"How reliable is the 1996 Ford Probe?"

"Based on 77 NHTSA complaints, the 1996 Ford Probe has a median complaint mileage of 89584 miles. The most common issue is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION."

"What are common problems with the 1996 Ford Probe?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Ford Probe is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, accounting for a significant portion of the 77 total complaints filed."

1996 Ford Probe: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 77 complaints

Total Complaints

89,584mi

Median Mileage

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

82,419 25th Percentile

89,584 Median Mileage

112,750 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK"

"THERE IS A VERY BAD SMELL COMING INTO THE VEHICLE THAT MAKES YOU SICK. *AK"

"CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 35 MPH FRONTAL CRASH IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD TO BREAK."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28