1997 Ford Thunderbird LX review from North America
"Good looking and nice V8, but poor build"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission slip, clunk, vibrations around 20,000 miles.
Locking knob on the clutch became hard to operate around 45,000 miles.
Constant banging when reducing speed and coming to a stop from significant speed.
Knob on the clutch became impossible to operate (to disengage from park) at 67,000.
Stereo sound not that great.
Head rests too low to be of any use.
General comments?
Got the car "new" despite the existing 400 miles that I was told were due to the drive from one car dealer to another over the state border.
Nice car.
4.6 V8 a must, 3.8 is completely unable to pull the weight of this car.
Sport option great, traction control saved my life on the highway once when a jerk moved into my lane. But reliability is unacceptable. I had to sell it to a local car dealer store in a hurry before I was stranded at home unable to disengage from park.
Perfect car for someone who wants good looking and sporty AND mature at the same time, and who can live with the uncertainty of how long it will last.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 4/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 400 miles |
| Most recent distance | 67000 miles |
| Previous car | Mercury Capri |
| Date of Entry | 7th January, 2002 |