Ford / Probe
A model year earns its own page when four sources cover it, it holds at least 50 complaints, and it can either be compared with the other years of its generation or shows one system in 40% or more of the complaints that name a component. No Probe year clears that bar: the highest count is 52 complaints, in 1996. Rather than publish a thin page for each year, everything known about this model is on this page.
Each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Fewer than three years of this generation are comparable, so no year is named.
| Model year | All complaints | First three years | Most reported system | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 52 | 19 | Powertrain | not compared |
| 1997 | 27 | 10 | Engine | not compared |
A model year gets its own page when four sources cover it, it holds at least 50 complaints, and it either compares with the other years of its generation or shows one system in 40% or more of the complaints that name a component. The rest are listed here with their figures.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Bulletins | Combined MPG | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 52 | 4 | 0 | 83 | 20–25 | listed here |
| 1997 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 84 | 20–25 | listed here |
| System | Complaints | Share | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 26 | 33% | 89,584 mi |
| Powertrain | 20 | 25% | 89,584 mi |
| Electrical System | 8 | 10% | 115,000 mi |
| Airbags | 6 | 8% | 79,000 mi |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 6% | — |
Shares are over complaints that name a component; a complaint naming several systems is counted under each.
Owner report I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND AS SOON AS I GOT UP TO SPEED PAST 30 MILES PER HOUR IT KICKED INTO TO GEAR REALLY HARD AND I COULD FEEL THE TRANSMISSION BARELY SLIPPING INTO GEAR..AND HAD TO HAVE THE WATER PUMP FLUSHED IT WAS OVER HEATING THOUGHT IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT BUT IT WAS CHECKED AND FINE SO I HAD TO REPLACE THE…
Owner report CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A PROBLEM ,WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, FORCING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OUT OF THE ROAD. *AK
Owner report AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SECOND TIME. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *TR
Owner report 1996 FORD PROBE SE AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILURE,SAME AS MAZDA 626 ALL OF THESE CARS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT COST THOUSANDS TO FIX,CHECK THE INTERNET,WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL?
Owner report INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE FAILED TO START. ENGINE CRANKED BUT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. ALSO WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. MECHANIC REPLACED THE GROUND WIRE AND DISTRIBUTOR, BUT THE PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS.*AK
Owner report I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE DISTRUBUTOR WHICH CAUSED IT TURN OVER, BUT NOT START, AND CLUTCH WITH IN ONE MONTH. ALSO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AN DTHEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY, AND MY CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. *AK
| Campaign | Component | Filed | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06E026000 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2006-03-23 | 61,944 |
| 05E065000 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2005-10-05 | 42,962 |
| 98V206002 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1998-11-03 | 5,700 |
| 06E065000 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2006-07-17 | 3,593 |
| 96V090000 | AIR BAGS | 1996-06-03 | 2,740 |
Whether a recall has been done on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
None open.
Ford issued 167 service bulletins covering these model years, most often about power train.
A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so a bulletin listed here may not be specific to one year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.
| Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-15 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT |
| 2002-09-02 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH | LAMP-BRAKE-INVADVERTENT DISABLING OF BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *MJ |
| 2002-02-04 | POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE CD4E TRANSAXLE MAY EXHIBIT HARSH AND DELAYED 1-2/2-3 UPSHIFTS AFTER TRANSAXLE OR TURBINE SHAFT SPEED SENSOR REPLACEMENT, POSSIBLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES 628, 642, 645, 646, 647, 648, P0731, P0732, P0734, P0… |
| 2001-12-10 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | ENGINE OIL SYSTEM PRIMING PROCEDURES, SERVICE TIPS FOR REPORTS OF PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. *TT |
| 2001-09-17 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 2001-08-06 | VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 2001-08-06 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 2001-05-01 | POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CD4E AUTO TRANSAXLES MAY EXHIBIT DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES FOR GEAR RATIO OR HARSH AND DELAYED 1-2 / 2-3 UPSHIFTS AFTER TRANSAXLE OR TURBINE SPEED SENSOR (TSS) REPLACEMENT. *TT |
| 2000-09-01 | POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT NO FORWARD GEAR RANGES DUE TO THE MISALIGNMENT OF THE FORWARD / COAST CLUTCH CYLINDER SNAP RING WITH RESPECT TO THE LEGS OF THE FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON. *JB |
| 2000-01-10 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS |
Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more after news coverage or a recall. That is why years are compared only with other years of the same generation, over the same span, and never with other models.
This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection.