RoadVitals

1991 Ford Thunderbird Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance 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.
10
Latest Jul 18, 2008
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.
9%
of 112 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.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1991 Ford Thunderbird submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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 driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistance
Filed Jul 18, 2008

CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10234763
Incident
Oct 1, 1999
Mileage
80,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 1, 2005

WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE ACCELERATOR BECAME STRUCK. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL THE BRAKE PEDAL AND EMERGENCY BRAKE WERE APPLIED. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID
896923
Incident
Sep 22, 2001
Mileage
144,509 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 8, 2002

PART TO REPAIR NOT AVAILABLE. DT

NHTSA ID
770610
Incident
Nov 10, 2002
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 25, 2001

I WOULD LIKE FOR THESE PROBLEMS TO BE FIXED. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
744566
Incident
Apr 23, 2001
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Oct 19, 2000

THROUGH MOUNTAINOUS REGION IN AR, THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN...FOUND A LITTLE $3 PIECE THAT BROKE ON THE PART THAT HOLDS THE LINKAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION TO THE THROTTLE... CAR KEPT GOING FASTER AND FASTER... BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. HAD TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND GO UP STEEP INCLINE... KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. HAD TO REPLACE THE PIECE THAT BROKE, THE TRANSMISSION, CAR STILL IDLED HIGH.. AND HAD TO REPLACE ANOTHER PART AS WELL. THE BRAKES ARE VERY SPONGY, THEY HAVE BEEN BLED NUMEROUS TIMES, AND THE MASTER CYLANDER REPLACED AND THEY STILL HAVE TO BE PRESSED DOWN 2-3 INCHES (VERY SOFT) BEFORE YOU FEEL ANY SORT OF BRAKAGE. THE CAR STILL DOES NOT RUN CORRECTLY. HAVE SPENT 650.00 + ON AIR CONDITIONER, AND IT STILL DOES NOT WORK RIGHT. APPEARS TO BE A SHORT IN IT, BECAUSE WHEN CAR IS ACCELLERATED, IT WILL START COOLING AGAIN... ONE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, SO SOMETHING IS SHORTING IT OUT.

NHTSA ID
734726
Incident
Aug 19, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 5, 2000

ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK IN A WIDE OPEN POSITION WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. CONSUMER HAD TO TAKE KEY OUT OF IGNITION AND REAPPLY PEDAL TO GET IT UNSTUCK. DEFECT DUE TO A PLASTIC BUSHING CONNECTED TO A THROTTLE VALVE CABLE BECAME DISINTEGRATED, CAUSING CABLE TO TO BECOME LODGED AGAINST THE ACCELERATOR.*AK

NHTSA ID
872352
Incident
Oct 4, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 22, 1999

VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AS WE WERE LEAVING A REST STOP, AND WE WERE FORCED TO ULTIMATELY TURN OFF THE IGNITION BEFORE IT COULD BE BROUGHT TO A STOP. SPEEDS EXCEEDED 100 MPH - BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND WERE HEATED TO THE POINT THAT ONE OF THE FRONT STRUTS ACTUALLY "BLEW OUT". MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME, AND SHE QUICKLY REACHED A STATE OF PANIC, NOT REALIZING THAT THE IGNITION COULD BE SWITCHED OFF AND THE STEERING WOULD BE MAINTAINED - IF I HAD NOT BEEN WITH HER, THIS MAY WELL HAVE BEEN AN INCIDENT INVOLVING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I SPOKE TO FORD ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY STATE "IT DOESN'T HAPPEN" AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH A WRITTEN DENIAL OF MY REQUEST FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID
703600
Incident
Sep 20, 1998
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 24, 1997

BRAKES: PULLED OUT OF DIRVEWAY INTO INTERSECTION, MAKING A LEFT TURN, ACCELERATOR STUCK APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES DID NOT CATCH. *AK

NHTSA ID
817521
Incident
Oct 17, 1997
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 30, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported

ENGINE SURGED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *DSH

NHTSA ID
500237
Incident
Jan 1, 1992
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 15, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SKD

NHTSA ID
485151
Incident
Apr 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

Brakes19Seat belts15Engine14Electrical12Fuel system11Exterior lighting10Visibility8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .