1990 Ford Probe problems & reliability
323 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Ford Probe. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
13 complaints report injuries (18 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Ford Probe vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 282 | 87% |
| Electrical System | 11 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 10 | 3% |
| Visibility | 10 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 3% |
| Power Train | 5 | 2% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% |
| Structure | 4 | 1% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 1% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl*the contact owns a 1990 ford probe. The driver and passenger side seat belts retractors would not work. The dealer has not repaired the seat belts. The current mileage was 182,000 and the failure mileage was unavailable.”
Seat Belts · filed Aug 14, 2007
“Tl*the contact owns a 1990 ford probe. Approximately six years ago the front driver and passenger side seat belt failed to operate normally. The contact stated that he needed to use the seat belts because there were no air bags in the vehicle. The contact referred to safety recall # 96v172002 concerning seat…”
Seat Belts · filed May 3, 2007
“Retractable seat belts jam and get stuck in track, making unsafe condition. Have hit head on seat belt latch causing pain and have also been stuck in seat with seat belt not releasing. Also wearing out car battery & shorting electrical system, severe moisture in tail lamps, failure of tail lamps causing unsafe…”
Structure · filed Apr 10, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SEATBACK RECLINE MECHANISM FAILURE
Defect Petition DP07001 · opened Jul 30, 2007 · closed Dec 5, 2007
- AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT
Recall Query RQ98011 · opened Jul 31, 1998 · closed Feb 16, 1999
- MAZDA RX7 AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE96027 · opened Apr 16, 1996 · closed Sep 30, 1996 · led to recall 96V173000
- PASSIVE RESTRAINT FAILURES
Engineering Analysis EA94032 · opened Sep 8, 1994 · closed Sep 30, 1996 · led to recall 96V172002
- PASS.RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION
Preliminary Evaluation PE94039 · opened May 4, 1994 · closed Sep 8, 1994
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE91124 · opened Sep 9, 1991 · closed Dec 23, 1991
Technical service bulletins
34 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Ford Probe. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
On some vehicles, engine oil may continue to leak from the engine oil pan gasket area after an engine oil pan gasket repair has been performed. *tt
01124 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Information regarding the recall 96s48 & 96s99 (motorized seat belt rail and motor assembly). *mjs
13714 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2000
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Experiencing a whine / buzz type noise in the speakers of the entertainment radio or two-way radio on vehicles with an in-tank electric fuel pump. *tt
99129 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 14, 1999
Information on "whining" / "buzzing" noise coming through entertainment or two-way radio speaker caused by the fuel pump. *tt
99129 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 14, 1999
Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt
99816 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 1999
Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc
98246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 1998
Information on a new transmission fluid usage chart. *yc
9888 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Ford Probe in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Ford Probe?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.