1991 Ford Thunderbird problems & reliability
112 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 Ford Thunderbird. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 18 | 16% |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 13 | 12% |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 9% |
| Visibility | 8 | 7% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5% |
| Power Train | 4 | 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
“Loss of hydraulic brake assist on super coupe. Pedal became hard to press. Both brake and abs annunciators illuminating. Troubleshooting indicates brake pressure switch failing to signal pump to charge system or accumulator has failed. Master cylinder and abs system are original equipment and thus 24 years old.”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 11, 2015
“Plastic bushings in both ends of windshield wiper tie-rod component have worn. Causes wipers to move less, skip, and lose ability to clear entire windshield. Tie-rod may become disconnected from motor end or from wiper end. Car has less than 57000 miles.*ak”
Visibility · filed Nov 4, 2004
“Defective headlamp circuit breaker causes headlights to flash off and on repeatedly. First failure occurred when car was 2 years old, second failure in the last year. Car has less than 57,000 miles. 1991 supercoupe model has foglamps as do the 1992 and later thunderbird models for which a recall exists.*ak”
Exterior Lighting · filed Nov 4, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- THRTTL VLV LINKAGE BUSHING
Engineering Analysis EA93033 · opened Dec 30, 1993 · closed Dec 30, 1994
- THRTTL VLV LINKAGE BUSHING
Preliminary Evaluation PE93075 · opened Aug 30, 1993 · closed Dec 30, 1993
Technical service bulletins
35 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Ford Thunderbird. The 10 most recent:
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
Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system. *tt
002310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2000
Subject regarding climate control - eatc - blower motor control service tips. *jb
00213 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2000
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 on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 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
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 1991 Ford Thunderbird 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 1991 Ford Thunderbird?
- · 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.