1996 Ford Probe Engine cooling Problems
- Complaints
- 13about this part
- Share
- 25%of 52 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 89,584miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 13 complaints about the engine cooling of the 1996 Ford Probe, 25% of the 52 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 89,584 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving down the road and as soon as I got up to speed past 30 miles per hour it kicked into to gear really hard and I could feel the transmission barely slipping into gear..and had to have the water pump flushed it was over heating thought it was the thermostat but it was checked and fine so I had to replace the water pump...was missing a motor mount on one side and the other was corrodded.. …”
NHTSA complaint #10164357, filed 2006-08, 89,584 miles“There is oil leaking into the spark plug cylinders. A tune up was performed, however, the problem was not solved. Oil continues to seep into the spark plug cylinders, and this is causing a degradation in performance as well as rough operation. What is most interesting, however, is that my car is not the only one with such a problem. Several Ford Probe owners have informed me that they have similar problems with their cars as well (different model years).”
NHTSA complaint #761549, filed 2002-05“One day while driving, I noticed that my engine was overheating. Before I could pull over the needle went back down indicating that the engine was not overheating. I proceeded to drive. Then my car just stopped picking up speed. The next thing I knew was that my car just wouldn't not move any faster than 5mph. Luckily the cars behind me were not traveling at great speeds. This allowed to pull over to the side of the highway and wait for a tow truck. My car had shut down. I took it to a mechanic where they told me that the timing belt, water pump and rear head gasket all needed repairing.”
NHTSA complaint #742022, filed 2001-03“Vehicle stalls and hesitates while traveling on highway. Transmission stalls. Dealership is aware of problem. Consumer states engine runs rough, stalls, and makes a ticking noise, the oil pump and motor were replaced. The transmission is slipping, this is a replacement transmission.”
NHTSA complaint #8006177, filed 2002-03“There is a noise coming from the engine and the gears are harder to shift. The 5th gear feels as if in 3rd. Dealer has seen vehicle, and can't find a solution.”
NHTSA complaint #851097, filed 1999-10Engine cooling: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 13 | 48% |
| 1996 | 13 | 25% |
| 1995 | 16 | 19% |
| 1994 | 25 | 15% |
| 1993 | 23 | 11% |
| 1992 | 4 | 5% |
| 1991 | 5 | 3% |
| 1990 | 10 | 3% |
| 1989 | 13 | 17% |
Other parts of the 1996 Ford Probe
17 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsSeat belts
4 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsEquipment
2 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1996 Ford Probe
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology