IllustrationTHE DEFECTIVE ENGINE PISTON BROKE OFF, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO "FREEZE, " WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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
What owners actually said
166 reportsTHIS CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. ONE MONTH AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE WOULD NOT DIS-ENGAGE AND TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHEATING. DEALER LET CAR SIT FOR OVER 10 DAYS AND DID NOTHING. TOOK CAR TO DIFFERENT REPAIR SHOP. THEY SAID SHORT TER…
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THIS CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. ONE MONTH AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE WOULD NOT DIS-ENGAGE AND TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHEATING. DEALER LET CAR SIT FOR OVER 10 DAYS AND DID NOTHING. TOOK CAR TO DIFFERENT REPAIR SHOP. THEY SAID SHORT TERM MEMORY WAS WIPPED OUT, NEEDED OVERDRIVE WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON AGAIN IN ORDER TO GET CODE. TOOK CAR AND DROVE FOR A LONG DISTANCE. AT THAT TIME THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED CAUSING LOSS OF SPEEDOMETER AND MASSIVE FLUID LEAK WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. ADVISED TO IMMEADEATLY STOP DRIVING CAR AS IT COULD CATCH ON FIRE. VEHICLE SINCE FIXED TWICE BUY A DIFFERENT DEALER. DEALER STATED THAT NOTCH WAS MISSING OUT OF TRANSMISSION PISTON FROM THE FACTORY. TRANSMISSION ALSO HAD NUMEROUS OTHER PROBLEMS AND TOTAL REPAIR COST 1,328.58. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD (TO LATE) THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL BULLITENS OUT FOR THESE TRANSMISSIONS.
THE CALIPER STICKS WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE IS APPLIED CAUSING THE PARKING BRAKE TO REMAIN ON UNTIL THE LEVER ON THE CALIPER IS UNSTUCK. THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE CALIPER. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FORD-UK IS REPLACING THESE ITEMS, BUT NOT AS PART OF A RECALL. WHY WOULD AN AMERICAN COMPANY REPLACE THE PART FOR FOREIGNERS AN…
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THE CALIPER STICKS WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE IS APPLIED CAUSING THE PARKING BRAKE TO REMAIN ON UNTIL THE LEVER ON THE CALIPER IS UNSTUCK. THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE CALIPER. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FORD-UK IS REPLACING THESE ITEMS, BUT NOT AS PART OF A RECALL. WHY WOULD AN AMERICAN COMPANY REPLACE THE PART FOR FOREIGNERS AND NOT FOR THOSE WHO PUT UP WITH UNIONS AND OVERPAID FACTORYLINE WORKERS?
VEHICLE STARTED SWERVING AROUND WHEN DRIVING., MECHANIC CONTACTED AND DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS RUN. STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS GONE. DEALER CONTACTED, NO WARRANTY. PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED.
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD SOME FUNNY NOISES COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WENT INTO THE STORE. CAME BACK TO START THE VEHICLE AND PUT IN REVERSE AND THEN INTO DRIVE, AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T GO ANYWHERE DUE TO THE DRUM GEAR UNIT BEING CRACKED. FORD AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT DIDN'T PROVIDE ANY HELP. *AK …
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WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD SOME FUNNY NOISES COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WENT INTO THE STORE. CAME BACK TO START THE VEHICLE AND PUT IN REVERSE AND THEN INTO DRIVE, AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T GO ANYWHERE DUE TO THE DRUM GEAR UNIT BEING CRACKED. FORD AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT DIDN'T PROVIDE ANY HELP. *AK *ML
ENGINE STALLING, WOULDN'T IDLE. OIL PAN RUSTED, LEAKING OIL
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH AND 65 MPH WHEN HIT SOMETHING IN THE STREET AND THE AIR BAGS ON BOTH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE DEPLOYED. INSURANCE COMPANY CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. *AK
POWER STEERING FAILS, CAUSING STEERING TO STIFFEN. THEN THE POWER STEERING BECOMES TOO LOOSE.
REAR BRAKE CALIPER FAILED.
PARKING BRAKE FROZE CAUSING REAR CALIPERS TO FAIL TO RELEASE, DESTROYING THE CALIPERS.
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