1991 Ford Probe GL 2.2 Litre 4 cylinder

Summary:

Reliable and econonical, a good little car

Faults:

Windshield wiper motor $150.

Rear Defrost Circuit $180.

Lower Engine mounts, not repaired.

Power Antenna $65.

Flip up light motors, not repaired.

General Comments:

Car was not treated well by previous owners, had mostly hwy millage on it.

Engine mounts a common problem, just causes vibration at idle.

Light motors a common problem, just left them in the up position.

Power antenna was very dirty, very old, common problem on all power antennas.

Probes have frame-less windows, the seals around them would whistle slightly at high speeds 100+ kph, leaked slightly in a car wash.

Excellent engines, very reliable, the car run for a very long time with proper maintenance.

Peppy for a 4-banger, loved the tight steering.

Burned oil when cold after 230000kms, mostly likely due to warn seals, not a big problem. Common too many high millage cars.

Very good on gas, a 200 km trip used approx. half a tank of gas.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th September, 2004

1991 Ford Probe GL 2.2

Summary:

Surprisingly very reliable!

Faults:

The paint oxidized horribly. The shine was gone on the hood and roof when I purchased it, but really started to peal off at abour 130000 miles. Biggest complaint with the car.

The parking brake did not work when I purchased the car.

At 150000 miles the automatic head lamps started to become stuck while trying to retract which caused their motors to drain and kill the battery. Fixed the situation by disconnecting their power while in the up position.

At 160000 miles The passenger side automatic seat belt stopped working at about miles. Had to reach up and unlatch and latch the seat belt from the top. Very annoying.

At 165000 miles I had my only high priced fix. A transmission cylinder broke and caused me to not be able to shift into gear at all. This, of course, was a serious problem. Cost about $375 total for the tow and repairs. For being the only high priced item to fix over the 70000 miles I owned the car, I was not too upset.

At 178000 miles the car would idle at very high RPMs (3000-4000) while in neutral. The problem would go away after about five minutes of running.

Finally, at 180000 miles the car did not want to start and would sometimes die while being driven. Took it into a shop and they spent four days (and $220 of my money) trying to diagnose the problem. In the end, their efforts were futile and I recently donated the car to charity.

General Comments:

I paid only $2,200 for the car and had almost no problems for 70000 miles! I drove it through 2 years of high school and 4 years of college and was always thankful to have such an overall reliable car.

It had enough power to make it feel a little sporty and with its five speed it was really fun to drive. I have been out test driving new cars and really miss the way that the Probe drove.

If someone is looking for a first car or something cheap for commuting, consider an older model Probe. If you can find one with around 120000 miles or less, you very well may get another 50000 miles out of it with very minimal problems. Take it from someone who put 70000 miles into it after it was well past the century mark.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th June, 2004

1991 Ford Probe GT 2.2L turbo

Summary:

A great car for performance, comfort and economy that is still better than a lot of new cars

Faults:

CV joints went bad shortly after I purchased the vehicle, but it's bound to happen with so many miles on it.

Starter stopped working, but that's another one of those items that is bound to go given the miles on it.

General Comments:

This car is incredibly fun to drive. It is by all means no super car, but I would place it up there with them in terms of how much fun it is to drive. It's got plenty of power to get the job done whether it's a simple pass or a good race.

The only downside I would give to this car is the rear passenger seat room if you are above six feet tall.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th April, 2004