Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 52 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Ford Probe. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 52 · page 1 of 3
REPLACED RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW PART FROM O'REILLY AUTOPARTS STORE ON 8/31/10 AND ON 11/05/10 THE BALL JOINT CAME COMPLETELY OUT OF THE NEW CONTROL ARM MAKING AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. DEFECTIVE NEW PART, REPLACED IT AGAIN ON 11/09/10 WITH ANOTHER NEW REPLACEMENT PART FROM O'REILLY AUTOPARTS STORE. *TR
LT FRONT SPRING BROKE & PUNCTURED THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE MAKING IT GO FLAT. *TR
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SECOND TIME. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *TR
1996 FORD PROBE SE AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILURE,SAME AS MAZDA 626 ALL OF THESE CARS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT COST THOUSANDS TO FIX,CHECK THE INTERNET,WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL?
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. *JB
I HAVE A 96 FORD PROBE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD. IT WAS AN AUTOMATIC . WITH IT BEING AN AUTOMATIC IT WOULD SEEM THAT THEY WOULD NOT GO BAD COMPARED TO A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I'VE BEEN READING THAT A LOT OF THE MAZDA/FORD TRANSMISSION ARE TERRIBLE AND PEOPLE HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHICH IS THE CD4E. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST LIKE TO LET OTHER PEOPLE KNOW THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM OF THE CD4E. I'VE HAD IT FIXED HOWEVER THE MECHANICS MUST STILL NOT HAVE IT EXACTLY CORRECT CAUSE ITS STILL IS NOT WORKING RIGHT. SO NOW I HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK IN FOR THEM TO LOOK OVER AGAIN. *NM
1996 FORD PROBE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ( SAME AS MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSION . ITS BEEN REBUILT 2 TIMES ALREADY AND NOW NEEDS A 3RD , ONLY 120000 MILES AND ALL THAT!!! COSTS THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!! *JB
I OWN A 96 FORD PROBE WITH A CD4E TRANSMISSION WITH ONLY 66000 MILES ON IT. A FEW DAYS MY TRANSMISSION STARTED TO ACT UP. IT WOULD REV HIGH THEN SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR, WHEN ATEMPTING TO SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR, IT JUST WOULDN'T. THIS CAUSES MY CAR TO ONLY GO A BLISTERING SPEED OF 45MPH?!? THIS TRANSMISSION , THE CD4E, IS PRODUCED BY MAZDA AND IS ALSO IN THE 626. I SEARCH THE WEB TO SEE IF ANYONE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AND NOW I WANT TO GET RID OF MY CAR I FELL IN LOVE WITH 4 YEARS AGO. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FROM 94-TO 99. THOUSAND OF REPORTED PROBLEMS BUT NO RECALL? WE NEED SOMEONE TO TAKE ACTION AGAINT MAZDA AND THE PROBLEM TRANSMISSION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR RIM EXPLODED. CONSUMER CHANGED THE TIRE, AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE FAILED TO START. ENGINE CRANKED BUT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. ALSO WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. MECHANIC REPLACED THE GROUND WIRE AND DISTRIBUTOR, BUT THE PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS.*AK
THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING WHEN A TURN WAS MADE. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THEIR IS A LOUD CLICKING NOISE. HAD VEHICLE SERVICED. THE CV JOINTS HAD BROKEN, GOT PART REPLACED. PROBLEM REOCCURED TWICES SINCE THEN. DEALER CONTACTED. TS
WITHOUT WARNING, THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. I LOST ALL ABILITY TO MOVE IN ANY OF THE FORWARD GEARS, AND STRUGGLED TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. ON THE SHOLDER, I DISCOVERED I COULD ONLY MOVE IN REVERSE, ALL OF THE FORWARD GEARS WERE INOPERABLE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO LEEMYLES, AND THEY PERFORMED $2,200 IN REPAIRS. THIRTY DAYS LATER, THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED AGAIN, FORTUNATELY LEEMYLES HONORED THEIR WARRANTY AND PERFORMED ANOTHER COMPLETE REPAIR. IT IS NOW WORKING, BUT I AM AFRAID. I HAVE SEARCHED THE WEB AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION HAS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF FAILURE. I REQUEST THE NHTSA REVIEW THIS COMPLAINT, COUPLED WITH WHAT I SUSPECT ARE A LARGE QUANTITY OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, AND FORCE FORD TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE EXPENSES I INCURRED IN REPAIRING THIER FAULTY MACHINERY.*AK
LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE (DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIAL AND/OR CORROSION) GOING OVER CURB. TIRE PUNCTURED; CAR NOT DRIVEABLE. TOWED TO LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT OF FRONT COIL SPRING & COMPONENTS. SPENT ADDITIONAL $$ TO HAVE CORRESPONDING RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING REPLACED (AS SAFETY PRECAUTION) ALTHOUGH DEALER DID NOT SUGGEST DOING SO. FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE BEEN ON EXPRESSWAY DRIVING AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. *AK
CD4E TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO INHERANT DESIGN PROBLEM.*AK
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).*AK
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
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 20MPH HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING HEARD A BIG BANGING NOISE. HE WAS ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE NOTICED THAT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM RIM. FIRESTONE, FIREHAWK, P20555R15 (FTX 2SR). *AK
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, OVERDRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED SHORTLY AFTER VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOWLY LOSE POWER. DEALER IDENTIFIED TRANSMISSION AS THE PROBLEM. ALSO, TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES. *AK *YH
BOTH CRANKSHAFT SENSOR AND CAMSHAFT SENSOR REPLACED. *AK
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.*AK
MY O/D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, I TOOK IT IN AND PAID $300 TO FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION. . ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, I TOOK IT BACK, THEY CHARGED $65 MORE AND TOLD ME THE TORQUE CONVERTOR AND SOLENOIDS WERE BAD. NEED TO REPLACE WHOLE TRANSMISSION AT ABOUT $3000. HAPPENED ON MY 95 FORD PROBE SE ALSO AT 62000 MILES RIGHT BEFORE I GOT IN A WRECK WITH IT AND TRADED IT ON THIS ONE.*AK
GEARS WOULD SHIFT BY THEMSELVES, AND TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP AND SLOWLY BREAK DOWN. *AK
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.
WATER PUMP FAILED RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. *MJS
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
Data on this page last refreshed .