Ford Thunderbird Complaints

2,355 consumer complaints on file.

#700455November 9, 1998
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THE EEC WIRING (TWO HARNESSES FOR THE TRANSMISSION) FAILED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO OPERATE ERRATICALLY. THE DEALER STATES THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO WATER AND SNOW SPLASHING UP ONTO THE WIRING CAUSING A GREAT DEAL OF CORROSION. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WILL BE THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL PARTS. NO OTHER MEASURES ARE SUGGESTED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. THE WIRING IN QUESTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY SHIELDED IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE EXPOSURE THAT CAUSED THE CORROSION.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829990November 3, 1998
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS
HIGH MOUNTED REAR STOP LIGHT IS MELTING FROM HEAT OF BULB. ENTIRE ENCASEMENT HAS TURNED BLACK. THE BULB SOCKET & ATTACHMENT HAS MELTED DOWN. ENTIRE REAR STOP LIGHT HAS TO BE REPLACED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829997November 3, 1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE RUNNING ROUGH. PULLED OVER AFTER NOTICING WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM TAILPIPE. WATER WAS GONE FROM OVERFLOW. RADIATOR DRY. TOLD WAS BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#830007November 3, 1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE CONSUMER PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF THE GARAGE HITTING A PARKED CAR, THE CONSUMER PUT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE WITH HIS FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD HITTING A BRICK WALL AND CONCRETE FOUNDATION. INVESTIGATION NUMBER PE88097. *NLM
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#700297November 3, 1998
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT SINCE DAY ONE. RETURNED CAR TO DEALERSHIP TWICE AND REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM. WHENDRIVING A0T 60-70 MPH IF I SHOULD LET GO OF WHEEL THE CAR WOULD IMMEDIATELY RUN OFF THE ROAD. LONG TRIPS ARE VERY TIRING TO ARMS, SHOULDERS AND BACK. MY TIRES ARE GOOD, FRONT END IN ALIGNMENT ETC.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#700247November 1, 1998
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN: I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFECT WITH THE FORD THUNDERBIRD. LUCKILY, I DID NOT INCUR ANY BODILY HARM, BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR PERSONAL INJURY IS SIGNIFICANT. ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1998 THE COMPUTER ON MY THUNDERBIRD FAILED. EVERYTHING ON MY CAR IS CONTROLLED BY THIS SINGLE PART TO SOME DEGREE. THE THUNDERBIRD HAS ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION, WHICH DEPENDS SOLELY ON THE COMPUTER TO REGULATE THE GAS FLOW. INSTEAD OF SHUTTING EVERYTHING DOWN WHEN THE COMPUTER FAILED, THE COMPUTER ACTUALLY ALLOWED AND UNREGULATED FLOW OF GASOLINE INTO THE ENGINE. THIS DESIGN FLAW HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE TWO SIGNIFICANT SITUATIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE HUMAN INJURY. FIRST, THE EXCESS GAS IN THE ENGINE COULD CAUSE A FIRE, OR EVEN WORSE, AN EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE. SECOND, THE EXCESS GAS MAY CAUSE THE CAR TO ACCELERATE AGAINST THE DRIVER'S WILL AND CAUSE THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR INJURY, THIS FLAW IS ALSO VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR. THE EXCESS GAS IN THE ENGINE CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. WHILE THE COMPUTER COST 'ONLY' $550 TO REPLACE, THE BILL TO REPAIR THE ENGINE DAMAGE WAS OVER $2000. MY CAR HAS HIGH MILEAGE FOR A 1994 VEHICLE, SO THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE FIRST COMPLAINTS FILED FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE PROMPTLY ADDRESSED BY FORD. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND MAKE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829805October 30, 1998
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS
THE REAR MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT SOCKET AND SOCKET AND HOLDER IS MELTING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#700169October 28, 1998
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
SUNROOF GASKET HAS SPLIT AFTER ONLY 2 1/2 YEARS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829530October 27, 1998
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
97S84; FUEL LINE RUBS AGAINST THE FLOOR PAN, FORD CONTACTED AND NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE AFTER THE RECALL. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781395October 25, 1998
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO SHUDDER AT SHIFT POINTS INTO THIRD & OVERDRIVE WITH NORMAL ACCELERATION, UPON AGGRESSIVE ACCELERATION THE ENGINE TURNS TO 4,500 RPM BEFORE SHIFTING IN TO SECOND. *ET
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781394October 25, 1998
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TRANSMISSION SHUDDER AT SHIFT POINTS INTO THIRD AND OVERDRIVE WITH NORMAL ACCELERATION; ALSO, WITH AGGRESSIVE ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE TURNS 4,500 RPM BEFORE SHIFTING INTO SECOND.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#542235October 23, 1998
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS:SWITCH
HEADLAMPS ARE DISCOLORED DUE TO MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION DECREASING THE HEADLAMP EFFECTIVENESS AND NIGHT VISION, FOG LAMP SWITCH MELTED. NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829383October 23, 1998
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
TORQUE CONNVERTER ON THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT PREMATURELY, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE AND VIBRATE VERY HARD WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 35MPH. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829414October 23, 1998
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES ARE MAKING A LOT OF NOISE, AND CONSUMER CAN SMELL A LITTLE OF SMOKE BURNING FROM THE BRAKES. CONSUMER HAS TO REPLACE THE PADS ON THE BRAKES AND THAT FORD HAS TO REPLACE THE BRAKES. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781499October 21, 1998
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
WHEEL STUDS ON LEFT REAR WHEEL FAILED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781512October 21, 1998
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM
BRAKE ROTORS / DRUMS FAILED, CAUSING EXTREME VIBRATION/PULSATION.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781471October 20, 1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 45 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL SHORTED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO FALL OFF, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO CRASH INTO A BARN, INJURING THREE PASSENGERS AND KILLING ONE COW.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
1
#542066October 19, 1998
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
POWER STEERING HOSE DISCONNECTED CAUSING FLUID LEAK ON EXHAUST (CATALYTIC CONVERTER) RESULTING IN FIRE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#781299October 16, 1998
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET/ HEADLIGHT SWITCH FAILURES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#542007October 15, 1998
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY
BYPASS RELAY FAILED CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH STARTING VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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