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1990 Ford Probe

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Probe years

Owner complaints for the 1990 Ford Probe are substantially higher than the model-year median of 78.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 10 of 323 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 282 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. 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.

7 crash reports5 fire reports13 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

11 reports
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110,000 miles · Apr 10, 2006
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingExterior Lighting

RETRACTABLE SEAT BELTS JAM AND GET STUCK IN TRACK, MAKING UNSAFE CONDITION. HAVE HIT HEAD ON SEAT BELT LATCH CAUSING PAIN AND HAVE ALSO BEEN STUCK IN SEAT WITH SEAT BELT NOT RELEASING. ALSO WEARING OUT CAR BATTERY & SHORTING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEVERE MOISTURE IN TAIL LAMPS, FAILURE OF TAIL LAMPS CAUSING UNSAFE CONDITION, FAILURE…

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RETRACTABLE SEAT BELTS JAM AND GET STUCK IN TRACK, MAKING UNSAFE CONDITION. HAVE HIT HEAD ON SEAT BELT LATCH CAUSING PAIN AND HAVE ALSO BEEN STUCK IN SEAT WITH SEAT BELT NOT RELEASING. ALSO WEARING OUT CAR BATTERY & SHORTING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEVERE MOISTURE IN TAIL LAMPS, FAILURE OF TAIL LAMPS CAUSING UNSAFE CONDITION, FAILURE OF DRIVING LIGHTS. MANY PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE FROM DATE OF OWNERSHIP IN 1993. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10154921

Mileage unknown · May 13, 2002
Electrical System

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. DEALERSHIP SAD IT WAS DUE TO A FAULTY IGNITION MODULE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #8009742

Mileage unknown · May 1, 2001
Electrical System

ELECTRICAL CLUSTER MODULE SHORTED OUT, AND DASHBOARD FOR SPEED PANEL AND LIGHT OIL GAUGE DOESN'T OPERATE PROPERLY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #887234

Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2000
Electrical System

I HAVE REPLACE THE DISTRIBUTOR MODULE, AND THE CAR STILL SHUTS DOWN WHILE I AM DRIVING REGUARDLESS OF THE SPEED OF TRAVEL. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL. I JUST CAN NOT DRIVE IT THIS WAY. I HAVE PUT $3000 INTO THIS CAR THIS YEAR ALONE.

NHTSA ODI #734894

Mileage unknown · Nov 9, 1999
Electrical System

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD VEHICLE STALLS/STUTTERS, AND CAUSES A LOSS OF POWER STEERING DUE TO THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #852713

Mileage unknown · Jun 30, 1997
Electrical SystemEquipmentVisibilityFire

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, RADIO, ETC, STARTING GOING ON AND OFF AND A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD ON THE RIGHT SIDE. FIRE BELIEVED TO BE ELECTRICAL. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #813623

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 1997
Electrical SystemFire

OWNER STATES THAT SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR HER WIRING HARNESS AND THAT SHE HAD WORK REPAIRED BUT VEHICLE STILL CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #809681

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 1996
Electrical System

WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT OR HAVING TO MAKE AT LEFT TURN, THERE IS A REAL BAD HESITATION TO A POINT WHERE VEHICLE WILL STALL. THIS HAPPENS WHILE GOING UP ANY KIND OF GRADE.*AK

NHTSA ODI #804385

Mileage unknown · Nov 15, 1996
Electrical SystemFire

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE FUSE PANEL CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #805110

Mileage unknown · Oct 29, 1996
Electrical SystemFire

ELECTRICAL SHORT, WIRING HARNESS FAILURE, UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE, FIRE STARTED AT HEADLIGHT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #804211

Official recalls

3

96V172001 · Seat Belts:front:webbing

Sep 6, 1996

NOTE: DRIVER'S SIDE (LEFT) PASSIVE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. THE RAIL OF THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT CAN WEAR SUFFICIENTLY SUCH THAT THE CABLE WHICH RETRACTS THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WILL BECOME JAMMED IN THE RAIL RENDERING THE SHOULDER BELT INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE DRIVER SIDE AND INOPERATIVE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT TRACK ASSEMBLIES.

96V172002 · Seat Belts:front:webbing

Sep 6, 1996

NOTE: PASSENGER SIDE (RIGHT) SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. THE RAIL OF THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT CAN WEAR SUFFICIENTLY SUCH THAT THE CABLE WHICH RETRACTS THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WILL BECOME JAMMED IN THE RAIL RENDERING THE SHOULDER BELT INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE DRIVER SIDE AND INOPERATIVE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT TRACK ASSEMBLIES.

89V159000 · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

Sep 25, 1989

THROTTLE LEVERS MAY HAVE BEEN BENT DURING ASSEMBLY.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THROTTLE MAY STICK AND NOT RETURN FULLY TO IDLEPOSITION.

Remedy: PLACE AFFECTED VEHICLES ON DELIVERY HOLD UNTIL REPAIRED.

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

6

DP07001 · 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.

RQ98011 · Automatic Shoulder Belt

Opened Jul 31, 1998 · Closed Feb 16, 1999

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:webbing

There is no summary currently available

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

EA94032 · Passive Restraint Failures

Opened Sep 8, 1994 · Closed Sep 30, 1996

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

PE94039 · Pass.restraint Malfunction

Opened May 4, 1994 · Closed Sep 8, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

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