1990 Ford Probe Reviews - Page 2 of 8

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.