The rear brakes failed to function and no power brakes at all really hard pedal had to stand on the brake pedal to get it to stop this happened under normal driving conditions this makes it very hard to stop I was able to get it off the road called a tow truck and had it towed to my house ford.com said no recalls for my car and it cost $1500 to fix .
The worst 1992 Ford Thunderbird 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.
- Lights40
- Brakes30
- Electrical27
- Engine27
- Fuel system25
- Seat belts18
- Transmission10
- Acceleration6
- Body4
- Steering4
- Visibility4
- Suspension3
- Wheels3
- Airbags2
- Seats2
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1992 Ford Thunderbird
Headlights 32Brake failure 10ABS 9Fire or smoke 7Fuel leak 6Stalling 5
Recalls 3
Exterior lighting: headlights: switch
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with fog lights, in which the headlights may go out for various intervals and which may be preceded by flickering or blinking as a result of the circuit breaker opening.
- Risk
- Driver's could experience a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a headlight switch which incorporates a circuit breaker of revised design, and install a wiring harness connector, if needed.
Recall number 99V275000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of connecticut, district of columbia, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, massachusetts, maryland, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, wisconsin, and west virginia. Movement of the fuel lines causes the nylon fuel line jumper to chafe against the floor pan. This wear can cause a pin hole in the fuel line resulting in fuel leakage.
- Risk
- This fuel leakage results in dampness and fuel odor, and if an ignition source was present, a fire could result.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a plastic convolute covering around the fuel lines. If the lines show a leak, the lines will be replaced first.
Recall number 97V159000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
- Risk
- This condition could cause overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in the steering column area of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
Recall number 96V071000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1992 Ford Thunderbird
Defect investigations
Headlight switch
Subject vehicles have a headlight switch with an internal, bimetal circuit breaker that can open due to overheating during headling operation.
EA99005
Headlight circuit breaker
Headlight switch with an iternal, bimetal circuit brealer that may open due to overheating during headlight operation
RQ98015
Fuel line jumper
To determine the scope of the alleged fuel line failures outside of the recall geographic region and if the recall should be expanded nationally
RQ97011
Rear fuel line interference
The rear fuel tube bundle may abrade and fail in the vicinity of the fuel tank.
EA95030
Thrttl vlv linkage bushing
There is no summary currently available
PE93075
Technical service bulletins for the 1992 Ford Thunderbird 46
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Climate control a/c service tech tips. eh
- Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. mj
- Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant...
- Brake shift interlock. jb
- Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. slc
- Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. slc
- Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the...
- Subject regarding climate control - eatc - blower motor control service tips. jb
- Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. mjs
- Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. tt
1992 Ford Thunderbird fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6‑cyl | RWD | 15-18 | 21-25 | 17-20 |
| 5.0L 8‑cyl | RWD | 15 | 22 | 18 |
What 1992 Ford Thunderbird owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
1992 ford thunderbird recalled for replacement of ignition switch a few years back (the federal safety agency action number: ea95002). Defective switch was replaced with exact same part that was recalled and failed again within one year with two halves of unit again coming apart. I have just replaced for the fifth time with exact same defective unit, this being the only thing available from ford and from aftermarket suppliers. How does replacing defective part with exactly same part eliminate fire hazard associated with this part which prompted recall in the first place???
I got into my car this morning and the driver power seat belt would not work. When I opened the door to my passenger side the power seat belt on the driver side attempted to work but didn't work completely. There was no events leading to the failure. This isn't something that has happened before. I haven't made an attempt to get it fixed yet as it just happened only a half hour ago.
Tl*the contact owns a 1992 ford thunderbird. In april of 2000, the contact received a recall notice regarding the headlights. The recall repair was not performed at that time because there were no failures with the vehicle. Currently, the headlights and fog lights flicker on and off and two parts need to be replaced. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they advised her to call ford motor company. The manufacturer was unable to provide any assistance. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 58,800.
The automatic seat belts don't work. On the driver's side, the seat belt stays in a position that appears to be effective, but it does not go all the way back. It also no longer moves forward when the door is opened. On the passenger side, the seat belt works most of the time. However, it occasionally gets stuck in a position where it has moved forward when the door was opened but it won't move back to its correct position. I read in the car manual that there is a knob that can be turned in order to get the seat belt to go back all the way. I've tried this many times; it worked at first, but doesn't any more.
Consumer' s vehicle experienced the same problems as stated in the federal safety agency recalls 96v071000 and 99v27500 concerning ignition system and headlights. The dealership indicated consumer's vehicle not included in the recall due to VIN. *ak
While driving consumer smelled smoke coming in from the vents. Consumer pulled over, lifted the hood up, and vehicle caught on fire. Consumer was able to extinguish the fire. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection.
While placing the key inside of the ignition switch the key failed to come out from the ignition. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the ignition switch needed to be replaced.
The auto lamp on/off delay system randomly turns of my headlights at night even when the delay system is turned off.
1)1992 ford thunderbird VIN [xxx], fuel line chaffed against floor pan causing a pin hole resulting in fuel leakage (exactly as in nhsa id: 97v159000 issued 09/17/1997). 2) fuel line leaked strong odor and exteam fire danger. 3)john's repair 189 e. 2nd s. Soda springs, id replaced fuel line 10/20/03 $292.66. Contacted ford at 800‑392‑3673, 07/28/2004, they stated this VIN had no outstanding recalls, they couldn't cross check the federal safety agency id # to ford's recall number and ford wouldn't reimburse me for repair.*ak updated 07/25/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Compare the 1992 Ford Thunderbird
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Questions about the 1992 Ford Thunderbird
Is the 1992 Ford Thunderbird reliable?
Owners have filed 184 complaints about the 1992 Ford Thunderbird, 5.4 times a typical Thunderbird model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1992 Ford Thunderbird?
Lights, with 40 complaints. Next is brakes (30).
How many recalls does the 1992 Ford Thunderbird have?
3 recalls, covering exterior lighting, fuel system, gasoline and electrical system.
Was there a recall on the 1992 Ford Thunderbird lights?
Yes, 1 recall: 99V275000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford Thunderbird have the most lights problems?
The Ford Thunderbird model years with the most lights complaints are 1993 (119 complaints), 1992 (40 complaints) and 1995 (16 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1992 Ford Thunderbird get?
Official estimates for the 1992 Ford Thunderbird range from 17 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.8L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 15-18 city and 21-25 highway.
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