Brakes
Filed Feb 7, 2003
CONNECTOR BURNED AND BLEW THE BULB. PH
- NHTSA ID
- 10006742
- Incident
- Jan 26, 2003
- Mileage
- 72,000 mi
1998 Ford Thunderbird
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
3
Latest Feb 7, 2003
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Overview
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Ford Thunderbird, most frequently naming the brakes, driver assistance and electrical categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Brakes133.3%
- Driver assistance133.3%
- Electrical133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Electrical
Filed Jul 5, 2002
CONSUME RHAD PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRICALWIRES WHICH CASED HEADLIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL NOT TO WORK. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 8013366
- Incident
- Jun 22, 2002
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 9, 2000
WHEN DECLINING WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED IT CAUSED VEHICLE TO INCREASE ITS SPEED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT WAS NORMAL. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 872560
- Incident
- Jul 15, 2000
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
982323
STRUCTURE:BODY
INFORMATION REGARDING REPLACEMENT AND / OR REPAIRS ON ANY LOCK COMPONENT. *YC
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 30.8 |
| 2004 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 45.6 |
| 2003 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 38.0 |
| 2002 | 93 | 2 | 0 | 45.6 |
| 1999 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1998Viewing | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 169 | 2 | 0 | 48.2 |
| 1996 | 233 | 4 | 0 | 51.3 |
| 1995 | 261 | 1 | 0 | 46.8 |
| 1994 | 300 | 1 | 0 | 45.3 |
| 1993 | 423 | 4 | 3 | 57.2 |
| 1992 | 184 | 4 | 5 | 61.8 |
| 1991 | 112 | 4 | 2 | 62.3 |
| 1990 | 140 | 4 | 4 | 65.8 |
| 1989 | 124 | 5 | 6 | 72.3 |
| 1988 | 92 | 2 | 7 | 67.2 |
| 1987 | 61 | 1 | 5 | 64.6 |
| 1986 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 58.7 |
| 1985 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 63.1 |
| 1984 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 59.5 |
| 1983 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1980 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 1979 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1960 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.