Ford Probe Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 8 safety recalls and 1,194 owner complaints across 11 model years of the Ford Probe (1984–1999). The most-complained-about year is 1990.

Pick your Ford Probe model year

• 1984
• 1989
• 1990
• 1991
• 1992
• 1993
• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997
• 1999

What Ford Probe owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 1,194 complaints with NHTSA. The 1990 model year has the most, with 323.

• Seat belts265
• Seat belts: webbing99
• Seat belts: retractor82
• Power train: automatic transmission81
• Electrical system: ignition54
• Seat belts: anchorage50
• Service brakes, hydraulic: caliper48
• Engine and engine cooling: gasoline47

All Ford Probe recalls (8)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Ford Probe, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

1. Engine (engine and engine cooling)

   NHTSA 98V206002 Reported November 3, 1998 5,700 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. An external spring in the timing belt tensioner can break and get caught in the timing belt.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tensioner and replace it if necessary.

   Model years: 1997

2. Webbing (seat belts)

   NHTSA 96V172001 Reported September 6, 1996 224,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Note: driver's side (left) passive seat belt assembly. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly will become jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace driver side and inoperative passenger side shoulder belt track assemblies.

   Model years: 1990, 1991, 1992

3. Webbing (seat belts)

   NHTSA 96V172002 Reported September 6, 1996 224,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Note: passenger side (right) seat belt assembly. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly will become jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace driver side and inoperative passenger side shoulder belt track assemblies.

   Model years: 1990, 1991, 1992

4. Air bags

   NHTSA 96V090000 Reported June 3, 1996 2,740 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The supplementary air bag inflatable restraint caution label located on the driver side sun visor does not contain the statement, "do not install rearward facing child seats in any front passenger seat position." this does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection."

   Remedy: A new caution label, with installation instructions, will be sent directly to owners. Owners can install the label or, if they wish, can have their dealer install the label for them.

   Model years: 1996

5. Air bags: frontal

   NHTSA 93V169000 Reported October 15, 1993 217 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   If the passenger-side air bag deploys in an accident and there is no passenger in that seating position, the air bag can detach from, and deform, the mounting bracket.

   Remedy: A new air bag module with a slightly revised door to improve fit and appearance will be installed and a doubler will be installed on the mounting bracket to more securely retain the module.

   Model years: 1994

6. Support device/strut (structure)

   NHTSA 93V058000 Reported April 13, 1993 3,700 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The lower pivot pin that joins the liftgate gas strut to the body can separate from the lower strut mounting bracket due to an undersized rivet head.

   Remedy: Replace liftgate strut assemblies having undersized pivot pin rivet head diameters with assemblies with adequate pivot pin rivet heads.

   Model years: 1993

7. Anchorage (seat belts)

   NHTSA 91V016000 Reported January 1, 1991 7,700 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Brackets mounting automatic shoulder belt retractor assembly may have an understrength spot weld.

   Remedy: Install two bolts in the brackets to prevent shoulder belt failure.

   Model years: 1991

8. Linkages (vehicle speed control)

   NHTSA 89V159000 Reported September 25, 1989 2,900 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Throttle levers may have been bent during assembly.

   Remedy: Place affected vehicles on delivery hold until repaired.

   Model years: 1990

Other Ford models

• F-15037,961 complaints
• Explorer34,566 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Taurus18,159 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.