Electrical
Filed May 7, 2001
Fire reported
CAR DESTROYED DUE TO A FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN-POSSIBLE IGNITION SWITCH. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 745024
1989 Ford Thunderbird Electrical Problems
Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Electrical reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
22
Latest May 7, 2001
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
18%
of 124 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
16
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0
What this page shows
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Ford Thunderbird submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 22 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.
Owner reports naming electrical
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Electrical
Filed Apr 2, 2001
Fire reported
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 743399
- Incident
- Mar 31, 2001
Electrical
Filed Oct 11, 2000
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE IGNITION MODULE. *AK THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RESTART AT ALL NOW. *YH
- NHTSA ID
- 872703
- Incident
- Apr 1, 2000
Electrical
Filed Sep 27, 2000
Fire reported
WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 20 MPH, CONSUMER HEARD HORNS BLOWING. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND OPENED HOOD, AND NOTICED FLAMES. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 871670
- Incident
- Aug 25, 2000
Electrical
Filed Sep 15, 2000
IN OUR LOCAL PAPER ON 8/31/2000, THERE WAS A STORY ABOUT THE ALAMEDA COUNTY (CALF) SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE'S PRELIMINARY DECISION CONCERNING A POSSSIBLE RECALL OF OF FORD VEHICLES IN THE MODEL YEARS 1983-1995 CONCERING THE THICK FILM IGNITION (TFI) MODULE BEING PLACED ON THE DISTRIBUTOR NEAR THE ENGINE BLOCK WHERE IT OVERHEATS AND CASUES THE CAR TO STALL. CAN YOU GIVE ME ANY UPDATES AS TO WHERE THIS SITUATION IS CURRENTLY AND WILL I BE NOTIFIED IN CASE OF A RECALL BY FORD. I SAW THIS STORY AFTER I SPENT OVER $700.00 GETTING MY FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PUMP MODULE REPLACED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO THOUGHT THAT WOULD STOP THE STALLING. IT DIDN'T. ONCE MY CAR CAR REACHES A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE, IT STALLS. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP AND IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME. KEN KELLY
- NHTSA ID
- 731571
- Incident
- Aug 19, 2000
Electrical
Filed Aug 26, 1999
Fire reported
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY ALL OF A SUDDEN A LOUD EXPLOSION WAS HEARD . NOTICED VEHICLE ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED FIRE. REASON FOR FIRE WAS UNDETERRMINED. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 845963
- Incident
- Aug 18, 1999
Electrical
Filed Jan 5, 1999
Fire reported
CONNECTION TO WIRING HARNESS UNDERHOOD FAILED RESULTING IN FIRE.
- NHTSA ID
- 543210
- Incident
- Nov 19, 1998
Electrical
Filed Dec 3, 1998
Fire reported
CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN VEHICLE ALL DAY. 10 MINUTES AFTER PARKING VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES, MECHANIC SAID THAT WIRE DISCONNECTED FROM THE WIRING HARNESS. *AK *ML
- NHTSA ID
- 831718
- Incident
- Nov 19, 1998
Electrical
Filed Nov 19, 1998
Fire reported
PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. LIFTED HOOD & NOTICED GRAY SMOKE & THEN FLAMES APPEARED NEAR ALTERNATOR. A NEIGHBOR PUT FLAMES OUT. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 831084
- Incident
- Oct 23, 1998
Electrical
Filed Mar 3, 1998
Fire reported
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE FIRE.
- NHTSA ID
- 531685
- Incident
- Feb 15, 1998
Electrical
Filed Aug 4, 1997
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED, RECALL ON ELECTRICAL DEFECTS WERE DONE, HOWEVER THIS APPARENTLY WAS NOT SUFFICIENT. THERE WERE WIRES INSIDE HARNESSES IN THE FIRE WALL THAT WERE BURNED AND CHAFFED CAUSING ELECTRICAL FAILURE.
- NHTSA ID
- 520651
- Incident
- Sep 1, 1996
Electrical
Filed Apr 1, 1997
Fire reported
WHILE DRIVING OWNER NOTICED FOUL SMELL, PULLED OVER OPENED HOOD, VEHICLE ON FIRE. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 960425
- Incident
- Feb 5, 1995
Electrical
Filed Jan 28, 1997
Fire reported
VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, RECALL RELATED.
- NHTSA ID
- 514227
- Incident
- Nov 27, 1996
Electrical
Filed Dec 16, 1996
IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE CAUSING WIRING TO BURN UNDER DASH AREA PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.
- NHTSA ID
- 512644
- Incident
- Oct 1, 1993
Electrical
Filed Oct 25, 1996
Fire reported
PARKED VEHICLE AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THEN ALL OF AN SUDDEN THE ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 804070
- Incident
- Oct 24, 1996
Electrical
Filed Aug 28, 1996
Fire reported
WHILE DRIVING FIRE BROKE OUT UNDER THE HOOD, TOTALED VEHICLE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 508011
- Incident
- Aug 12, 1996
Electrical
Filed Aug 28, 1996
FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH.
- NHTSA ID
- 507832
- Incident
- Apr 20, 1996
Electrical
Filed Aug 15, 1996
Fire reported
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE RESULTING IN VEHICLE FIRE.
- NHTSA ID
- 507586
Electrical
Filed Jul 24, 1996
Fire reported
ALTERNATOR FIRE. *AW
- NHTSA ID
- 506599
- Incident
- Jun 6, 1996
Electrical
Filed May 13, 1996
Fire reported
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE HOOD. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 984308
- Incident
- Apr 30, 1996
Electrical
Filed Apr 24, 1996
Fire reported
WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, IGNITION STARTED TO SMOKE; GOT OUT OF CAR, STEERING COLUMN CAUGHT FIRE, THEN ENTIRE DASHBOARD CAUGHT ON FIRE; VEHICLE TOTALED.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 983422
- Incident
- Mar 15, 1996
Electrical
Filed May 31, 1995
BATTERY FAILED TWO TIMES, AT 28K, 56K MILES. TT
- NHTSA ID
- 966093
- Incident
- Jan 16, 1995
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .