What breaks most · 1990 to 1999 model years
Ford Probe problems by year
Owners have filed 1,116 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Probe across model years 1990 to 1999. Three years stand out: 1990 for seat belts complaints, 1993 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 1991 for seat belts complaints. The quietest years are 1996, 1992 and 1995.
- Years to check closely: 1990, 1993, 1991
- Fewest complaints: 1996, 1992, 1995
- Complaints on file
- 11161990 to 1999, all trims
- Worst year
- 1990323 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 6832 fires · 64 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 98kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 31Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 323 | 7 | 4 | Seat belts (282) | |
| 177 | 3 | 4 | Seat belts (142) | |
| 79 | 3 | 3 | Seat belts (55) | |
| 205 | 21 | 4 | Brakes (hydraulic) (48) | |
| 166 | 16 | 4 | Brakes (hydraulic) (33) | |
| 86 | 10 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (19) | |
| 52 | 3 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (17) | |
| 27 | 5 | 4 | Engine and cooling (13) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (1) |
What fails on the 1990 Ford Probe
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 87% |
282 | 4 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 3% |
11 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1990 Ford Probe |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 3% |
10 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 3% |
10 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1990 Ford Probe |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 3% |
9 | 2 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1990 Ford Probe |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 2% |
5 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 1% |
4 | 3 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 1% |
4 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Electrical cluster module shorted out, and dashboard for speed panel and light oil gauge doesn't operate properly. *ak
-
Newly designed brakes which are made with non-absestos, causing the brakes to rusted through and a squeaking noise, resulting in extended stopping distance, which may result a crash. Please provide further information. *ak
-
Passenger's side window does not stay up , keeps falling down. This is a motorized window and caus eof failure is unknown. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Probe years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1990, 1993, 1991 carry the most filings on the Ford Probe. The 1990 alone has 323 complaints, led by seat belts.
What is the most common Ford Probe problem?
On the 1990 model year, the most-reported component is seat belts with 282 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Probe problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Probe complaints that include mileage is about 98,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.