Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1993 Ford Probe submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 30 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 30, in the owner's own words
ICM OVERHEATED SEVERAL TIMES THIS SUMMER (ALWAYS WHILE ON INTERSTATE), CAUSES THE CAR TO SHUT OFF WHILE AT 65+MPH, ALL POWER LOST (BRAKERS, STEERING, ACCELERATION). CAR ONLY AT 37,000 MILES DURING FIRST FAILURE. REPLACED ICM/DISTRIBUTOR (ICM BUILT INSIDE DISTRIBUTOR) WITH A NON-OEM PART. *JB
THE DISTRIBUTOR WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. IT HAS BEEN NOTED TO FAIL ON THESE ENGINES AS THE RECALL FOR PRIOR YEARS. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION HAS A HABIT OF FAILING. FOR MORE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND COMPLAINTS, PLEASE GO TO WWW.PROBETALK.COM. THERE ARE HUNDREDS, POSSIBLY THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THEIR DISTRIBUTORS AND TRANSMISSIONS FAILING AT RELATIVELY LOW MILES.*AK
THIS IS THE SECOND IGNITOR THIS CAR HAS HAD. THIS IS A DEFECT FROM FORD. IT IS BOTH DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE TO LET FORD GET AWAY WITH THIS INJUSTICE. PROBE OWNERS ALL HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM IT IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY FORD MOTORS.*AK
VEHICLE STALLED IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING. NARROWLY MISSED ACCIDENT. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. TOLD IT WAS A FAULTY DISTRIBUTOR.*AK
ALL OWNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE DISTRIBUTOR PROBLEMS FROM PAST CUSTOMERS. *AK
THIS PROBLEM WAS WITH THE IGNITION--SAME AS THE CURRENT 'RECALL'. I HAVE THE ORIGINAL DISTRIBUTOR. I HAD TO REPLACE IT AT A COST OF OVER $600. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE TSB WAS TO REPLACE THE THICK FILM IGNITION..... THIS HAPPENED AT 53000 MILES, WELL WITH. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY AT 60 MPH RPMS STARTED TO DROP. VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND DIE. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THE HIGHWAY. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS DISTRIBUTOR. CONSUMER REPLACED TFI MODULE ,AND REPLACED IT WITH SAME PART. THERE MAY BE A DEFECT IN DESIGN OF PART. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
IT WAS A HOT DAY. WE HAD BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE FOR APPROX 10 MINUTES WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE RPM INDICATOR DROPPED TO ZERO BY THE TIME WE MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS ALONE WAS A MIRACLE AS WE LOST COMPLETE POWER WITHIN SECONDS. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLE AS THE DISTRIBUTOR. WE'VE JUST LEARNED THAT THE TFI (THICK FILM MODULE) IS BEING QUESTIONED AS FAULTY IN SOME MAKES OF FORDS. THE COMPLAINTS HAVE SPARKED RECALL CRIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WE HAD A NEW DISTRIBUTOR INSTALLED YESTERDAY, AUGUST 13, 2001. IT HAS THE SAME TFI MODULE MOUNTED ON THE DISTRIBUTOR THAT THE PREVIOUS FAULTY DISTRIBUTOR HAD. SO, ARE WE RIDING IN ANOTHER TIME BOMB FOR A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT WHERE WE COULD POSSIBLY SUSTAIN INJURY OR EVEN LOSS OF LIFE. I SURE HOPE NOT.
1993 FORD PROBE GT STALLED WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE STALLS SEEMS TO OCCUR RANDOMLY. I STALLED ON HOT DAYS AND COOL DAYS. THIS PROBLEM WAS PRIMED TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE MAIN PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE IN IGNITION COIL.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THIS HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY, COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 1993 AND 1994 OWNERS OF THE PROBE GT. EACH FIX IS TEMPERAMENTAL. RECENT FORD RECALL IN CA ORDERED BY COURT. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
THE IGNITOR MODULE FAILED WHICH CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE ENGINE DOES NOT WORK AGAIN UNTIL IT HAS A COUPLE OF MINTUES TO SIT. BUT NOW IT HAS FAILED FOR THE LAST TIME BECAUSE MY ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN BACK ON UNTIL I GOT A WHOLE NEW DISTRUBITOR.*AK
I AM JUST WONDERING WHEN THE NEW ONES GOING TO FAIL. ITS STILL IN THE SAME SPOT-RIGHT NEXT TO THE HOT ENGINE. *AK
IGNITOR INSIDE DISTRIBUTOR FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES. AFTER A THERMAL RESET I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR WHEREUPON IT WOULD RUN FOR A FEW MINUTES AND QUIT AGAIN. IT WOULD DO THIS UNTIL THE LENGTH OF TIME IT WOULD WORK BECAME ZERO. THANKFULLY I HAD A REPLACEMENT READY.
OK, SO A WEEK AND A HALF AGO I WENT TO START MY CAR AND IT HAD TROUBLE STARTING. WHEN IT DID START THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED THE CODES AND GOT CODES 3 AND 4, WHICH PERTAIN TO A FAULTY IGNITER. TO EXPLAIN MY COMPLAINT, THE FORM ASKED HOW MANY TIMES IT HAS FAILED AND I WROTE 12... 12 BEING THE NUMBER OF TIMES ROUGHLY, THAT IT HAS HAD TROUBLE STARTING. I'VE HEARD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN 1993 PROBES AND I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT SOON. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP
THE IGNITION WENT OUT ON MY CAR UNEXPECTEDLY. CHECKED MYSELF FOR SPARK AND CONFIRMED THERE WAS NONE. A LOCAL SHOP REPAIRED THE DISTRIBUTOR FOR OVER $400. A MONTH LATER, IN AN UNRELATED INCIDENT, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND AFTER 4 WEEKS, 2-3 REBUILDS AND $2300 LATER I WAS BACK ON THE ROAD. I HAVE HEARD AND READ OF NUMEROUS FELLOW 1993-1997 FORD PROBE OWNERS REPORTING THESE FAILURES TIME AND AGAIN.
AT 37000 MILES THE IGNITOR WITHIN THE DISTRIBUTOR FAILED, STALLING THE ENGINE AND STOPPING THE CAR IN TRAFFIC. AT 37000 MILES THE THROWOUT BEARING IN THE CLUTCH WAS ALSO VIBRATING BAD AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THEN THE AIRBAG MONITOR SHORTED OUT FOR SOME REASON.
VEHICLE STALLS IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC OR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. *AK THE VEHICLE STARTS AFTER PARKED FOR A WHILE. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. *YH
VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AT HWY SPEEDS 65 MPH PLUS. AFTER WAITING 2 TO 3 MINUTES, VEHICLE WOULD RESTART AND GO ANOTHER 7 TO 8 MILES AND THE SAME PROBLEM WOULD RECUR. ENGINE DIED AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING AT HIWAY SPEEDS.*AK
THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED 02/14/0 DUE TO THE THE DISTRIBUTOR SYSTEM WAS REPLACED TOTAL $515.28 AND THE DIAGNOSED AND FILTERING STSEM WAS REPLACE AT $161.00. THE NEXT INCIDENT WAS 03/03/00 WHERE PHIL FITTS SPOTTED A PLUGGED IDLE AIR VALVE THAT WAS REPLACED. PHIL FITTS. 3250 WILMINGTON RD, NEW CASTLE, PA 16105. I DIDN'T MIND THE OCCURANCE ON 03/03/00 BUT THE ONE 2/14/00 WAS QUOTED AS SOMETHING THAT WAS RARE ON CAR FOR THE WHOLE DISTRIBUTOR SYSTEM TO GO. I HAD TO BE TOWED TICE WHICH I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT I HAVE INSURANCE TO COVR THAT.WHEN I BROKE DOWN IT WAS A COLD EVENING AND THE CAR HAD JUST DIED AND STARTED TO SMOKE TO ME THAT WAS ALOT OF MONEY TO PUT IN A CAR THAT YOU JUST PURCHASED 2 MONTHS PRIOR.I ALWAYS LIKE DEALING WITH FORD I HOPE SOMEONE COULD LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME I KNOW THAT I BOUGHT THE CAR USED BUT, TO ME THAT IS ALOT OF MONEY. THANK YOU, CAROLE NOCERAE
ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN VEHICLE IS COMING TO A STOP. I AM UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO IDLE WITHOUT PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM 4 TIMES IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, BUT THE PROBLEM INTERMITENTLY PERSISTS. THE DEALER HAS CHANGED THE IAC VALVE, THE DISTRIBUTOR, THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP, THE PLUGS AND PLUG WIRES, AND NOW THEY WANT TO CHANGE THE IAC VALVE FOR A 2ND TIME! BY REVIEWING THIS DATABASE I SEE THAT MANY OTHER PROBE OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THE DEALER HAS A SOLUTION TO FIX IT. ALSO, AFTER TALKING TO FORD'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PHONE LINE, IT DOES NOT APPEAR AS IF FORD IS EVEN WILLING TO ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM! IT COSTS ME AT LEAST $500 EVERYTIME I HAVE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SO THAT THEY CAN ATTEMPT TO "FIX" THIS REOCCURRING PROBLEM AND I AM GETTING QUITE FED UP WITH THE ENTIRE SITUATION! *AK
THE PRO-LOCK SYSTEM THAT IS IN MY CAR IS HAVING TO BE REMOVE BECAUSE IT IS SPARKING. THE ITEM HAS BEEN DIS-CONTINUED. THE DEALERS WERE NOT SURE WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN I CALLED THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT USED ANYMORE. ONE DEALER SAID HE HAS TO DO THE
VEHICLE FAILED TO TURN DUE TO STARTER AND IGNITION MODULE DESIGN FLAW.
DISTRIBUTOR/IGNITOR MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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