1993 Ford Probe problems & reliability
205 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1993 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.
15 complaints report injuries (15 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1993 Ford Probe vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 48 | 23% |
| Electrical System → | 32 | 16% |
| Air Bags → | 25 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 23 | 11% |
| Power Train → | 17 | 8% |
| Parking Brake → | 12 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Air → | 11 | 5% |
| Steering | 9 | 4% |
| Structure | 9 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 4% |
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 1993 ford probe. While driving 60 mph, the fuel control light illuminated and the vehicle shut off. The contact was occasionally able to restart the vehicle after two or three minutes. The mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure and advised her to take the vehicle to a ford dealer for a…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Nov 16, 2007
“I have owed 2 1993 ford probes and both have had the same transmission problem. The first one was only 1 and a half years old and there's a lot more out there with this problem the o/d light starts to flash and the car stops shifting properly then you take it to ford dealer or any other shop they say new transmission…”
Power Train · filed Feb 17, 2007
“Icm overheated several times this summer (always while on interstate), causes the car to shut off while at 65+mph, all power lost (brakers, steering, acceleration). Car only at 37,000 miles during first failure. Replaced icm/distributor (icm built inside distributor) with a non-oem part. *jb”
Electrical System · filed Nov 4, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUDIO SYSTEM FIRES
Investigation SQ98008 · opened May 4, 1998 · closed May 8, 1998
Technical service bulletins
72 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1993 Ford Probe. The 10 most recent:
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. *mj
02176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2002
Brake shift interlock.*jb
01181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 17, 2001
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · 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
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
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
Information for servicing and diagnosing brake vibration, brake inspection, and brake friction material replacement. *tt
99194 · 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
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 1993 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 1993 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.