO NO AVAIL. USED EMERGENCY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN UNTIL GRAVITY ENDED. HAVE TAKEN TO MECHANIC. *AK
RADIATOR EXPLODED SPEWING HOT WATER ONTO DRIVER, CAUSING FIRST AND SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON FACE, HAND, ARM, STOMACH AND LOWER ABDOMINAL REGION. REPAIRMAN STATES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE OF FAULTY PLASTIC USED IN RADIATOR.
ALTERNATOR BELT BRACKET ASSEMBLY IS FAULTY, CAUSING THE BELTS TO CONTINUE TO BREAK. *AK
CAMSHAFT SEIZED DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION, RESULTING IN VEHICLE STALLING. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
4DP07001 · Seatback Recline Mechanism Failure
Opened Jul 30, 2007 · Closed Dec 5, 2007
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
ON JUNE 29, 2007, NHTSA RECEIVED A PETITION FROM MR. RICHARD H. MCSWAIN OF MCSWAIN ENGINEERING INC., REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE SEATBACK RECLINER FAILURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THE PETITIONER IDENTIFIED A FAILURE MODE INVOLVING BYPASS OF THE SEATBACK STOP PIN WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FALSE OR PARTIAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE SECTOR AND PAWL TEETH, ALLOWING THE SEATBACK TO RECLINE IN A VEHICULAR COLLISION.ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ALLEGED FAILURE MODE MAY BE THE RESULT OF PROGRESSIVE WEAR AND TEAR OF THE SEATBACK STOP PIN, THE SEATBACK STOP, AND OTHER SEAT COMPONENTS IN VEHICLES THAT ARE, ON AVERAGE, 17 YEARS OLD.AVAILABLE DATA DO NOT SUGGEST THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH A NOTABLE FREQUENCY. ODI REVIEWED ITS CONSUMER COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED OVER THE LAST NINETEEN YEARS AND FOUND NO COMPLAINTS OF SEATBACK COLLAPSE (WITH OR WITHOUT A VEHICLE COLLISION) IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.CONSIDERING THE ADVANCED AGE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDE A FREE REMEDY DOES NOT APPLY IF THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT BY THE FIRST PURCHASER MORE THAN 10 CALENDAR YEARS BEFORE AN ORDER IS ISSUED. THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.
PE96027 · Mazda RX7 Automatic Seat Belt Failure
Opened Apr 16, 1996 · Closed Sep 30, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
MALFUNCTION OF THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT SYSTEM
PE91124 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Sep 9, 1991 · Closed Dec 23, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
There is no summary currently available
PE89166 · Transmission Oil Line Fire
Opened Sep 15, 1989 · Closed Dec 22, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
There is no summary currently available