Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Ford Thunderbird submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 48 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 48, in the owner's own words
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE TRAVELING AT 30 MPH THE BRAKES FAILED WHILE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE A LEAK WAS FOUND ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE. THE LINE WAS CORRODED TWO INCHES FROM EITHER SIDE OF A CLIP HOLDING THE BRAKE LINE. NO OTHER CORROSION WAS FOUND ON THE REMAINING BRAKE LINES.
PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE ROTORS ON VEHICLE ARE WARPED. *MR THE FRONT ROTORS WERE REPLACED, LEFT AND RIGHT (2 TIMES) AND WERE WARPED AGAIN. *SCC *JB
THIRD BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY KEEPS MELTING. OCTOBER 2000 26,000 MILES FIRST NOTICED MY THIRD BRAKE LIGHT HAD MELTED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE LIGHT SOCKETS, WAS TOLD THEN THAT IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM, AFTER MUCH ARGUING AND WRITING THE BBB FORD FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE IT AT NO COST TO ME. NOW 2003 AT 32,800 MILES ASSEMBLY IS MELTED AGAIN, AGAIN I WAS INFORMED THAT FORD WILL NOT REPLACE IT THE COST IS MINE. I SAID THEN AND I STILL BELIEVE THIS A PRODUCT DEFECT ON FORDS PART. I DO NOT BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE PART, APART WHICH IS THE SAME PART THAT IS IN THERE NOW AND WILL MELT AGAIN IN A YEAR OR TWO AND I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. THE LINK BELOW SHOWS PICTURES OF A FORD THUNDERBIRDS THIRD BRAKE LIGHT DAMAGE AFTER THE ASSEMBLY AND WIRE HARRNESS HAS MELTED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A FIRE HAZARD.W.MN12PERFORMANCE.COM/MN12HOWTO/3RD_BRAKE_LIGHT/3RD_BRAKELIGHT.HTML. *AK
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER WENT TO PRESS ON BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE.CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED HOSE WAS OFF BRAKES. *AK
4/97 VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT. DEALER ALIGNED FRONT END. 1/98 VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT AND VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER SAYS IT IS A TIRE PROBLEM, ONE TIRE REPLACED. 5/99 VEHICLE STILL PULLS TO RIGHT AND VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND WHILE BRAKING. FRONT ROTORS WARPED AND PADS WORN. ROTORS TURNED AND PADS REPLACED BY GOODYEAR SERVICE CENTER. 9/99 VEHICLE PULLING TO RIGHT AND VIBRATING AT SPEED AND DURING BRAKING. FRONT ROTORS WARPED AND PADS WORN AGAIN. DEALER CLAIMS IT IS OWNERS DRIVING STYLE. ROTORS TURNED AND PADS REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. 10/00 VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT AND VIBRATES. ROTORS FEEL WARPED AGAIN. APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER TO REPAIR. 10/16 TRANSMISSION HAS A SHUDDER IN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR DURING LIGHT TO MODERATE ACCELERATION. DEALER SAYS PROBABLY TORQUE CONVERTER. UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME IF THIS WILL BE CONSIDERED AN WARRANTY ITEM OR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.
THE ASSEMBLY FOR THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT HAS MELTED AND NOW YOU CANNOT GET THE BULBS OUT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED (@ $100.00) NOT COVERD UNDER THE EX-WARRENTY, TALKED WITH ANOTHER FORD MACHANIC AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THAT ASSEMBLY ON THE THUNDERBIRD AND FORD DOESNOT INTEND TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. CUSTOMERS PROBLEM. DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME.
WHILE DRIVING 30MPH & APPLYING THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING A VEHICLE THAT STOPPED. HOWEVER, VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKE LIGHTS, AND IT REARENDED VEHICLE IN FRONT DUE TO NO BRAKES. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED BRAKES WERE GONE. PIN IN THE BRAKES HAD BROKEN WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO BE INOPERATIVE. *AK
REPLACED BRAKES 5 TIMES, ROTORS 3 TIMES, MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN ENGINEERING, UNSAFE AND NO DEALER SATISFACTION. *AK
OIL IN MY ENGINE POURED OUT AND ENGINE LOCKED UP WOULD NOT KEEP OIL IN IT. HAD TO REPLACE BRAKES TWICE I ONE YEAR BECAUSE OF BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE THEN FINALLY IT GOT SO BAD HAD TO REPLACE THE ROTORS ON FRONT END, MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE FOR THE OUTSIDE JUST HAPPEN TO START GOING CRAZY ONE DAY AS I WAS DRIVING ALONG ON A TRIP TO THE BEACH AND HAS BEEN IN CORRECT EVER SINCE. AND BY THE WAY I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THIS VEHICLE. I HAS BEEN MORE TROUBLE THAN A JOY. *AK
THIS FAILURE WAS FRONT AND REAR DISK BRAKES VIBRATING,,SCAPING NOISE IN FRONT LEFT BRAKE, AND LONG STOPPING DISTANCE, DEALER SOLUTION WAS TO TURN ALL FOUR ROTORS,, CAR IS IN SHOP AGAIN NOW FOR SAME PROBLEM,, THE SOLUTION AGAIN IS TO TURN ROTORS AGAIN,I AM TRING TO GET THEM TO REPLACE ROTORS,BUT THEY WILL NOT
BRAKE ROTORS CONTINUALLY WARP. DEALER HAS REPLACED ROTORS SEVERAL TIMES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *YC
BRAKE ROTORS OVERHEAT AND WARP. THREE TIMES SINCE NEW. SHAKEING STERRING WHEEL.
WARPED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, CAUSING FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED.
BRAKES FAILED.
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE ROTORS. FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARP. THE CONSUMER HAS HAD THEM REPLACED 4 TIMES ALREADY. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
BRAKE ROTORS KEEP WARPING, AND WHEN BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED THE VEHICLE SHAKES. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED, ALL REPAIR WORK DONE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK
BRAKES ARE WARPING AT STOP SIGN AND WHEN PUSHING ON PEDAL, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER IS ON THE SECOND SET OF BRAKES AT 8000 MILES . DEALER INDICATED BRAKES AT 4OOO MILES. *AK
WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE A NORMAL STOP, CONSUMER NOTICED VIBRATIONS IN THE FRONT END. ALSO THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A NUMBER OF BRAKING PROBLEMS. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL VIRBRATES. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE BRAKES PADS AND SHOES REPLACED SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES. THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED AT LEAST TWICE. THE ENTIRE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED A MONTH AGO. THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES CONTINUES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH OR GREATER THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AND SHAKES VIGOROUSLY, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWAY LEFT TO RIGHT. BEEN IN THE DEALER 8 TIMES. DEALER REPLACED 4 SETS OF TIRES/ROTORS. PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKES FAILED AND CONTRIBUTED TO A COLLISION.
WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, A SQUEAKING NOISE IS HEARD. TOOK TO DEALER & HAD SOME OF THE PARTS ON THE BRAKES REPLACED. THE SQUEAKING NOISE IS THERE. *AK
FRONT ABS BRAKES FAILED; ALSO, PREMATURE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE PADS. *AK
ABS BRAKES; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AND THE FRONT BRAKES LOCK UP. REPLACED ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. *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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