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1990 Ford Probe problems

The most common problem on the 1990 Ford Probe is seat belts, typically around 110,000 miles. It has 3.8 times the complaints of a typical Probe model year.

Typical year3.8x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
322
Recalls
3
Service bulletins
34
Worst area
Seat belts
Fuel economy
19-24mpg

The worst 1990 Ford Probe problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1990 Ford Probe

Seat belt 61

Recalls 3

Seat belts: front: webbingReported September 6, 1996 · 224,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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.
Risk
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.

Recall number 96V172001 · Recall details

Seat belts: front: webbingReported September 6, 1996 · 224,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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.
Risk
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.

Recall number 96V172002 · Recall details

Vehicle speed control: linkagesReported September 25, 1989 · 2,900 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Throttle levers may have been bent during assembly.
Risk
Throttle may stick and not return fully to idleposition.
Remedy
Place affected vehicles on delivery hold until repaired.

Recall number 89V159000 · Recall details

See all 3 recalls for the 1990 Ford Probe

Defect investigations

Seatback recline mechanism failureOpened July 30, 2007, closed December 5, 2007

On june 29, 2007, the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.

DP07001

Automatic shoulder beltOpened July 31, 1998, closed February 16, 1999

There is no summary currently available

RQ98011

Mazda rx7 automatic seat belt failureOpened April 16, 1996, closed September 30, 1996

Malfunction of the automatic seat belt system

PE96027

Passive restraint failuresOpened September 8, 1994, closed September 30, 1996

There is no summary currently available

EA94032

Pass.restraint malfunctionOpened May 4, 1994, closed September 8, 1994

There is no summary currently available

PE94039

Engine compartment firesOpened September 9, 1991, closed December 23, 1991

There is no summary currently available

PE91124

Technical service bulletins for the 1990 Ford Probe 34

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 34 bulletins for the 1990 Ford Probe

1990 Ford Probe fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
2.2L 4‑cylFWD17-2123-2819-24
3.0L 6‑cylFWD17-1824-2619-21

What 1990 Ford Probe owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Aug 14, 2007 · Seat belts · IL

Tl*the contact owns a 1990 ford probe. The driver and passenger side seat belts retractors would not work. The dealer has not repaired the seat belts. The current mileage was 182,000 and the failure mileage was unavailable.

Filed May 3, 2007 · Seat belts · 70,000 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 1990 ford probe. Approximately six years ago the front driver and passenger side seat belt failed to operate normally. The contact stated that he needed to use the seat belts because there were no air bags in the vehicle. The contact referred to safety recall # 96v172002 concerning seat belts:front:webbing. However, ford stated that the recall did not exist. The contact stated that he never received a safety recall notice. The current mileage is 100,001, and failure mileage was 70,000. *ak updated 06/14/07

Filed Dec 8, 2006 · Seat belts · IN

Driver side motorized seat belt seized in the middle of track.

Filed Apr 10, 2006 · Body, Brakes · 110,000 miles · IA

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.

Filed May 24, 2005 · Seat belts · 72,097 miles · MD

Driver's side seat restraint (sholder harness) doesn't function. 1990 ford probe lx. Was issue of a recall in 1996. Subject restraint has failed three times since purchase of car. First repair was under vehicle warranty. Second repair took place prior to recal and was paid for by owner. Third failure has occured withing the last year and local dealer does not take responsibility.

Filed May 2, 2005 · Seat belts · MD

The recall (the federal safety agency campaign id #96v172001) is not being honored by the manufacturer because, although the make, model, and year of the car is the same, the VIN number does not appear in the manufacturer database associating it with the recall. The manufacturer should be required to honor the recall since it totally matches the vehicle and the problem stated in the recall.

Filed Apr 27, 2004 · Seat belts · 80,000 miles · MN

Shoulder belt on driver's side is defective. It does not secure the passenger in the seat. A recall was issued in 1996. Shoulder belt was repaired, but problem recurred. Manufacturer will not repair shoulder belt unless consumer pays for it.

Filed Apr 8, 2004 · Seat belts · 174,000 miles · CT

Recall 96v172001, while parking or driving, the seat belt would not retract back into the locking position. *ak the part had been previously repaired. The driver's side seat belt shoulder restraint would be compromised when the failure occurred. *sc

Filed Apr 2, 2004 · Seat belts · 130,000 miles · OR

Recall 96v172001, while parking/driving, passenger side passive restraint seat belt will not retract back into locking position creating a real safety hazard for the passenger. The dealership (doherty ford, forest grove, or) was notified, but refused to address this safety issue because, allegedly, the VIN of the subject vehicle "was not included" in the recall.

Filed Jan 15, 2004 · Seat belts · 122,000 miles · CO

Power shoulder restraint has jammed on driver side and will not retract to secure the driver. I found a ford safety recall # 96v‑172 to inspect or repair this safety problem. I printed a copy and handed it to the local ford dealer who said there were no safety recalls found on my son's ford probe's VIN number. My son purchased the car used in febuary 2003. The problem started in may 2003. I am concerned that if my son in a accident that he will not be properly protected. I want to file a formal complaint agienst the ford moter co. And phil long ford of colorado springs, colorado. Contacts made at phil long on friday the 13th of june 2003. Assistant service manager: mike cope. I left a voice message for the service director, mark marshall on sunday the 15th with my return phone number but he never called. I call the ford safety recall number 1‑800‑392‑3673 and spoke to jessy on monday the 16th. He said he would check on the problem and get back to me the next day. I did not hear back from jessy until late on wednesday the 18th. And all he said was that he was still checking on the safety recall for the 1990 ford probe and would get back to me. I have not heard from him since. I am very disgusted with ford and their lack of willingness to fix this safety problem. In the mean while my son is at risk every time he drives his car.

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Questions about the 1990 Ford Probe

Is the 1990 Ford Probe reliable?

Owners have filed 322 complaints about the 1990 Ford Probe, 3.8 times a typical Probe model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1990 Ford Probe?

Seat belts, with 281 complaints, typically around 110,000 miles. Next is brakes (11).

How many recalls does the 1990 Ford Probe have?

3 recalls, covering seat belts and vehicle speed control.

What gas mileage does the 1990 Ford Probe get?

Official estimates for the 1990 Ford Probe range from 19 to 24 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.2L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 17-21 city and 23-28 highway.

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