IllustrationTHE SEAT BELT WAS REPAIRED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 96V-172, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT BUT HAS NOT RECEIVED A REPLY OR REIMBURSEMENT. NLM
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.
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: 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
What owners actually said
323 reportsDRIVING ON HIGHWAY CAR STOPS RUNNING AND THEN JUST STARTS UP AGAIN.ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER BEING SHUT DOWN FOR OVER 1 HOUR LASTEST INCIDENT CAR STOPPED RUNNING ON ROAD ANB WE COASTED OFF ROAD AND THEN WE RESTARTED CAR THESE PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURED ABOUT 8/9 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR LOCAL FORD DEALE…
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DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CAR STOPS RUNNING AND THEN JUST STARTS UP AGAIN.ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER BEING SHUT DOWN FOR OVER 1 HOUR LASTEST INCIDENT CAR STOPPED RUNNING ON ROAD ANB WE COASTED OFF ROAD AND THEN WE RESTARTED CAR THESE PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURED ABOUT 8/9 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR LOCAL FORD DEALER HAS NO CLUE AS TO WHY THIS IS OCCURRING ONLY TO TRY AND REPLACE THIS OR THAT COMPONENT TO NO AVAIL THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN GOING DOWN ROAD AT 60 MPH IN TRAFFIC OR DOWNHILL WITH NO ASSISTED BRAKING. *AK
PASSENGER'S SEATBELT IS INOPERATIVE WHICH WON'T PROTECT OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SUBJECT TO RECALL 96V172.002/ AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT, BUT HAS SAME PROBLEM. *AK
RECALL REPAIR 96V-172 WAS PERFORMED (JAN 97) ON ALL SAFETY RESTRAINTS WHICH WAS TO REPLACE BOTH SIDES WITH NEW BELT TRACK ASSEMBLY, NOW (OCT 00) THE LEFT SIDE RESTRAINT IS INOPERABLE, CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT ONLY THE MOTOR WAS REPLACED NOT THE TRACK, THE DEALER STATED IT WAS THEIR DECISION OF WHAT PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT MOVE. MOTOR RUNS, BUT BELT DOES NOT MOVE. PASSENGERS CAN'T FASTEN SEATBELTS. *AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 96V172001 AND HAD REPAIR COMPLETED, HOWEVER THE MOTORBELT HAS COMPLETELY QUIT WORKING AND IS MAKING NOISES, THE DEALER WILL NOT FIX THE FAULTY MOTORBELT, THE CONSUMER ALSO RECEIVED RECALL 96V172002, THE DEALER HAS NOT YET REPAIRED THIS.
WHILE REPAIRING THE RECALLED PASSENGER AND DRIVIER MOTORBELT, DEALER ONLY REPLACED THE MOTOR AND NOT THE L-SIDE TRACK PER RECALL 96V-172, CONSUMER INQUIRED AS TO WHY THEY ONLY REPLACED THE MOTOR AND NOT THE TRACK AND THEY STATED IT WAS THEIR DECISION TO MAKE A CHOICE OF WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, NOW THE L-SLIDE TRACK IS INOPERABLE…
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WHILE REPAIRING THE RECALLED PASSENGER AND DRIVIER MOTORBELT, DEALER ONLY REPLACED THE MOTOR AND NOT THE L-SIDE TRACK PER RECALL 96V-172, CONSUMER INQUIRED AS TO WHY THEY ONLY REPLACED THE MOTOR AND NOT THE TRACK AND THEY STATED IT WAS THEIR DECISION TO MAKE A CHOICE OF WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, NOW THE L-SLIDE TRACK IS INOPERABLE. NLM
I AM WONDERING HOW I CAN KEEP UDATED ON THE RECENT RECALL MOTION ON THE IGNITION MODULES. I AM VERY INCOMFORTABLE IN RELYING ON FORD TO GIVE ME THIS INFO. I SAW MANY RECALLS AND I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF ANY. MY SEAT BELT TRACK WAS ONE OF THEM. I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX IT AND NOW I FIND OUT I COULD HAVE TAKEN IT TO A DEALER. *AK
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.
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 96V172002 & CONTACTED DEALERSHIP FOR AN APPOINTMENT. TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR SHOULDER BELT REPAIRS. MECHANIC REFUSED TO REPAIR SHOULDER BELTS UNLESS BELTS WERE NOT WORKING. FINALLY, DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT HAD FAILED. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER WHERE MECHANIC REPAIRED SHOULDER BELT. HOWEVER, PASSENGER …
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RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 96V172002 & CONTACTED DEALERSHIP FOR AN APPOINTMENT. TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR SHOULDER BELT REPAIRS. MECHANIC REFUSED TO REPAIR SHOULDER BELTS UNLESS BELTS WERE NOT WORKING. FINALLY, DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT HAD FAILED. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER WHERE MECHANIC REPAIRED SHOULDER BELT. HOWEVER, PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT WAS STUCK & HAD JAMMED, BUT MECHANIC REFUSED TO REPAIR IT.*AK
Official recalls
396V172001 · 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
6DP07001 · 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