Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1988 Ford Thunderbird submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
PLASTIC COVERING ON HEADLIGHTS HAVE FADED TO YELLOW MAKING VISIBILITY DIFFICULT. OWNER HAS TO BUY WHOLE LIGHTING UNIT TO FIX PROBLEM.*AK THE CONSUMER SAYS IT IS NOT REASONABLE TO BUY THE ENTIRE UNIT TO REPLACE AN INFERIOR QUALITY COVERING FOR THE HEAD LIGHT. *YH
WHEN THE LEVER IS USED TO RECLINE THE DRIVER'S SEATBACK, IT CANNOT BE REPOSITIONED. ALSO, HEADLIGHTS WOULD FOG UP & HAVE VERY LITTLE PROJECTION, EVEN WITH HIGH BEAMS ON. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK. *AK
HEADLIGHT COVER IS PLASTIC WHICH HAS TURNED A YELLOWISH COLOR, AND HAS CAUSED HEADLIGHTS TO BECOME DIM. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IT'S VERY HARD TO SEE, THE PLASTIC COVER OF HEADLAMPS HAS BECOME A MILKY WHITE COLOR. CONSUMER HAS TO DRIVE WITH HIGH BEAMS AT ALL TIMES. IN RAINY WEATHER THE VISIBILITY IS THREE TIMES WORSE. *AK
HEAD LIGHTS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY.
SWITCHED POST ON HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER THEN RESUMED HIGH POSITION AND VEHICLE STARTED TO GET HOT; HOWEVER, FUSE DID NOT BLOW. THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT. *AK
THE HEADLIGHT LENS ASSEMBLY GETS DISCOLORED AND RESTRICTS THE LIGHT. REPLACED LENS IN 1992 AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.*AK
HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND CONNECTOR MELTED.(OTHER VEHICLES ON 504408,601598)
MATERIAL USED FOR HEAD LIGHT LENSES BECOME YELLOW OVER TIME, CAUSING REDUCED VISIBILITY.
HEADLIGHT LENS MADE OF PLASTIC WHICH IN TIME YELLOWS, CAUSING HEADLIGHT BEAMS TO APPEAR DIM. *AW
FRONT HEADLIGHTS PLASTIC COATING VISIABILITY IS NOT CLEAR FOR PROPER LIGHTING; HAS ONLY 5O% OF HEADLIGHT CANDLE LIGHT POWER DUE TO POORLY USED MATERIALS. *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
Data on this page last refreshed .