Never got a notice of recall for the faulty engine head gasket on a ford thunderbird 1993 model.. I have checked with the original owner and he never got a letter telling of the faulty head gasket and that the 3.8 v6 engine was being recalled to replace it, the car has 98 thousand original miles. And I bought the car used.. I would like to see if I can get the head gasket still replace under ford warranty. I have not driven the car since it started overheating
The worst 1993 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.
- Engine172
- Lights119
- Electrical37
- Brakes34
- Seat belts29
- Fuel system16
- Acceleration14
- Visibility14
- Transmission12
- Body10
- Suspension7
- Seats6
- Airbags4
- Steering4
- Tires2
Specific symptoms reported on the 1993 Ford Thunderbird
Headlights 102Overheating 27Fire or smoke 11Seat belt 11Stalling 11Engine failure 8Brake failure 7Ball joint 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 1993 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
Technical service bulletins for the 1993 Ford Thunderbird 73
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. tt
- 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
1993 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 | 15-17 | 21-24 | 17-20 |
| 5.0L 8‑cyl | RWD | 15 | 22 | 18 |
What 1993 Ford Thunderbird owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The automatic seatbelt that is located around the top of the window failed to move back to the safe driving position. (drivers side).
This is the recall. My car did exactly this. My car is a 93 thunderbird super coupe with factory fog lights and the wiring harness connector is burnt and needs replaced. Headlights went out after flickering. Recalls for the 1993 ford thunderbird electrical & lights: exterior lighting:headlights:switch campaign number: 99v275000 dates manufactured: 06/1991 to 09/1993 number of vehicles affected: 164,731 model years affected: 1992, 1993 date owner notified: 11/1999 defect summary: 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. Consequence summary: driver's could experience a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. Corrective summary: dealers will install a headlight switch which incorporates a circuit breaker of revised design, and install a wiring harness connector, if needed. Recall notes: ford recall no. 99s30.owner notification began november 15, 1999. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.also contact the federal safety agency's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1‑888‑327‑4236).
1993 ford thunderbird with headlights that fail while driving at night. Failure starts with flickering and blinking causing loss of visibility.
Passive restrain shoulder harness, drivers side.
Dt*: the contact stated the voltage indicator would decrease and the turn signals, radio, and defrost would be inoperable. There is a the federal safety agency recall, # 96v071000, regarding the ignition. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Dt: the contact states there is a the federal safety agency recall campaign 99v275000 concerning the headlights:switch. This vehicle had the same problems as indicated in the recall, but was not included in the recall due to VIN. The consumer first experienced this problem in late 1997, and had it repaired at the her expense. The headlights failed a second time the dealership stated the switch needed to be replaced again.*ak updated 01/11/06.
Complaint regarding two stolen vehicles 1987 bmw and a 1993 ford thunderbird.*mr
Dt: consumer bought tires from a local dealer on june 15, 2005. While driving on I 85 between newnan and fayetville one of the passenger rear tires blew out. The tire ripped apart, the side wall came completely off the tire. This happened on july 30, 2005. Then, he changed the tire in the rain and continued on the trip. Consumer had to buy a new rim due to the rim on the tire being bent out of shape. He pulled car over as soon as blow out happened. Contacted the local dealer who sold him the tires, and dealer refused to produce a copy of the warranty, and told him that tire was not covered by warranty because he did not buy an extended warranty. Also, dealer refused to replace tire. Futura gls super sport. P215/65/r15. Dot u9vfxbh1505.
While driving smoke started to come out of the steering column, and the headlight stopped working. Consumer states it is the very same problem as recall number 99v275000/headlights.
Compare the 1993 Ford Thunderbird
Other model years
Questions about the 1993 Ford Thunderbird
Is the 1993 Ford Thunderbird reliable?
Owners have filed 423 complaints about the 1993 Ford Thunderbird, 12.4 times a typical Thunderbird model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1993 Ford Thunderbird?
Engine and cooling, with 172 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles. Next is lights (119).
How many recalls does the 1993 Ford Thunderbird have?
3 recalls, covering exterior lighting, fuel system, gasoline and electrical system.
What year does the Ford Thunderbird have bad engine?
The Ford Thunderbird model years with the most engine complaints are 1993 (172 complaints), 1996 (65 complaints) and 1994 (61 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1993 Ford Thunderbird get?
Official estimates for the 1993 Ford Thunderbird range from 17 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.8L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 15-17 city and 21-24 highway.
VIN decoder
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