Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 6, 2004
THERE IS A WHITRE CLOUDY FILM ON THE HEADLIGHTS CREATING POOR VISABILITY AT NIGHT.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10102226
- Incident
- Dec 1, 2004
1996 Ford Thunderbird Exterior lighting Problems
Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Exterior lighting 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.
11
Latest Dec 6, 2004
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.
5%
of 233 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.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. 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. 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.
Owner reports naming exterior lighting
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 20, 2004
1 injury reported
96 FORD THUNDERBIRD HEADLIGHT SWITCH SHORTINGSMOKING HEADLIGHTS OUT. KEVIN VANOY, ASTORG FORD PARKERSBURG, WV SAYS THIS IS COMMON. HE ORDERED PART SAID MECHANIC SEPARATED WIRES AND ORDERED PARTS. SAID NO MORE PROBLEMS DRIVE AWAY. LIGHTS STILL GO OUT MELTING WIRES. GLEN DETHY CARRIAGE FORD CLARKSVILLE, IN ORDERS PARKERSBURG TO SEND PARTS TO IN, BUT WILL CHARGE $100 EXTRA TO INSTALL, NEITHER DEALER WOULD RUN A HOT WIRE WITH A CABIN SWITH TO LET CUSTONMER SAFELY HAVE LIGHTS. BOTH DEALERS SENT CUSTOMER BACK ON ROAD WITH DANGEROUS LIGHT SWITCH.
- NHTSA ID
- 10067538
- Incident
- Apr 20, 2004
- Mileage
- 69,999 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 12, 2001
WITHOUT WARNING, AND AT SPEED, HIGH BEAM HEADLAMPS FAILED LEAVING NO FORWARD VISIBILITY. PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE COLUMN MOUNTED MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH TO CORRECT THE SAME PROBLEM. SUSPECT DESIGN/ENGINEERING FLAW WITH SWITCH. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 755545
- Incident
- Dec 9, 2001
Fuel systemExterior lightingSuspension
Filed Jun 11, 2001
THE FRONT SPRINGS ARE DEFECTIVE AND BREAK THUS COLLASPSING THE STRUTS AND MAKING THE VEHICLE HARD TO HANDLE. THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFILD COOLANT CHANNEL WALLS ARE TO THIN AND TEND TO BLOW-OUT. FINALLY, THE BACKLIT REAR REFLECTOR TENDS TO BURNOUT TO OFTER FOR A INTEGRATED PART. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE THE REFLECTOR IS AN INTEGRATED PART OF THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE COST OF REPLACEMENT IS PROHIBITIVE SO THE REFLCTOR REMAINS BURNED OUT ON MANY OF THE OTHER T-BIRDS I SEE ON THE ROAD CAUSING A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE'S VISIBILITY. THE ILUMENATOR IN THE REFLECTOR SHOULD BE SERVICABLE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 746639
- Incident
- May 16, 2001
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 12, 2001
HEADLIGHT LENSES CLOUD UP, WHICH REDUCES LIGHT BEAMS. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 560769
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 21, 2000
THE HEAD LIGHT LENSES ON THE VEHICLE ARE CLOUDING UP, THE PLASTIC USED FOR THE LENSES IS DEFECTIVE. *MJS
- NHTSA ID
- 557843
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 20, 2000
THE CONNECTOR THAT THE BULBS PLUG INTO FOR THE THRID BRAKE LIGHT ON THE BACK DASH IS ALL MELTED AND BROWN ON BOTH SIDES. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML
- NHTSA ID
- 863842
Exterior lighting
Filed Aug 23, 1999
THE PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LAMP LOCATED ON THE TRUNK HAS EXPERIENCED SOME SORT OF INTERNAL SEPARATION THAT CANNOT BE FIXED WITHOUT REPLACEMENT. THE SYMPTOM IS THAT THE TAILIGHT IS DIMMER AND NOT AS BRIGHT AS THE ONE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THIS CONDITION IS SPECIFIC TO THE LATE 90'S THUNDERBIRDS WITH NEON TAILLAMPS, AND I HAVE SEEN IT OCCUR ON EITHER SIDE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD REGARDING THE MATTER, AND THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN FIXING MY PROBLEM WITHOUT ME SHELLING OUT SOME MONEY FOR A NEW ASSEMBLY. CLEARLY, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.
- NHTSA ID
- 710412
Exterior lighting
Filed May 12, 1999
A WHITE CLOUDY FILM IS FORMING IN THE HEADLIGHTS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 837818
Exterior lighting
Filed Sep 11, 1997
THE DESIGN OF THE HEAD LIGHTS IS INFERIOR TO PREVIOUS MODELS, THERE IS LESS VISIBILITY WITH THE 1996 MODEL. THE DRIVER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VISIBILITY.
- NHTSA ID
- 604856
- Incident
- Mar 21, 1996
Body & structureBrakesExterior lighting+2 more
Filed Jan 23, 1997
DRIVE SHAFT VIBRATION.
- NHTSA ID
- 514075
- Incident
- Nov 6, 1996
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 .