Selling an old Ford Probe as it sits

A Ford built on Mazda hardware

Both generations came out of Flat Rock, Michigan, a plant Mazda ran and, from 1992, co-owned with Ford as AutoAlliance International.

The 1989-1992 Probe used Mazda's GD platform. The base engine was a 110 hp 2.2-liter four. The LX offered a 3.0 Vulcan V6 from 1990, and the GT had a 145 hp turbocharged 2.2 with four-wheel disc brakes and ABS. NHTSA gave the 1991 four stars in the front crash test for both front seats.

The 1993 redesign shared its under-structure with the Mazda MX-6 and 626. Mazda engineered the engine, transmission and chassis; Ford did the body and interior. Engines were a 118 hp 2.0 four and a 164 hp 2.5 V6, and the gearbox was a manual with five speeds or an automatic with four. The 1994 was among the first production cars with dual air bags as standard, and it scored five stars for the driver in the front crash test. Output fell from 119,769 cars in 1993 to 16,821 in 1997. Ford announced the end on March 17, 1997, and the third Probe it had planned became the 1999 Mercury Cougar.

What fails, system by system

Motorized shoulder belts, 1990-1992

Seat belts draw 512 of the Probe's 1,192 complaints, and most of them are on the first generation: 277 of 323 on the 1990 and 139 of 177 on the 1991. The automatic shoulder belt rides a rail, and the rail can wear until the cable that pulls the buckle jams in it. Recall 96V172 covers 224,000 1990-1992 cars. Dealers replace the driver-side track and any passenger track that has quit; NHTSA files the recall as two entries, one for each side. An earlier campaign, 91V016, fixed a weak spot weld in the belt retractor bracket on 7,700 1991 cars. Owners describe a belt frozen partway along its track, and on one car with 182,000 miles, both retractors dead.

Rear calipers, 1993-1994

On the second generation, hydraulic brakes are the top complaint area for the 1993 (43) and 1994 (29). The write-ups point at the rear calipers. One 1993 GT owner had both rear calipers seize twice, even after a dealer rebuilt them. Another blamed the handbrake pivot-pin seal, which wears out early and lets moisture corrode the caliper's needle bearings. NHTSA lists no recall for it.

The automatic, 1994-1997

Power train complaints total 93, with 28 on the 1994. A 1994 GT owner said the automatic downshifted on the highway and shed almost 15 mph in seconds. A 1997 owner reported a flashing overdrive light, then harsh shifting and lost power. Owners call the gearbox a CD4E or a Mazda 626 unit; Wikipedia lists only a four-speed automatic, so we can't confirm which.

Timing belt tensioner, 1997

Recall 98V206 covers 5,700 1997 Probes. An external spring in the timing belt tensioner can break and catch in the belt, which can stall the engine. Dealers inspect the tensioner and replace it if needed. Engine and cooling complaints lead the 1997, 12 of its 27.

Four smaller recalls

• 89V159: throttle levers bent at assembly on 2,900 1990 cars, so the throttle might not return to idle
• 93V058: the liftgate strut pivot pin can separate on 3,700 1993 cars, dropping the hatch
• 93V169: the passenger air bag can pull loose and bend its bracket after a deployment, 217 1994 cars
• 96V090: a visor air bag label missing the warning against rear-facing child seats up front, 2,740 1996 cars

Year by year

All figures from NHTSA's files, pulled October 10, 2026. The middle column names the component that owners cited most that year. The recall count treats 96V172's two entries as one campaign.

The first four years hold 656 complaints and the last five 536.

Worth putting money into?

Nothing in the records we used puts a price on Probe repairs, so ask a shop for a number, then see what running Probes of your year are listed for. On the second generation, seized calipers and the automatic are the jobs owners write about most. If yours has sat a long time, our guide to cars that have sat for years covers what to look at.

Selling it

• Have the VIN, the mileage and the title ready. No title? See selling without one.
• Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
• Tell us where the car sits and whether all four wheels turn. Seized rear brakes are worth mentioning.
• Keep it in one piece. If the converter, wheels or anything else went missing over the years, flag it.
• Title and keys go with the car. What to do with the plates afterward depends on the state: after you sell.

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