1990 Ford Probe LX V - 6 3.0 from North America

Summary:

Nice ride for the price

Faults:

The pilot bushing at 180375.

Rotors and brake, s at 180400.

Headlight, s don, t go up and down.

Tie rod, s at 180400.

Ball joint, s about the same time 180400.

Power antenna don, t no about that.

New coolant temperature sending unit and new fan.

New clutch at 180375.

New water pump and hoses.

General Comments:

Nice car fast good take off cheap on gas. Big trunk handles great seats comfortable. don, t like dash.

But for $500 not a bad car with a little fixing up parts cost about $400.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th March, 2004

12th Jan 2005, 12:49

My probe is about the same it has great acceleration. It also has a decent top speed like 150 mph, is that good enough for you.

1990 Ford Probe GL 2.2L I-4 non-turbo from North America

Summary:

Good, cheap, reliable transportation

Faults:

CV Joints, Left & Right, 170k miles.

RF wheel bearing,170k miles.

Exhaust, Catalytic back replace 130k miles.

AC stopped at 12 years. Still blows cold without ever getting a recharge, but needs a new switch. (Fan and AC don't work at the same time...wierd.)

Front rotors, 130k miles. Lots of pads (every 30k miles).

Power Antenna, 8 years old.

Rear hatchback leaks since 6 years old.

Dealer did recall work on motorized seat belts, but they've always worked.

Original clutch! And I auto-cross with it.

Original struts.

Valve cover gasket, 140k miles.

Radiator exploded 90k miles.

General Comments:

This was my first car out of college and I still use it regularly. It has been very reliable and only once left me stranded (when the radiator blew up as I parked it). I've done nearly all of the maintenance on it myself (belts, timing belts, brakes, CV joints, radiator) : it's not too difficult to work on, though as it gets old, it gets more difficult (parts freeze up).

The 2.2L motor doesn't have a lot of top-end power, but the torque is good: I rarely have to downshift climbing hills/mountains.

The exterior paint (silver) is badly faded an flat, though it doesn't have any rust problems anywhere. The pop-up headlights still work, though I see a lot of Probes that are permanently 'up.'

The interior has held up well. The cloth seats are in good shape and don't show wear. The carpets around the driver's feet, though, are a bit worn.

The hatchback set-up with rear folding seats is very usable. I've transported twin sized bed sets with it. About as close to a pickup truck as I'd want.

Overall, it has been very reliable and for the original cost (<$11k US), and cheap maintenance, it owes me nothing. I'll probably drive it until it dies.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th September, 2003

1990 Ford Probe LX 3.0 12v from North America

Summary:

Awesome first car, good bag for the buck, OK reliabilty

Faults:

I have just recently bought the car, since I have bought it, these are the things that have gone wrong:

Alternator - $450

Rebuilt Transmission - $1900

Brakes - $100

Belt and Tensioner - $650

Drive axles - $500.

I have had nothing but trouble with this car, and every time that I fix something something else goes wrong, I can only hope that I should be in the clear for a while.

General Comments:

If not for the poor reliability of this car, I would highly recommend it to anyone. There's lots of luggage space, room for 4 in a squeeze, though I have had 8 in it.

Mine has the digital dash, which is a nice feature.

The acceleration is excellent; while it's not a super car, it will provide the average enthusiast with their jollies.

If you are considering this car, don't forget to check its service history. If you can get a good one, grab it as fast as you can.

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

Review Date: 19th July, 2003

26th Aug 2004, 19:00

I just bought a 1990 Ford Probe about a month ago. I needed something to drive while my van is being repaired. So far, so good. It's red. I always wanted a red car. The only problem I'm having with it is getting in and out of it, and I'm skinny.

12th Nov 2004, 20:21

I have a 1990 Ford Probe LX and I am having some trouble as well, it looks as though I will have to replace the transmission now. The alternator and radiator were replaced before I got the car. I need a new hose for the heater core, and I need a new A/C line for my compressor to work again. My valve cover gaskets are leaking and I need a driver-side power window motor. But I love my car and I am looking to perform all the repairs right up to a major engine rebuild if necessary. So yeah I kind of agree with your reliability complaint, but also the car has been sitting for two years which explains the heater hose, the car has 125K miles on it which explains the valve cover gaskets, and some moron bent my A/C line and kinked it when replacing the alternator, so only a few of the repairs are actually mechanical failure.