Illustration3RD TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITHIN A 4 YEAR PERIOD EVEN WITH A TRANSMISSION COOLER INSTALLED. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 115000 MILES. LAST TRANSMISSION LASTED ONLY A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. *NM
1994 Ford Probe
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Probe years
Owner complaints for the 1994 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: 14 of 166 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports7 fire reports11 injury reports
Power Train complaints
29 reportsI JUST BOUGHT A 1994 FORD PROBE GT, ONLY TO FIND OUT THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD IN IT. AFTER SOME EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE CAR I FOUND OUT THE 626 MAZDA TRANSMISSION THAT WAS PUT INTO THE CAR IS KNOWN FOR FAILING. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY DOING 60 MPH WHEN MY CAR SHIFTED DOWN AND DROPPED ALMOST 15 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. I…
Read full complaint
I JUST BOUGHT A 1994 FORD PROBE GT, ONLY TO FIND OUT THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD IN IT. AFTER SOME EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE CAR I FOUND OUT THE 626 MAZDA TRANSMISSION THAT WAS PUT INTO THE CAR IS KNOWN FOR FAILING. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY DOING 60 MPH WHEN MY CAR SHIFTED DOWN AND DROPPED ALMOST 15 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BUT IF A CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND ME I LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. I HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL FORD PROBE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED MAZDA WHO SAID THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FORD AND I WAS UNABLE TO GET A CALL BACK FROM FORD. *NM
FIRST, THE CAR MAKES A LITTLE JERK AND THEN THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTS TO BLINK AND THEN ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THE RPM'S STARTS TO JUMP AND THE WHOLE CAR BUCKS AS IF YOU HAD HYDRALICS. THE ENGINE STARTS TO JUMP BACK THEN FORTH. IF YOU STEP ON THE GAS THE CAR SPEEDS UP BUT IT BUCKS A LOT. I THOUGHT I COULD STOP IT BECAUSE I HAVE …
Read full complaint
FIRST, THE CAR MAKES A LITTLE JERK AND THEN THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTS TO BLINK AND THEN ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THE RPM'S STARTS TO JUMP AND THE WHOLE CAR BUCKS AS IF YOU HAD HYDRALICS. THE ENGINE STARTS TO JUMP BACK THEN FORTH. IF YOU STEP ON THE GAS THE CAR SPEEDS UP BUT IT BUCKS A LOT. I THOUGHT I COULD STOP IT BECAUSE I HAVE PLAYED WITH THE OVERDRIVE BUTTON AND IT HAS STOPPED , BUT THAT WAS WHEN IT FIRST STARTS. THE WEIRD THING IS THAT IT DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME. THE GUY THAT HAD IT BEFORE ME WHICH IS MY BOSS RAN EVERY TEST THEY COULD AND IT CAME OUT PERFECT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO? *AK
I HAVE 1994 FORD PROBE WITH A BAD TRANSMISSION, THE CAR HAS 132,000 MILES 3RD TRANNY TO GO BAD. *AK
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS: OVER DRIVE LIGHT BLINKS AND DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY. HAS BEEN REBUILT.
ATX TYPE FORD CD4E FAILURE. O/D LIGHT ON, SLIPPING CLUTCH. STABILIZER LINKS WORN OUT. CRUISE CONTROL WIRING DEFECT. *JB
THE VALVE BOX IN THE TRANSMISSION KEEPS LETTING GO I HAVE FIXED IT 2 TIMES AND IT JUST LET GO AGAIN I HAVE PAID OUT OF POCKET FOR THESE REPAIRS BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT FORD HAS TO BE LOOKIN INTO THE RECALLS ON THE FROD PROBE... I AM STILL TRING TO GET THE TRANMISSON FIXED AGAIN
CD4E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS A SEVERE SLIP BETWEEN THE HIGH GEARS. THE ENGINE REVS VERY HIGH, THE TACHOMETER HEADS TO THE RED LINE AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL SLAM INTO THE HIGHER GEAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE RIGHT AXLE FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO WANDER TO THE RIGHT AND MAKE CONTACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE, ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE OFFICER OBSERVED THAT WHEN THE DRIVER TURNED THE WHEEL, THE LEFT TIRE WOULD TURN BUT THE RIGHT TIRE WOULD NOT (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). NLM
O/D LIGHT FLASHING ,CODE 628 RETRIEVED....CONVERTER CLUTCH SLIPPING.*AK
Official recalls
193V169000 · Air Bags:frontal
Oct 15, 1993
IF THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THERE IS NO PASSENGER IN THAT SEATING POSITION, THE AIR BAG CAN DETACH FROM, AND DEFORM, THE MOUNTING BRACKET.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: INSTALLATION OF A REPLACEMENT PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAGWOULD BE IMPEDED BY THE DAMAGE TO THE MOUNTING BRACKET AND WOULD REQUIRE MOREEXPENSIVE REPAIR WORK. THIS MAY DETER THE VEHICLE OWNER FROM HAVING THE REPAIRMADE AND THE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG INSTALLED, WHICH WOULD PLACE FUTURE PASSENGERSAT HIGHER RISK OF INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: A NEW AIR BAG MODULE WITH A SLIGHTLY REVISED DOOR TO IMPROVE FIT AND APPEARANCE WILL BE INSTALLED AND A DOUBLER WILL BE INSTALLED ON THE MOUNTING BRACKET TO MORE SECURELY RETAIN THE MODULE.
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
1DP98005 · Engine Oil Pump Failure
Opened Jun 4, 1998 · Closed Aug 27, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available