Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1991 record →
WHEN GAS TANK IS FILLED UP AND SITS OVER NIGHT THERE IS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE COMING FROM THE TANK. DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER REPORTS HAS AN ARTICLE THAT DEALS WITH PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
HOOD RODS FAIL TO KEEP THE HOOD IN THE RAISED POSITION.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED OUT. MECHANIC STATED THAT CAR HAS HAD OVERHEATING PROBLEMS. CONSUMER ALSO INDICATED THAT MASTER CYLINDER LOCKED UP TWICE, AS WELL AS STEERING COLUMN AND ENTIRE DASHBOARD WENT OUT. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN THE ANTI- LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. THEN THE ENGINE WIRES SHORTED OUT. CAUSING BRAKE FLUID TO POUR DOWN TO EXHAUST SYSTEM ONTO THE ENGINE MANIFOLD, RESULTING IN A FIRE. WAS FORCED TO SHUT DOWN VEHICLE BECAUSE CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. ALSO SHE WAS ALMOST KILLED TWICE. THE DEALERSKIP KOONS FORD INC STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON CAR FOR IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONSUMER WANTS HER CAR TO BE FIXED. *AK
CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH INTERMITTENT BRAKE FAILURE. WHEN BRAKES APPLIED VEHICLE WOULD KEEP ON GOING. ALSO, INTERMITTENTLY PARK LIGHTS AND ABS LIGHTS WOULD COME ON, AND ALL BRAKES WOULD FAIL TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
HEADLIGHTS FLICKER THEN GO OUT.
THE HEADLIGHTS FLASH ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. AT TIMES THEY WOULD GO OFF COMPLETELY. THE LIGHT SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED. *AK
MORTORIZED SHOULDER BELT DRIVER'S SIDE-INTERNAL BELT COMES OUT OF TRACK AND FAILS TO WORK.
BRAKES: PULLED OUT OF DIRVEWAY INTO INTERSECTION, MAKING A LEFT TURN, ACCELERATOR STUCK APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES DID NOT CATCH. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE MOTORBELT RETRACTOR FELL OFF TRACK.
REARVIEW MIRROR VOBRATES EXCESSIVELY TO THE POINT THAT DRIVER CANNOT SEE CARS BEHIND HIM VIA MIRROR. *AK
DRIVER'S WINDOW WAS INSTALLED AT FACTORY USING APLASTIC CLIP TO HOLD WINDOW ON ITS LIFTING MECHANISM. THE MATERIAL USED TO FUSE THE TWO MATERIALS TOGETHER LOSES STRENGTH AFTER SOME USE AND WINDOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, AIR CONDTIONING FAILED. *AK
VEHICLE HAS A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, IT CUTS ON AND OFF WHILE IN USE, CAUSING IMPAIRED VISIBILITY DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. *AK
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE GETS SUCKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RETRACTOR AND SOMETIMES THE BELT SHUDDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK BEFORE GOING IN THE OPEN OR CLOSE POSITION . VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY DEALER TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM, SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACING AGAIN. *AK
WHILE ENTERING A PARKING LOT, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, NEAR IGNITION, PARKED VEHICLE, EVERYONE OUT OF VEHICLE; WENT TO MAKE PHONE CALL, VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES; CALLED 911; SOMEONE WAS PUTTING FLAMES OUT BEFORE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED. *AK
DISC BRAKE ROTORS WARPED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SHAKE UPON BRAKING. *AK
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT IS STUCK IN POSITION, CANNOT BE USED AT ALL.
TRANSMISSION'S FIRST GEAR FAILED; THREE OUT OF FIVE TAKE-OFFS, VEHICLE STARTS IN SECOND GEAR. *AK
OWNER STATES THAT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL IMPACT GOING 60MPH AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG. *AK
UPON FILLING VEHICLE WITH GAS OWNER NOTICED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL, HE STATED THAT THE RING SEAL AROUND FUEL PUMP WAS BAD AND ALSO THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS AROUND FUEL PUMP HAD MELTED AWAY. *AK
PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED 3 TIMES.
HEADLIGHT FAILURE. DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE HEADLIGHTS PERIODICALLY COME ON AND OFF. *AK
DRIVER TRAVELED TWO MILES, ,PARKED VEHICLE, SMOKE CAME FROM UNDERNEATH AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPT. STATED GASOLINE LEAKAGE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *AK*JB
DRIVER EXPERIENCES A TOTAL LOSS OF ABS BRAKES WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE BURNING THE WIRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHILE TRAVELING. VEHICLE WAS DECLARED TOTALED.
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOES NOT ALWAYS RETRACT. *AK
REPEATED BRAKE PROBLEMS AFTER SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, CAUSING REAR BRAKES TO OVERHEAT/MELT.
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S DOOR FLEW OPEN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, RESULTING IN A FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA.*AK
BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
WITHIN 20,000 MILES THE FRONT BRAKES ROTORS HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. *AK
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT. WILL NOT RETRACT FORWARD.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED. *SD
THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S AUTOMATIC RESTRAINT SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN ALTERNATOR HARNESS WIRE CAUSEED ALTERNATOR AND WIRE HARNESS TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK *JB
IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED TWICE, FIRST TIME CAUSING FIRE. *DSH
FAILURE ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR, SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN THE IGNITION CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN AND WIRING TO BURN. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE. *AK
SOMETIMES THE IGNITION WOULD STAY STARTED AFTER CONSUMER TAKES THE KEY OUT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
STEERING COLUMN FIRE. *SD
THE WHEEL STUDS ARE TOO THIN AND THEY ARE BREAKING AND CAUSING THE WHEELS TO COME OFF WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN WIRING HARNESS CAUSED FIRE. *DSH
THE VEHICLE STALLED IN A BUSY INTERSECTION DUE POSSIBLY TO FUEL LINE INTERFERENCE. TT
PE95-039 FUEL LINE INTERFERENCE; VEHICLE HESITATES OR FEELS LIKE TOTAL SHUT DOWN AND STARTING AGAIN, SLUGGISH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT 50, 60 MPH THEY STICK. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
FUEL PUMP FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
HAD CONTINUOUS GAS SMELL, HAD TO HAVE FUEL PUMP REPLACED THREE TIMES. TT
ENGINE SURGED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *DSH
THE REAR AXLE BROKE WERE IT MEETS THE TIRE WHILE DRIVING AND THE TIRES CAME OFF. TT *JB
SPEEDOMETER STICKS. *SD
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1991 Ford Thunderbird → · Every Thunderbird year → · How the figures are calculated →