IllustrationHAS ANYONE ELSE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THEIR FORD PROBES. THIS ONE HAS BLOWN APART TWICE, LEAVING LARGE HOLES IN THE CASING. WHY ISN'T FORD STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT? BOTH TIMES THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK
1991 Ford Probe
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Probe years
Owner complaints for the 1991 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: 7 of 177 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 142 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports5 fire reports4 injury reports
Power Train complaints
4 reportsTRANSMISSION WENT COMPLETELY OUT AT 80 THOUSAND MILES. WHEN I WENT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED THE REPAIR SHOP I TOOK IT TO SAID THIS CERTAIN CAR WAS KNOW FOR THIS DEFECT AND THAT MAZDA MOTOR CO. , WHO MADE THE POWER TRAIN FOR THIS VEHICLE, WAS VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BE A ROD IN THE TRANMISSION NOT BEING TIG…
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TRANSMISSION WENT COMPLETELY OUT AT 80 THOUSAND MILES. WHEN I WENT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED THE REPAIR SHOP I TOOK IT TO SAID THIS CERTAIN CAR WAS KNOW FOR THIS DEFECT AND THAT MAZDA MOTOR CO. , WHO MADE THE POWER TRAIN FOR THIS VEHICLE, WAS VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BE A ROD IN THE TRANMISSION NOT BEING TIGHT AND CAUSE EXCESSIVE WEAR.
THREE BOLTS CAME OUT OF TRANSMISSION, THERE WAS VIBRATION AND THEN STALLING WHILE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. PLEASE IDENTIFY THE AREA OF TRSNSMISSION. *AK
PURCHASE CAR USED AT 59,000 MILES TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT TRANSMISSION WAS EXPERIENCING HARD SHIFTING, CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO INSPECT TRANSMISISON, HOWEVER DEALER ALWAYS SAID THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS, DEALER STATED LATER AFTER WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THAT A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER, PUM…
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PURCHASE CAR USED AT 59,000 MILES TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT TRANSMISSION WAS EXPERIENCING HARD SHIFTING, CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO INSPECT TRANSMISISON, HOWEVER DEALER ALWAYS SAID THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS, DEALER STATED LATER AFTER WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THAT A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER, PUMP, AND OTHER VARIOUS TRANSMISSION PARTS WERE NEEDED. SPEEDOMETER CABLE FAILED, REPAIR OF THE CABLE LESSENED THE SHIFTING PROBLEMS, HOWEVER TRANSMISSION STILL DID NOT FEEL CORRECT. *SLC
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.
91V016000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Jan 1, 1991
BRACKETS MOUNTING AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE AN UNDERSTRENGTH SPOT WELD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SHOULDER BELT COULD FAIL IN A COLLISION INCREASING THERISK OF INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.
Remedy: INSTALL TWO BOLTS IN THE BRACKETS TO PREVENT SHOULDER BELT FAILURE.
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
PE91013 · Steering Wheel Separation
Opened Nov 14, 1990 · Closed Jan 22, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available