1992 Ford Probe problems & reliability
79 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1992 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1992 Ford Probe vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. 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 | 55 | 70% |
| Power Train | 6 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 5% |
| Equipment | 3 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 3% |
| Steering | 2 | 3% |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% |
| Tires | 2 | 3% |
| Visibility | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl*the contact owns a 1992 ford probe. While the vehicle was parked she attempted to use the driver's seat belt and the seat belt would not move out of the retractor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer advised her that they no longer have any books on how to repair the seat belt. She reference recall…”
Seat Belts · filed Aug 13, 2010
“Tl*the contact owns a 1992 ford probe. The contact stated that when she attempted to buckle the seat belt, it would not retract to secure the driver. The contact disengaged the belt. The contact called the authorized dealer and was informed that the vehicle was too old for them to look up the remedy in the diagnostic…”
Seat Belts · filed May 4, 2010
“Tl* the contact owns a 1992 ford probe. The contact stated that the repair for recall 96v172001 (seat belts:front:webbing) was performed in 2007 but the failure recurred the complaint does not explain what was repaired. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the repair…”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 29, 2010
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
Technical service bulletins
36 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1992 Ford Probe. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 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
Service tip information on revised oil pan gasket replacement procedure. *tt
99183 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 1999
Conditions with the brake lamps inadvertently disabling the brake shift interlock. *tt
99139 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 28, 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
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 1992 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 1992 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.