1989 Ford Probe

ON JUNE 29, 2007, NHTSA 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 NHTSA 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 NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.

MALFUNCTION OF THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT SYSTEM

There is no summary currently available

There is no summary currently available

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE ROAD, A CAR PULLED IN FRONT OF ME AND I BRAKED HARD AND MY SEATBELT LOCKED. BUT AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE SEATBELT HAS NEVER WORKED THE SAME. THE SEATBELT DOESN'T LOCK, OR RETRACT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 48,000 MILES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS CAR. I CAN'T EVEN FIND PARTS TO FIX IT BECAUSE THE CAR IS SO OLD. VERY UNSAFE!

NHTSA ID

11282735

Incident

Apr 24, 2018

AFTER PULLING ALL FUSES IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH VEHICLE OFF, TO CHECK THEM AND PUTTING THEM ALL BACK, VERIFYING SEVERAL TIMES THE CORRECT LOCATION, THE CAR CRANKS BUT NO LONGER STARTS. THERE IS NO SPARK, NO FUEL PRESSURE. IGNITION COIL GETS 12V POWER TO BOTH PRONGS UNTIL CRANKING, THEN LOSSES ALL POWER. 4EAT COMPUTER UNDER THE DASH REPORTS FAULT WITH THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR IS IN GOOD CONDITION AND THIS WAS VERIFIED BY TESTING IT MANUALLY USING A VOLTMETER, A BAD TPS WILL NOT CAUSE A NO START SITUATION ANYWAY. REPLACED THE 4EAT CONTROL MODULE AND NO CHANGE. TRIED PULLING CODES FROM ECM, NO CODES REPORTED. REPLACED ECM, NO CHANGE IN SITUATION. VERIFIED THE FUEL CUTOFF SWITCH WAS NOT TRIGGERED, VERIFIED THE RELAYS ARE WORKING. CAR IS DEAD AND I'M OUT OF MONEY TO FIX IT. IF FORD WOULD MAKE TOOLS LIKE THE BREAKOUT BOX AND 4EAT TESTER AFFORDABLE FOR CONSUMERS THAT WOULD BE GREAT, BUT NO.

NHTSA ID

10788385

Incident

Oct 2, 2015

Mileage

168,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1989 FORD PROBE GT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ID

10611098

Incident

Jul 3, 1994

Mileage

2,000 mi

THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. THEREFORE, IT WILL NOT RETRACT IN AN ACCIDENT, IMPAIRING MY SAFETY. I BROUGHT THIS UP TO THE DEALER AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT. THERE IS A 1990 RECALL THAT FORD USED TO SCAM THE OWNERS OF THE 1989 MODELS OUT OF THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH THE 1989 WAS THE FIRST YEAR MADE AND ONLY MADE FOR A FEW MONTHS BEFORE BUILDING THE 1990S AND THE 1990 WAS THE EXACT SAME CAR WITH THE EXACT SAME COMPONENTS. FORD IS CHEATING US OUT OF OUR RECALL AND ENDANGERING OUT LIVES. PLEASE MAKE CERTAIN THAT FORD INCLUDES US 1989 PROBE OWNERS IN A NEW RECALL SO THAT WE WON'T DIE BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH OF US DYING TO MAKE FORD ACKNOWLEDGE US. I TRIED TO PHONE IN A COMPLAINT BUT I AM NOT SURE IF THAT GOT THROUGH AND WAS RECORDED CORRECTLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10611096

Incident

Oct 11, 1994

Mileage

70,000 mi

THE CAR VIBRATES TERRIBLY FROM THE FRONT END SINCE NEW. ALL NINE TIMES I TOOK IN DURING THE FIRST YEAR, WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NORMAL. I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER AND DID NOT MENTION MY WARRANTY, AND I WAS GIVEN A $10,000 ESTIMATE TO REPAIR. FORD STILL REFUSED TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY. IT TURNS OUT THE FRONT AXLES ARE DEFECTIVE AND NOT MADE BALANCED. REPLACING THEM AFTER THEY DESTROYED THE FRONT CV JOINTS SOLVED THE PROBLEM, BUT FORD GOT AWAY WITH A RIP OFF AND I SUFFERED FOR SIX YEARS AND 60,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10611090

Incident

Sep 10, 1991

Mileage

2,000 mi

THE ENGINE STOPS UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING, CUTTING OUT THE POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING AND MAKING MY FRONT-HEAVY FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR VERY VERY HARD TO STEER AND VERY VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE ENGINE STOPS UNEXPECTEDLY OFTEN, WITHOUT WARNING. I THOUGHT THIS WAS TIED TO THE IGNITION SWITCH, BUT CHANGING THE SWITCH AND WIRING DID NOT HELP. AT THE SAME TIME OF THIS PROBLEM, THE IGNITION SWITCH STOPPED TURNING ON THE STARTER, BUT WILL LET THE ENGINE RUN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10611084

Incident

Jul 6, 2004

Mileage

98,950 mi

SOMETIMES VEHICLE STALLED WHEN PUT INTO GEAR AND ENGINE WOULD CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. *PH THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10068566

I PURCHASED A DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ON 8/17/02. I PAID 131.00 FOR THE PART .ALL FORD PARTS ARE WARRANTED FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES. INCLUDING SEAT BELTS, EVEN IF THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AFTER THAT WARRANTY EXPIRES THEY KEEP MY MONEY AND I HAVE A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT THAT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. I DECIDED TO SAVE MONEY AND INSTALL IT MYSELF. THE SEAT BELT WORKED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN IT SEIZED AND WOULD NOT PULL DOWN OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER. I GOT ANOTHER UNDER WARRANTY, INSTALLED IT MYSELF AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I WENT BACK TO PENINSULA FORD OF SAN BRUNO AND PAID THEM 198.00 TO INSTALL MY THIRD WARRANTED SEAT BELT. I CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND PROVED IT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY AGREED AND ORDERED ME A NEW ONE. THIS IS MY FOURTH SEAT BELT AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I WAS ANGRY BECAUSE I WAS LOSING HOURS (WAGES) AT MY WORKPLACE. I HAD A FEW WORDS WITH THE MANAGER AT THE TIME AND GOT MY 198.00 BACK. THEY INSTALLED THE SEAT BELT AND AGAIN IT DID NOT WORK. I TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE UNPROFESSIONALLY WROTE DOWN MY INFO TOLD ME HE'D ORDER THE PART LATER THAT DAY AND THAT IT SHOULD ARRIVE IN 2 DAYS. I CALLED BACK 2 DAYS LATER, SPOKE TO HIM AND HE SAID HE WAS HOPING IT WOULD COME TODAY BUT IT'S NOT HERE YET. I REASONABLY CALLED BACK 7 DAYS LATER AND ASKED FOR HIM. HE NO LONGER WORK'S HERE SIR WAS THE ANSWER. I WAS DRIVING AROUND WITH NO SEAT BELT. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL HAD BECOME MORE STRICT ABOUT THE SEAT BELT LAW AT THAT EXACT MOMENT. I TALKED TO THE MANAGER AND DEMANDED MY MONEY BACK AND HE TOLD ME TO COME BACK TOMORROW. NEXT DAY, I CALLED AND SPOKE TO ANOTHER MANAGER WHO WAS EXTREMELY RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL AND CONFRONTATIONAL. I WASN'T GETTING ANYWHERE ON THE PHONE SO I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THERE WITH A SEAT BELT THAT DID NOT WORK. I ARGUED FOR HALF HOUR TO GET MY MONEY BACK AND THEY DISCREETLY HINTED NO. THE NEXT DAY I WAS TOLD ALL THEY COULD DO WAS ORDER ME ANOTHER SEAT BELT. MY WARRANTY EXPIRES ON AUG 17, 2003. I AM AN UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER.

NHTSA ID

10070658

Incident

Feb 15, 2003

Mileage

140,032 mi

INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC

INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS

INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE SAFETY, AND PERFORMANCE CONCERNS IF INSTALLED IN FORD A/C SYSTEMS. *TT

FORD MOTOR COMPANY NOW RECOMMENDS SAE 5W-30 VISCOSITY GRADE FOR SERVICING ANY FORD GASOLINE-POWERED VEHICLE REGARDLESS OF MODEL YEAR. *TT

FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS RELEASED A NEW ELECTRICAL GREASE ( F8AZ - 19G208-AA ) TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF MOISTURE CORROSION AT THE TERMINALS. *YC

INFORMATION ON A NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHART. *YC