Faults:

I had just purchased a 1990 Ford Probe GL yesterday 10/02/2001 at 3:00 PM. Later that night I had taken the car for its first real drive and that is when the transaxle cracked and blew up. It could not be moved at all, and it is still stuck in fifth gear.

I also had a problem with the fuses and the battery, that I addressed to the dealership.

The passenger seat belt, which is an automatic one, would also not run the track. It just stayed in the middle of the track.

The driver's side seat came off the track.

The seal in the hatch that leaks. Upon further inspection of the trunk, I found out that the wheel well was full of water, which had caused the jack to rust solid in the wheel well.

General Comments:

Many of the problems that I listed above are the fault of the dealership that sold me the car.

I felt that these problems should be shared, so others might know the problems.

Faults:

Being a mechanic, I maintained the car with regular inspections and service. Car was even maintained by German Ford dealers while it was there for 5 years. Under German inspection, if ANYTHING isn't right, you know it big time.

Replaced shocks and tires.

New rotor and drums (not needed in USA, but didn't meet strict German law).

Replaced original wheel (out of round).

Replaced rubber bellows between the air filter and meter.

Replaced oxygen sensor.

Factory service (recall) on seat belt.

Timing belt.

1 muffler and exhaust pipe.

General Comments:

The car has been a wonder. Proper maintenance and normal care, oil change with Castrol GT 5W-30 whenever the oil turned a brownish color, allowed me to run 100+ mph on the German Autobahn (Interstate highway) for 5 years without a glitch. Shame they stopped making them.

Little bugger maintained 22 mpg @ 100+ mph... with gas their at $4.80 a gallon. Put AC on, it still goes 18 mpg at that speed. Last car was a 1965 El Camino with a 396... at 9 MPG, it would have never survived the German road system.

Faults:

Being a mechanic, the car is well maintained and greased..

Air bellows failed, battery, 2 CV boots failed.

Nothing else.

General Comments:

Excellant car, even on the German Autobahn @ 109 mph it got 22 mpg.

Total reliability.

Faults:

Radiator began to leak, fixed easily - $5.

Regulator went bad, cost a lot to fix - $150.

Front CV boots had to be replaced after I did one burnout - $250.

Front driver side load caliper has to be changed (old age) - $80.

Sun roof/tail light leaking water, silicone fixed cheaply - $5.

Fog light relay switch burned out - $30.

General Comments:

Very fast car, can take on most of these foreign wannabe race cars. I have raced it legally before against most cars, the V-6 engine can be modified with supercharger/turbo, making horsepower around 190hp. Very sporty, excellent handling, strongly made car, build by Ford, Mazda, and Yamaha.