1989 Ford Probe LX 2.2 liter

Summary:

The Most Reliable Used Car I Ever Bought

Faults:

Gas tank was rusted and needed replacing (231000).

Radiator was old and rusted out and need to be replaced (231000).

Axle boot was old and needed replacing (231000).

The driver's seed leans a little to the passenger seat, but it's not too big of a deal.

General Comments:

I bought this car for $700 as a transition car for the most part. A cheap car that I could run into the ground until I got a new one.

Well, I put some money into it in the beginning and have loved the way the car feels and handles ever since I first drove it.

I even took the car on an over 1100 mile trip in 24 hours and she handled fine without any problems even while using the air conditioner the whole way.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th March, 2003

1989 Ford Probe LX 1.2L

Summary:

All around good

Faults:

5,000 miles new transmission and front axle.

Oil Leak.

Replaced break and rotors.

Steering alignment twice.

Alternator twice.

Replaced 6 alternator belts.

General Comments:

The car is actually VERY good on control and cornering. I could hug jug handles at 65MPH barely screeching the tires.

Slow off the start, but has great acceleration from from 25-40 MPH.

I had many problems with it, but it was my fault. I abused the car because it really is fun to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th March, 2003

1989 Ford Probe LX 2.2

Summary:

Most trouble-free car I've owned

Faults:

Replaced front brake pads at 197,000 miles.

Replaced battery at 201,000 miles.

Replaced muffler at 204,000 miles.

Air conditioning charge at 209,000 miles.

General Comments:

I purchased this car for $900 nearly 2-and-a-half years ago, and have put 45,000 miles on it with no significant problems.

Car runs and handles well, uses very little oil, and is in excellent original condition in and out.

Ride and comfort are not outstanding, but very acceptable.

My Probe has over 216,000 miles on it, and I still don't hesitate to drive it from Seattle to Los Angeles several times a year.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd February, 2003

4th May 2007, 18:19

This is an update to my original post. It's now May, 2007, and I've racked up 242,000 miles. The only thing I've replaced since I last checked in is one CV joint at 227,000. I drove the car from Seattle to Mexico, over to Vegas, and back. It ran perfectly until the joint cracked about 100 miles from home. I managed to get it home, and it was an easy and cheap fix, less than $100. I keep it garaged, and the interior and original gray metallic exterior are still beautiful. I've owned the car for 7 years now, and I plan to get it to at least 300K, and will keep it until it dies, which may never happen.

1989 Ford Probe LX 2.2L SOHC 4 cylinder

Summary:

A fun drive on a budget

Faults:

The alternator was replaced at about 100,000 miles. The clutch was replaced at about 150,000 miles. A valve in cylinder 3 burned up at about 200k miles. The water pump was replaced at about 210,000 miles. The head was replaced at about 255k miles. The radiator developed a leak at around 265,000 miles and the thermostat went out at the same time. After being _seriously_ abused for about 1 year and 35,000 miles, the car finally died at about 270,000 miles.

General Comments:

I know what happened before and after I owned the car because it was purchased from my parents and later sold to a family friend.

This was one incredibly reliable car. I once went for over 10,000 miles without an oil change and it didn't burn a drop. The car ran for over 270,000 miles even though it was once driven EXTREMELY hard while severely overheating for about 15 miles by its last owner. I also abused the car while I owned it, pushing it regularly.

The performance left a little to be desired. It was no slouch for acceleration, but it can't have had a top speed much over 90 mph. It handled VERY well its entire life, developing almost no body roll as it aged. This car hugged the curves like no other I've driven since.

The trade off to the handling, however, was the ride. It was stiff and uncomfortable. On rough pavement, driving quickly became a chore. The dials and switches were also poorly positioned and sometimes difficult to manipulate. The seats were not very supportive and were uncomfortable on long rides, though short and medium trips were never a problem.

One thing that always bugged me about the car was the shifting. You always had to throw the shifter a pretty good distance to get the car in gear, making it difficult at times to shift quickly. Shifting to reverse was frequently impossible. On more than one occasion, I had to put the car in neutral and let it drift a bit before I would be able to put the car in reverse.

Overall, however, for a price tag under ten grand, the car was incredibly reliable and fun to drive. To this day I wish I would have kept it and rebuilt it, as I've driven no car since that could provide such a fun trip on twisty roads.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st December, 2002

27th Apr 2009, 19:25

Hey! My name is Tyler Sufficool. I'm from Lebanon, Mo. I have an 89 Probe LX right now. I've had it for about a year now. It has 165,000 miles on it currently, and I hope it lasts as long as yours did before I have to rebuild it.

It is an amazing car to drive, but I have to disagree with the part about poor top end. A friend of mine had a 2000 Ford Focus that shut off at 110mph, and I could stay right beside him and still keep going when he shut down. I have added cold air intake, header, and exhaust to mine making my 120hp approximately 150. It rocks!!!