Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 Ford Probe problems

Owners filed 70 complaints about the 1996 Ford Probe with NHTSA between Mar 1996 and May 2011. The most-cited component is power train (18).

Complaints
70
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train18
  2. Engine and engine cooling17
  3. Suspension5
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic5
  5. Steering5
  6. Electrical system4
  7. Seat belts4
  8. Air bags3
  9. Tires3
  10. Vehicle speed control3
  11. Fuel system, gasoline2
  12. Equipment2
  13. Latches/locks/linkages2
  14. Wheels1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19964
199714
19987
19994
20007
20017
20028
20031
20043
20054
20064
20072
20084
20090
20100
20111

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

18 reports
“1996 FORD PROBE SE AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILURE,SAME AS MAZDA 626 ALL OF THESE CARS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT COST THOUSANDS TO FIX,CHECK THE INTERNET,WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 18, 2006Power trainODI 10173787

Engine and engine cooling

17 reports
“FIRST MY ENGINE SEEMED TO OVERHEAT A BIT THEN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE IT WOULD SOUND LIKE THE ENGINE WAS GRINDING ON SOMETHING AND WOULDN'T STOP.. SOUNDED LIKE A BUNCH OF CHAINS IN MY HOOD. BUT THEN ON OCCASIONS THE STUPID THING WOULDN'T SHUT OFF WHEN IT WAS MAKING THE CHAIN SOUND, EVEN WITH MY KEY OUT. IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN AND NOW THE THING SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING AND I HAVE NO POWER WHAT SO EVER IN MY VEHICLE. BEFORE WHEN IT FINALLY SHUT OFF IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO SPARK. THEN IT WAS MAKING A CLICKING NOISE THAT WASN'T COOL. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 10, 2008Engine and engine coolingODI 10245079

Suspension

5 reports
“REPLACED RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW PART FROM O'REILLY AUTOPARTS STORE ON 8/31/10 AND ON 11/05/10 THE BALL JOINT CAME COMPLETELY OUT OF THE NEW CONTROL ARM MAKING AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. DEFECTIVE NEW PART, REPLACED IT AGAIN ON 11/09/10 WITH ANOTHER NEW REPLACEMENT PART FROM O'REILLY AUTOPARTS STORE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 19, 2011SuspensionODI 10402089

Service brakes, hydraulic

5 reports
“I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND AS SOON AS I GOT UP TO SPEED PAST 30 MILES PER HOUR IT KICKED INTO TO GEAR REALLY HARD AND I COULD FEEL THE TRANSMISSION BARELY SLIPPING INTO GEAR..AND HAD TO HAVE THE WATER PUMP FLUSHED IT WAS OVER HEATING THOUGHT IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT BUT IT WAS CHECKED AND FINE SO I HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP...WAS MISSING A MOTOR MOUNT ON ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER WAS CORRODDED.. WHEN I ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I CAN HEAR MY CAR 4 BLOCKS AWAY..BRAKES AREN'T RIGHT THEY DON'T PRESS DOWN LIKE THEY SHOULD AND HALF THE TIME THEY JUST DON'T WORK...IF I AM LUCKY, I HAVE TO START BRAKING AROUND 2 BLOCKS AWAY, I MAY STOP IN TIME. I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON JULY 16,2006 AND THIS ALL HAPPENED STARTING JULY 17,2006. PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE ON TIME AND HAVE HAD TWO ESTIMATES AS THEY REQUESTED FOR ALL THE REPAIRS BUT THEY STILL ARE STATING I HAVE TO COME UP WITH HALF THE MONEY UPFRONT AND THEN THEY WILL TACT ON THE REST TO THE END OF MY BILL I OWE TO PAY OFF THE CAR. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 3, 2006Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10164357

Steering

5 reports
“THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING WHEN A TURN WAS MADE. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 8, 2003SteeringODI 10015447

Electrical system

4 reports1 fire
“INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE FAILED TO START. ENGINE CRANKED BUT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. ALSO WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. MECHANIC REPLACED THE GROUND WIRE AND DISTRIBUTOR, BUT THE PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 3, 2004Electrical systemODI 10061212
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.