Your vehicle report
1990 Ford Probe
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 323
- Received Jan 1995 to Aug 2007
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract126 complaints · 39% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Serpentine belt breaks or slips off25 complaints · 7.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Rear door latch fails to open or close9 complaints · 2.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #96V172001Note: driver's side (left) passive seat belt assembly. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly will become jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative.
- Recall #96V172002Note: passenger side (right) seat belt assembly. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly will become jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 7 crashes, 5 fires, 18 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 62 |
| 1996 | 63 |
| 1997 | 105 |
| 1998 | 24 |
| 1999 | 19 |
| 2000 | 16 |
| 2001 | 12 |
| 2002 | 6 |
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 323 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 126 | 39% | – | NHTSA recall #96V172001, #96V172002 |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 25 | 7.7% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 9 | 2.8% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #96V172001September 6, 1996224,000 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: webbing
Note: driver's side (left) passive seat belt assembly. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt Can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly will become jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative.
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant would not be adequately restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace driver side and inoperative passenger side shoulder belt track assemblies.
NHTSA recall #96V172002September 6, 1996224,000 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: webbing
Note: passenger side (right) seat belt assembly. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt Can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly will become jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative.
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant would not be adequately restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace driver side and inoperative passenger side shoulder belt track assemblies.
NHTSA recall #89V159000September 25, 19892,900 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control: linkages
Throttle levers may have been bent during assembly.
Throttle may stick and not return fully to idleposition.
Remedy
Place affected vehicles on delivery hold until repaired.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1990 Ford Probe.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN