Worst years for a Ford Thunderbird
Owners have filed 3,081 complaints about the Ford Thunderbird with NHTSA across model years 1960 to 2005. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.
Avoid
1994 Ford Thunderbird426 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.
Every Ford Thunderbird year, graded
The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.
| Year | Grade | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Median miles | Most reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | A | 35 | 0 | 0 | 39,789 | Engine & Cooling |
| 2004 | C | 40 | 6 | 0 | 33,130 | Engine & Cooling |
| 2003 | B | 50 | 2 | 0 | 27,000 | Engine & Cooling |
| 2002 | C | 116 | 6 | 0 | 33,266 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1999 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1998 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1997 | C | 228 | 16 | 3 | 71,084 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1996 | C | 295 | 18 | 4 | 84,518 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1995 | D | 353 | 27 | 12 | 65,000 | Brakes |
| 1994 | D | 426 | 27 | 12 | 80,000 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1993 | C | 559 | 13 | 8 | 97,000 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1992 | — | 234 | 8 | 14 | 100,000 | Lights |
| 1991 | — | 130 | 7 | 14 | 83,750 | Brakes |
| 1990 | — | 179 | 8 | 21 | 90,332 | Brakes |
| 1989 | — | 147 | 19 | 25 | — | Acceleration & Cruise Control |
| 1988 | — | 116 | 6 | 18 | — | Electrical System |
| 1987 | — | 73 | 4 | 20 | — | Electrical System |
| 1986 | — | 32 | 4 | 5 | — | Engine & Cooling |
| 1985 | — | 16 | 1 | 5 | — | Electrical System |
| 1984 | — | 33 | 1 | 9 | — | Electrical System |
| 1983 | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | Electrical System |
| 1980 | — | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | Brakes |
| 1979 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Fuel & Propulsion |
| 1978 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1977 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Tires |
| 1970 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Tires |
| 1965 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Tires |
| 1960 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Tires |
What breaks on a Ford Thunderbird
Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.
Exactly what failed on a Ford Thunderbird
The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.
Complaints filed over time
Every complaint about every Ford Thunderbird, by the month it reached NHTSA.
Ford Thunderbird problems by state
Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.
Compare the Ford Thunderbird
Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.