FaultScore

1996 Ford Probe engine problems

17 of the 77 complaints about the 1996 Ford Probe are about the engine — 22% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 89,584 miles.

C

17

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Gasoline 4 23.5%
Engine 3 17.6%
Catalytic Convertor 3 17.6%
Exhaust System 2 11.8%
Emission Control 2 11.8%
Belts AND Associated Pulleys 1 5.9%
Cooling System 1 5.9%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 1 5.9%

Engine & Cooling across every Ford Probe year

1989 18 13.4%
1990 12 9.0%
1993 25 18.7%
1994 29 21.6%
1995 18 13.4%
1996 17 12.7%
1997 15 11.2%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 89,584 miles Pekin, IL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND AS SOON AS I GOT UP TO SPEED PAST 30 MILES PER HOUR IT KICKED INTO TO GEAR REALLY HARD AND I COULD FEEL THE TRANSMISSION BARELY SLIPPING INTO GEAR..AND HAD TO HAVE THE WATER PUMP FLUSHED IT WAS OVER HEATING THOUGHT IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT BUT IT WAS CHECKED AND FINE SO I HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP...WAS MISSING A MOTOR MOUNT ON ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER WAS CORRODDED.. WHEN I ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I CAN HEAR MY CAR 4 BLOCKS AWAY..BRAKES AREN'T RIGHT THEY DON'T PRESS DOWN LIKE THEY SHOULD AND HALF THE TIME THEY JUST DON'T WORK...IF I AM LUCKY, I HAVE TO START BRAKING AROUND 2 BLOCKS AWAY, I MAY STOP IN TIME. I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON JULY 16,2006 AND THIS ALL HAPPENED STARTING JULY 17,2006. PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE ON TIME AND HAVE HAD TWO ESTIMATES AS THEY REQUESTED FOR ALL THE REPAIRS BUT THEY STILL ARE STATING I HAVE TO COME UP WITH HALF THE MONEY UPFRONT AND THEN THEY WILL TACT ON THE REST TO THE END OF MY BILL I OWE TO PAY OFF THE CAR.

NHTSA complaint #10164357 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Saint Louis, MO

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

THERE IS OIL LEAKING INTO THE SPARK PLUG CYLINDERS. A TUNE UP WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED. OIL CONTINUES TO SEEP INTO THE SPARK PLUG CYLINDERS, AND THIS IS CAUSING A DEGRADATION IN PERFORMANCE AS WELL AS ROUGH OPERATION. WHAT IS MOST INTERESTING, HOWEVER, IS THAT MY CAR IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH SUCH A PROBLEM. SEVERAL FORD PROBE OWNERS HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS AS WELL (DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS).

NHTSA complaint #761549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Milwaukee, WI

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE STALLS AND HESITATES WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY. TRANSMISSION STALLS. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATES ENGINE RUNS ROUGH, STALLS, AND MAKES A TICKING NOISE, THE OIL PUMP AND MOTOR WERE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, THIS IS A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #8006177 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Highland HTS, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

BOTH CRANKSHAFT SENSOR AND CAMSHAFT SENSOR REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #753769 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Natchez, MS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

PREVIOUSLY HAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER/AIR MASS FLOW SENSOR AND OTHER MINOR ITEMS REPAIRED IN 04/1999. NOW 2 YEARS LATER I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM. IT JUST SEEM RIGHT THAT THE SAME MAJOR PROBLEM WOULD ARISE AGAIN SO SOON UNLESS THERE IS A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE IN THE EMISSION OF MY CAR OR THE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME SINCE I HAVE LONG SURPASSED THE 100,000 REQUIRED MARK TO HAVE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. I WANTED TO KNOW IF OTHER PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED FOR THE SAME ISSUE OR AM I A LONER IN THIS SITUATION.

NHTSA complaint #752542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Natchez, MS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

PREVIOUSLY HAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER/AIR MASS FLOW SENSOR AND OTHER MINOR ITEMS REPAIRED IN 04/1999. NOW 2 YEARS LATER I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM. IT JUST SEEM RIGHT THAT THE SAME MAJOR PROBLEM WOULD ARISE AGAIN SO SOON UNLESS THERE IS A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE IN THE EMISSION OF MY CAR OR THE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME SINCE I HAVE LONG SURPASSED THE 100,000 REQUIRED MARK TO HAVE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. I WANTED TO KNOW IF OTHER PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED FOR THE SAME ISSUE OR AM I A LONER IN THIS SITUATION.

NHTSA complaint #752542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Natchez, MS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

PREVIOUSLY HAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER/AIR MASS FLOW SENSOR AND OTHER MINOR ITEMS REPAIRED IN 04/1999. NOW 2 YEARS LATER I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM. IT JUST SEEM RIGHT THAT THE SAME MAJOR PROBLEM WOULD ARISE AGAIN SO SOON UNLESS THERE IS A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE IN THE EMISSION OF MY CAR OR THE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME SINCE I HAVE LONG SURPASSED THE 100,000 REQUIRED MARK TO HAVE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. I WANTED TO KNOW IF OTHER PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED FOR THE SAME ISSUE OR AM I A LONER IN THIS SITUATION.

NHTSA complaint #752542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Natchez, MS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

PREVIOUSLY HAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER/AIR MASS FLOW SENSOR AND OTHER MINOR ITEMS REPAIRED IN 04/1999. NOW 2 YEARS LATER I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM. IT JUST SEEM RIGHT THAT THE SAME MAJOR PROBLEM WOULD ARISE AGAIN SO SOON UNLESS THERE IS A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE IN THE EMISSION OF MY CAR OR THE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME SINCE I HAVE LONG SURPASSED THE 100,000 REQUIRED MARK TO HAVE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. I WANTED TO KNOW IF OTHER PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED FOR THE SAME ISSUE OR AM I A LONER IN THIS SITUATION.

NHTSA complaint #752542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Washington, DC

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING, I NOTICED THAT MY ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING. BEFORE I COULD PULL OVER THE NEEDLE WENT BACK DOWN INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT OVERHEATING. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. THEN MY CAR JUST STOPPED PICKING UP SPEED. THE NEXT THING I KNEW WAS THAT MY CAR JUST WOULDN'T NOT MOVE ANY FASTER THAN 5MPH. LUCKILY THE CARS BEHIND ME WERE NOT TRAVELING AT GREAT SPEEDS. THIS ALLOWED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK. MY CAR HAD SHUT DOWN. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP AND REAR HEAD GASKET ALL NEEDED REPAIRING.

NHTSA complaint #742022 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Minneapoli, MN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

WATER PUMP FAILED RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. *MJS

NHTSA complaint #785099 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Toledo, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #715829 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Moundsville, WV

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

THERE IS A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE GEARS ARE HARDER TO SHIFT. THE 5TH GEAR FEELS AS IF IN 3RD. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE, AND CAN'T FIND A SOLUTION.

NHTSA complaint #851097 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Galveston, TX

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

BELTS WERE REPLACED. WHEN DRIVING AT 60MPH, AND TURNING ON EXIT, A REPLACED BELT BROKE, CAUSING WHEELS TO LOCK. THE DEALER CONTACTED AND WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #829559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wayne, MI

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

I CHAGNED MY OIL REGULARLY AND A ROD INSIDE THE ENGINE BROKE. I HAD NO INDICATION ON MY CONTROL PANEL OF ANY ENGINE PROBLEM OR OIL ISSUES.

NHTSA complaint #702320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fairfield, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON DUE TO FAILED CATALYTIC CONVERTER/GASKETS.

NHTSA complaint #517196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fairfield, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON DUE TO FAILED CATALYTIC CONVERTER/GASKETS.

NHTSA complaint #517196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North East, MD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

THERE IS A VERY BAD SMELL COMING INTO THE VEHICLE THAT MAKES YOU SICK.

NHTSA complaint #803152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1996 Ford Probe problems

← Full 1996 Ford Probe report