1996 Ford Thunderbird LX review from North America
"Fun to drive, worth the occasional maintenance"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Motor mounts had to be replaced, and transmission had to be flushed due to occasional violent shaking of car at and above 35 mph. ($500) Covered by 5,000 mile used car warranty.
Rear calipers were frozen, and had to be replaced.
Front rotors need replaced.
Cannot turn off car with key. The plastic shaft which pulls the ignition switch back is broke. Ford wants about 300 dollars to fix it.
Stock CD player sometimes refused to play or eject CD. To fix that I got a sears card and replaced the CD player, and ended up spending around 700$ on other stereo stuff. (My most costly maintenance so far). I enjoy it though.
General comments?
I love driving my car. I am Six foot Seven, but once I get my right leg underneath the steering wheel, I am comfortable and all is good. I love the low to the ground feel I get while driving, and the four wheel fully independent suspension makes for a super smooth ride.
Gas mileage is about 300 miles per tank.
Car handles great, and has the best acceleration after 40 mph.
There are lots of things you can do to upgrade this car pretty easily.
Only problems with my car are with the transmission. Has delayed shifts, and has hard, loud shifts from reverse to drive, and drive to reverse.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8L V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 69435 miles |
| Most recent distance | 80270 miles |
| Date of Entry | 28th February, 2003 |