1992 Ford Probe Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report problems with the automatic shoulder belts, which use a motorized track rather than a door-mounted belt design common in later cars. Many complaints concern belts that stop retracting or jam in the rail, and several describe trouble getting the related recall work done, either because parts were unavailable or because a dealer considered a car or side already serviced. Other reports are scattered across transmission, brake, cooling, and electrical complaints, typically on vehicles with well over 70,000 miles.

1. 1
   Seat belts

   Automatic shoulder belt jams or stops retracting

   • 34 complaints (43%)
   • median 106,000 mi at 18.4 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2010

   Owners describe the automatic shoulder belt failing to move back along its rail when the door opens and closes, or jamming behind the shoulder so the strap cannot be pulled out. Complaints point to wear on the rail and the plastic covering the cable, which lets the cable slip out of the track. Some report that a belt failed again after recall repair, and several say a dealer declined to repeat the work free of charge, or told them the car was too old to look up the repair. Mileage is often unrecorded in the older complaints, but those that list it cluster around 75,000 to 111,000 miles, including belts that failed again after earlier recall work.

   Recall 96V172001Recall 96V172002

   What to check: Open and close each door and watch whether both shoulder belts travel the full length of the rail and retract smoothly, then pull each belt out to confirm it locks. Ask for paperwork showing recall 96V172001 and 96V172002 work was completed and on which side.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Regarding Ford recall # 96s48 and 96s99 - seat belt recall. Dealership claims that they performed replacement of seatbelt track and motor assembly on february 25, 1997. However, the repair has failed just as the recall described the original problem. Ford will not agree to fix this safety issue claiming that the work has already been done. I contend that I received either faulty parts and / or shoddy workmanship from the dealership. Can you help me resolve this issue with Ford? Thank you. Mi.”

   NHTSA complaint #741950, filed 2001-03

   “Automatic driver's seat belt is inoperative. The shoulder strap is jammed in the rail behind the shoulder of the driver. Recall 96v172001 was issued on make,/model and year, but this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN.”

   NHTSA complaint #10061050, filed 2004-04, 75,000 miles
2. 2
   Seat belts

   Recall repairs delayed or refused (no parts, prior work)

   • 24 complaints (30%)
   • median 106,000 mi at 18.4 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1996–2010

   Many complaints are about the remedy rather than the belt itself: owners say they received the recall notice but the dealer had no parts, citing a national back order, or did not return calls for months. Others report a dealer refusing one side because it had already been inspected or repaired, or because the vehicle had been salvaged, and some were told the recall was no longer in effect. These reports are concentrated in the late 1990s, shortly after the recall was issued, and a few continue into the 2000s.

   Recall 96V172001Recall 96V172002

   What to check: Look for written proof of completed recall service on both the driver and passenger side; a car with no record may still be eligible, so confirm with a dealer before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Recall received in oct.96, contacted the dealer and they still have not returned call on the parts for the seat belt (left passive side). It should not take 4 months for a part to be in if it is an recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #808701, filed 1997-02

   “Automatic shoulder belts are not working, dealer stated that this cannot be taken care of until parts are available after march 15th. Action not taken according to terms in recall notice 96v172000.”

   NHTSA complaint #805267, filed 1996-11

Buying note. The automatic shoulder belts are the main thing to verify on this model year: test both sides and get documentation of completed recall work, since some owners found repairs hard to obtain later. Beyond the belts, complaints are sparse but include transmission and radiator issues, so a careful test drive and a cooling-system inspection are worth the time on a car this age.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 46 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.