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 1994 record →
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, RPMS ARE OUT OF CONTROL. TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR, SHIFTS DOWN GEAR. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS, RESULTING IN LEAKAGE AND FUMES.
TENSIONER PULLEY THAT HOLDS THE TENSION TO THE SERPENTINE BELT SO THAT IT STAYS IN PLACE FELL OFF WITHOUT WARRNING, AND IT LEFT CONSUMER WITHOUT POWER STEERING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED AT 35,000 MILES. CAR NEVER RAN THE SAME. THIS CAR HAS HAD ALL TUNE UPS CHECKS, AND SERVICE DATES KEPT. HAS HAD 1 DRIVER. HAS NEVER BEEN "BEAT ON" . TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST HAS HAD MANY 1994 FORD THUNDERBIRDS WITH PROBLEMS IN 2ND GEAR IN TRANSMISSION. THE GEAR IS GONE! IT JUST SPINS IN PASSING GEAR. HE STATED THAT FORD KNOWS AND HAS CHANGED EQUIPMENT, BUT NOT NOTIFYING ANYONE. ALSO, COMPUTOR PROBLEMS.
PLEASE CONTACT ME REGARDING THESE PROBLEMS. NO SUMMARY LISTED. *AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKET SEAL HAS BLOWN, CAUSING OIL AND ANTI-FREEZE TO LEAK ALL OVER THE ENGINE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING WHILE DRIVING WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE DEFECT. *AK *ML
NO SUMMARY
PREMATURE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS. ALSO, REPLACED 2 ALTERNATORS/FOUR BATTERIES/BURNED OUT BRAKE LIGHT SOCKET/WIRING/TRANSMISSION. ALSO BATTERY GAUGE JUMPS ALL OVE RWHEN USING TURN SIGNALS OR ELECTRIC WINDOWS.
WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE RACES UP TO 8000 RPMS WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. CONSUMER HAS TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NETURAL OR CUT THE VEHICLE OFF TO GAIN CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CAR WILL DOWNSHIFT AND ACCELERATE UNDER ALL CONDITIONS.I.E. FROM A START OR WHILE AT A CONSTANT SPEED IT WILL DOWNSHIFT AND ACCELERATE.
A MALFUNCTION OCCURRED WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN BETWEEN 35-40 MPH, IT SHIFTS FROM 3RD GEAR INTO OVER DRIVE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
THE EEC WIRING (TWO HARNESSES FOR THE TRANSMISSION) FAILED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO OPERATE ERRATICALLY. THE DEALER STATES THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO WATER AND SNOW SPLASHING UP ONTO THE WIRING CAUSING A GREAT DEAL OF CORROSION. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WILL BE THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL PARTS. NO OTHER MEASURES ARE SUGGESTED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. THE WIRING IN QUESTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY SHIELDED IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE EXPOSURE THAT CAUSED THE CORROSION.
TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN: I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFECT WITH THE FORD THUNDERBIRD. LUCKILY, I DID NOT INCUR ANY BODILY HARM, BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR PERSONAL INJURY IS SIGNIFICANT. ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1998 THE COMPUTER ON MY THUNDERBIRD FAILED. EVERYTHING ON MY CAR IS CONTROLLED BY THIS SINGLE PART TO SOME DEGREE. THE THUNDERBIRD HAS ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION, WHICH DEPENDS SOLELY ON THE COMPUTER TO REGULATE THE GAS FLOW. INSTEAD OF SHUTTING EVERYTHING DOWN WHEN THE COMPUTER FAILED, THE COMPUTER ACTUALLY ALLOWED AND UNREGULATED FLOW OF GASOLINE INTO THE ENGINE. THIS DESIGN FLAW HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE TWO SIGNIFICANT SITUATIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE HUMAN INJURY. FIRST, THE EXCESS GAS IN THE ENGINE COULD CAUSE A FIRE, OR EVEN WORSE, AN EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE. SECOND, THE EXCESS GAS MAY CAUSE THE CAR TO ACCELERATE AGAINST THE DRIVER'S WILL AND CAUSE THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR INJURY, THIS FLAW IS ALSO VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR. THE EXCESS GAS IN THE ENGINE CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. WHILE THE COMPUTER COST 'ONLY' $550 TO REPLACE, THE BILL TO REPAIR THE ENGINE DAMAGE WAS OVER $2000. MY CAR HAS HIGH MILEAGE FOR A 1994 VEHICLE, SO THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE FIRST COMPLAINTS FILED FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE PROMPTLY ADDRESSED BY FORD. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND MAKE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM.
97S84; FUEL LINE RUBS AGAINST THE FLOOR PAN, FORD CONTACTED AND NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE AFTER THE RECALL. *AK
TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO SHUDDER AT SHIFT POINTS INTO THIRD & OVERDRIVE WITH NORMAL ACCELERATION, UPON AGGRESSIVE ACCELERATION THE ENGINE TURNS TO 4,500 RPM BEFORE SHIFTING IN TO SECOND. *ET
TORQUE CONNVERTER ON THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT PREMATURELY, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE AND VIBRATE VERY HARD WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 35MPH. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 35 MPH TO 45 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. WILL TAKE OFF AND THE ENGINE WILL START TO JUMP. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE PROMBLEM. *AK
NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS.
TORQUE CONVERTER SHUTTERS
HEAD GASKET FAILED.
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING CONTINUOUS WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS/CALIPERS AND DISCS. AFTER REPLACEMENT OF PARTS THE BRAKE SYSTEM ONLY LASTED LESS THEN THREE MONTH S BEFORE THE BRAKE WERE IN NEED OF REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT AGAIN. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND CAUSE COULD NOT BE FOUND. *AK
WHEN VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP,OWNER WAS TOLD BOTH FRONT SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
TRANMISSION WILL DOWN SHIFT AT 65 MPH ENGINE RPM'S WILL GO TO 6000 RPM CONTROL OF VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT. TRANSMISSION WILL DOWNSHIFT AT ANY SPEED FROM OVERDRIVE TO 1 GEAR RANDOMLY.
VEHICLE HAS HAD TWO REPLACMENT TORQUE CONVERTERS AND OVERHAULED TRANSMISSION, VEHICLE TRANSMISSION IS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DRIVE TRAIN FAILURE.
STEERING RACK AND THE PUMP; WHEN DRIVING AND TRYING TO TURN CANNOT TURN, HAS TO FORCE HARD BECAUSE THERE IS NO GIVE IN THE STEERING. DEALER CONTACTED AND REPAIR SHOP NOTIFIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED.
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS FAILED.
AIR BAG LIGHT WILL COME ON AFTER STARTING ENGINE.
AIR BY PASS VALVE FAILED, CAUSING UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION.
DURING COLLISION THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG. DUP 522819, POSTED ON 03-NOV-98. *AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE IN REVERSE RESULTING IN SEVERAL COLLISIONS.
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED.
TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PROBLEM.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
SIGNIFICANT WATER LEAKAGE TO FLOOR ON DRIVER SIDE, DURING WINTER MONTHS.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. PROBLEMS EXISTED FROM TIME VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FROM SHOWROOM.
TRANSMISSION VIBRATES WHEN GOING INTO OVERDRIVE, DUE TO TORQUE CONVERTOR FAILURE.
FRONT AND REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES. *AK
TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED CAUSING SHUDDERING AND VIBRATION.
DELAY IN SHIFTING MECHANISM DUE TO FAULTY TRANSMISSION.
SEAT BELT FAILED.
TORQUE CONVERTOR FAILED.
DRIVER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND A 20/25 MPH COLLINSION, STRUCK THE OTHER AUTO BROAD SIDE WITH RIGHT FRONT ENT.
THERE'S A SPACE IN THE FRONT ROTOR ON THE STUDS, AND THE LUGS: NUTS ARE NOT GOING ON PROPERLY IN THE STUD. *AK
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT BLINKS ON. HAS BEEN TO DEALER 7 TIMES. DEALER CANNOT SOLVE. *AK
ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE WHEN COMING TO A STOP. OWNER HAS HAD THE ROTORS REPLACED TWICE ON THE VEHICLE. *AK
TRANSMISSION COOLING UNIT AND LINES MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS REPLACED. ALSO, REPLACED CONVERTER ASSEMBLY. *AK
BRAKE PADS FAILED.
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 1994 Ford Thunderbird → · Every Thunderbird year → · How the figures are calculated →