We found the following complaints for FORD THUNDERBIRD (1988)
Read complaints for FORD THUNDERBIRD (1988)
Alternatoroverheated, and has been replaced four times due to an electrical shortage withinignition switch.two dealers had differing openion about the problem.the consumer believes something within the vehicle's design excites the electrical changing system.
While driving thealternator caught on fire.
While driving the alternator caught onfire. Dealer said it was defective wiring in the alternator. *ml
There is brass or copper ring that are in the steering fall apart peice fall out and horn don't work.tt
Bought car frm old lady who rarely drove it. After bought noticed frnt end clunk all speeds replaced struts clunk stillthere replaced strut bearings and all bushings in front end.clunking still there rear end clunking bad when put into gear and when car shiftsreplaced rear shocks....still there ....at front also ...was told by santa maria ford the front clunk is from the rear somewhere?...i finally found it in steering rack the rod ends were dry (no lube from factory) the ball sockets in them were just short of a wreck wear wise ....replaced them and behold no clunk from front....rear still clunks to this day.recall for ing switch after this was replaced the enging surgesand sometimes stalls at speed and idle the dealer (jim burke in bakersfield) says its my problem and they could check it out for $$$$$ i had payed them for diagnoses and they said it needed injector cleaned @495.00for #4 inj.well i installed new one for $40.00 and price of gasketscar passed smog but still surges at all speeds..........the seat belt buckle stopped latching about the time of ingnition recall ford said tuff luck go to a junkyard
Consumer was driving and pulling into a parkinglot and there was a burn/ electrical smell,but no smoke. Consumer turned to startvehicle back up, andnothing would happen. A mechanic found that ignition switch burned out from overheating.recall 96v071000/ manufacturer's recall 95s28 was serviced in january 1997.
When starting vehicle jumped/halt also key gets hot. *sd
The dealership paul o'baugh staunton has had the car for 26 days and the car has not been worked on for 21 days and now the dealership will be taking the rental car. Please give more information.
After the repairs were completed the car would start cutting and sparks in the steering column from the bottom half way down to the column, other dayafter being parked for 5mins. The car started cranking itself and then caught fire on the floor on the driver side.
After having recall repair work done three months ago, the vehicle would not start and the ignition was starting to get hot recall#96v071000. New ignition switch was replaced at no charge to consumer.
Had received recall notice 96v071000 in the mail. Contacted dealer. Had the ignition repaired at dealer. Problem with smoking occurred. Took vehicle back & paid for another ignition. Having the same problem with smoking of the ignition.
Ignition switch was recalled in 1999. Car was returned to ted britt ford for compliance.invoice states pn f29z-11572d installed.ignition switch failed 8/17/02 engine running fine but abs inop-loss of brake power boost not just anti lock.defective switch found to be pn f29a11572da not f29z11572d as stated on recall invoice.per jerry's ford parts dept these part numbers interchange.the removed part showed signs of melting and charring.
The ignition short circuts and the whole car filled with smoke. Please describe.
Before recall repair work was completed vehicle experienced failure of the ignition switch which destroyed vehicle due to fire.
Electrical short or shock in the ignition switch, causing the switch to melt had to replace the switch twice.
Ignition switch is causingvehicle to stall out inmiddle of traffic when driving at various speeds.
When the key was turned in the ignition steering column started smoking. This was due to the defect described in the ignition recall 96v071000. However, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin.
Vehicle destroyed in a fire, due to faulty ignition.
Received recall notice for ignition switch, had ignition switch replaced aug.22, 1996.dec 6, 1996 car parked in garage for half hour,heard a noise,car was in flames.fire department said it seemed to be electrical. Vehicle was totaled, vehicle is at a salvage lot.
Ignition switch fire prior to recall.
Purchased car used,the electrical system burned up , took to dealer is only going to replace the the ignition switch # 96v071000.consumer received recall and took car to dealership, dealer informed consumer that the ignition switch had burned wires through the steering column to the wire harness behind the dashboard, ford wanted to total vehicle and offer consumer a very low price, consumer owed much more than what was offered so consumer requested to have vehicle repaired, ford denied request and stated the only thing they would do is replaced the ignition switch, not the other damages, when consumer recieved vehicle from dealership it had 2 cracks in the dash, broked odometer reading frame, engine noises over radio frequency, wires hanging below the dash, and lights began flickering, battery had failed two times, a mechanice stated that there was a short somewhere causing battery to drain.clutch failed.
The vehicle has had a recall on the ignition switch. When the first failure on the switch occurred there was no brake power and instrument panel gauges or turn signals. After recall failure happened again with same consequences, loss of brakes and gauges, with overheating of the ignition switch causes the wire harness in the steering column to burn.
Alternatoroverheated, and has been replaced four times due to an electrical shortage withinignition switch.two dealers had differing openion about the problem.the consumer believes something within the vehicle's design excites the electrical changing system.
This switch was replaced w/ recall @ dealer! called dealer, wouldn't do anything because of time lapse.same problem as recall!they replaced a faulty electrical element with another faulty electrical element (i have switch) and let me drive away, 7 months pregnant! (plus, my baby & i were on the road late when event occurred.shorted everything, smoked us out, disconnected battery to stop fire ignition, by myself w/ only lighting a sparking column inside!connected again & it reset so we could get home, but had no brakes (booster is electronic) called dealer after recall install because when i'd turn the key, wouldn't "seat" properly in ignition.said, "don't worry about it, it's just breaking in"exact words--"it will learn your key assembly" was that suppose to happen before or after it burned to the ground?? i got no help from the dealer here in plant city, florida.
Vehicle caught on fire while parked.contacted dealer. Reason unknown.
Driving when experienced an electrical short which caused a fire.
Wiring to hoods courtesy light insulation worn away, causing fire. *dh
Wiring harness underhood caught fire and had to be replaced.
Wiring harness underhood caught fire and had to be replaced.
Car off. Fire under hood due to electrical short-per fire dept.
The vehicle caught on fire while it was parked. The fire started under the hood. Please describe.
Headlights and fog lights go out intermittently:immediately, or up to 20-30 minutes after turning them on, has almost caused several accidents.. Have replaced 3 turn signal/bright light switches, due to them overheating and melting. When headlights go out, interior fills with burning plastic smell, but no fire.almost every power accessory inside car doesn't work, or only works sometimes.driver's power seat sometimes shorts out and has a burning smell:no fire detected.at times, interior of car fills with burning plastic smell so strong that you have to exit the car:have not been able to find the source of overheating/smoldering, no fires. Abs brakes fail when stopping suddenly.brakes lock and car skids, steering very difficult when brakes lock.
Bought car frm old lady who rarely drove it. After bought noticed frnt end clunk all speeds replaced struts clunk stillthere replaced strut bearings and all bushings in front end.clunking still there rear end clunking bad when put into gear and when car shiftsreplaced rear shocks....still there ....at front also ...was told by santa maria ford the front clunk is from the rear somewhere?...i finally found it in steering rack the rod ends were dry (no lube from factory) the ball sockets in them were just short of a wreck wear wise ....replaced them and behold no clunk from front....rear still clunks to this day.recall for ing switch after this was replaced the enging surgesand sometimes stalls at speed and idle the dealer (jim burke in bakersfield) says its my problem and they could check it out for $$$$$ i had payed them for diagnoses and they said it needed injector cleaned @495.00for #4 inj.well i installed new one for $40.00 and price of gasketscar passed smog but still surges at all speeds..........the seat belt buckle stopped latching about the time of ingnition recall ford said tuff luck go to a junkyard
Incomplete manifold gasket caused leak/engine to overheat. *dh
I have had this car in the shop 3 times for this same problem and because no codes are showing, the shop cannot detect what the problem is.when sitting in traffic and the engine speed in creases to 3,000 rpm's, i'm having to apply the brakes as hard as i can to stop the car from lurching forward.believe me, if i were to take my foot off the brake, i would literally be driven into the rear of the car in front of me.it seems to me this is a recurring problem with this vehicle from reading the other customer complaints.this problem is pretty scarey and needs to be addressed.someone needs to advise me what i need to do to get this problem taken care of before someone gets hurt.
Engine compartment fire while the vehicle was parked.
Vehicle fire underhood due to possible engine failure.
Engine compartment fire while the vehicle was parked.
Turbochargergonebad
Smog pump bracket failed. *dsh
Each year for eight years the catalytic converter was replaced , purchased car new . Please describe .
The hi and low air conditioning switch got too hot and burned all the wires and almost caused a fire. Consumer had air conditioning on and smelled smoke turned air off then checked out what the problem was and found wires had over heated and melted to fan switch wire assembly replaced with heavy duty wires by manufacturer at consumer's expense.
Air conditioner leaks.
No repairs yet...haha..just weak brakes,bad paint and wierd speed control...look to the cruise control..to much electrionics in this car man!
When driving at night it's very hard to see, the plastic cover of headlamps has become a milky white color. Consumer has to drive with high beams at all times. In rainy weather the visibility is three times worse.
Front headlights plastic coating visiability is not clear for proper lighting; has only 5o% of headlight candle light power due to poorly used materials.
When the lever is used to recline the driver's seatback, it cannot be repositioned. Also, headlightswould fog up & have very little projection, even with high beams on. Taking vehicle to dealer to check.
Head lights fail intermittently.
Material used for head light lenses become yellow over time, causing reduced visibility.
The headlight lens assembly getsdiscolored and restricts the light. Replaced lens in 1992 and it needs to be replaced again.
Headlight lens made of plastic which in time yellows, causing headlight beams to appear dim.*aw
Headlight coveris plastic which has turned a yellowish color, and has caused headlights to become dim.
Plastic covering onheadlightshave faded to yellow making visibility difficult.owner has to buy whole lighting unit to fix problem.the consumer says it is not reasonable to buy the entire unit to replace an inferior quality covering for the head light.
Switched post on high/low beam dimmer then resumed high position and vehicle started to get hot; however, fuse did not blow.this is the second incident.
Headlight switch and connector melted.(other vehicles on 504408,601598)
Defective fuel pump inside gas tank, gas tank is leaking.tt
Bought car frm old lady who rarely drove it. After bought noticed frnt end clunk all speeds replaced struts clunk stillthere replaced strut bearings and all bushings in front end.clunking still there rear end clunking bad when put into gear and when car shiftsreplaced rear shocks....still there ....at front also ...was told by santa maria ford the front clunk is from the rear somewhere?...i finally found it in steering rack the rod ends were dry (no lube from factory) the ball sockets in them were just short of a wreck wear wise ....replaced them and behold no clunk from front....rear still clunks to this day.recall for ing switch after this was replaced the enging surgesand sometimes stalls at speed and idle the dealer (jim burke in bakersfield) says its my problem and they could check it out for $$$$$ i had payed them for diagnoses and they said it needed injector cleaned @495.00for #4 inj.well i installed new one for $40.00 and price of gasketscar passed smog but still surges at all speeds..........the seat belt buckle stopped latching about the time of ingnition recall ford said tuff luck go to a junkyard
Fuel tank corroded.
The automatic transmission failed.
Gear shift indicator dose not show the proper gear selection. Owner notes that vehicle may show that it is in drivee but its in reverse.
Purchased car used,the electrical system burned up , took to dealer is only going to replace the the ignition switch # 96v071000.consumer received recall and took car to dealership, dealer informed consumer that the ignition switch had burned wires through the steering column to the wire harness behind the dashboard, ford wanted to total vehicle and offer consumer a very low price, consumer owed much more than what was offered so consumer requested to have vehicle repaired, ford denied request and stated the only thing they would do is replaced the ignition switch, not the other damages, when consumer recieved vehicle from dealership it had 2 cracks in the dash, broked odometer reading frame, engine noises over radio frequency, wires hanging below the dash, and lights began flickering, battery had failed two times, a mechanice stated that there was a short somewhere causing battery to drain.clutch failed.
Driver's side automaticlap/shoulder red release button will not lock properly, causing the buckle to release.
Seat belt buckles are not holding.tt
The female portion of the seat belt buckle on the driver's side is broken.
Bought car frm old lady who rarely drove it. After bought noticed frnt end clunk all speeds replaced struts clunk stillthere replaced strut bearings and all bushings in front end.clunking still there rear end clunking bad when put into gear and when car shiftsreplaced rear shocks....still there ....at front also ...was told by santa maria ford the front clunk is from the rear somewhere?...i finally found it in steering rack the rod ends were dry (no lube from factory) the ball sockets in them were just short of a wreck wear wise ....replaced them and behold no clunk from front....rear still clunks to this day.recall for ing switch after this was replaced the enging surgesand sometimes stalls at speed and idle the dealer (jim burke in bakersfield) says its my problem and they could check it out for $$$$$ i had payed them for diagnoses and they said it needed injector cleaned @495.00for #4 inj.well i installed new one for $40.00 and price of gasketscar passed smog but still surges at all speeds..........the seat belt buckle stopped latching about the time of ingnition recall ford said tuff luck go to a junkyard
Rollover accident causing the drivers side seat belt to became seperated.tt
The drivers seatbelt buckle does not latch and does not work at all. Please explain.tt
Internal spring of driver and passenger seat belts do not latch. Making it inoperative.tt
Belt buckle doesn't lock anymore.buckle has been replaced twice. Consumer will contact the dealer.
Driver's side seat belt buckle failed.i also owned a 1987 t-bird prior to this one that had the same problem.seems to be a recurring problem with the older t-birds.
Driver's front shoulder/lap belt buckles inoperative, when snap male portion into female buckle comes undone.tt
Drivers seat belt buckle failed. *dsh
#ea95-021 the driver and passenger side seat belt buckle broke .tt
Driver seat belt buckle is showing false latching, buckle comes unlatched.tt
.the driver's seat belt buckle will not latch.
Seat belt buckle broken, causing fasten failure.tt
Drivers side seat belt failure, latch on seatbelt failed.tt
Ea95-021 active, front lap/shoulder belt failure retractor won't retract, belts are very loose.tt
In collision seat belt failed; driver hit winshield and steering wheel.
The driver's power adjustable seat shorted out and caused a fire.
When the lever is used to recline the driver's seatback, it cannot be repositioned. Also, headlightswould fog up & have very little projection, even with high beams on. Taking vehicle to dealer to check.
Seatbacks on the front seats would not lock in place upon frontal collision.tt
No repairs yet...haha..just weak brakes,bad paint and wierd speed control...look to the cruise control..to much electrionics in this car man!
Headlights and fog lights go out intermittently:immediately, or up to 20-30 minutes after turning them on, has almost caused several accidents.. Have replaced 3 turn signal/bright light switches, due to them overheating and melting. When headlights go out, interior fills with burning plastic smell, but no fire.almost every power accessory inside car doesn't work, or only works sometimes.driver's power seat sometimes shorts out and has a burning smell:no fire detected.at times, interior of car fills with burning plastic smell so strong that you have to exit the car:have not been able to find the source of overheating/smoldering, no fires. Abs brakes fail when stopping suddenly.brakes lock and car skids, steering very difficult when brakes lock.
Failure on the brakes, causing the consumer to have a accident, the brake pedal went to the floor, the computer system on the vehicle went down.
The front brakes are not catching regularly, the rear brakes catch everytime. Ford says consumer has wear and tear problems, the pump motor is defective. Problem has occurred intermitentlyfor the last four months.
The vehicle lost all brakes and the car would not stop.the vehicle has abs. Please describe.tt
Ignition switch was recalled in 1999. Car was returned to ted britt ford for compliance.invoice states pn f29z-11572d installed.ignition switch failed 8/17/02 engine running fine but abs inop-loss of brake power boost not just anti lock.defective switch found to be pn f29a11572da not f29z11572d as stated on recall invoice.per jerry's ford parts dept these part numbers interchange.the removed part showed signs of melting and charring.
Failure on the brakes, causing the consumer to have a accident, the brake pedal went to the floor, the computer system on the vehicle went down.
Brakes failed 3 times, once resulting in loss of control.
Brakes replaced.
Ignition switch was recalled in 1999. Car was returned to ted britt ford for compliance.invoice states pn f29z-11572d installed.ignition switch failed 8/17/02 engine running fine but abs inop-loss of brake power boost not just anti lock.defective switch found to be pn f29a11572da not f29z11572d as stated on recall invoice.per jerry's ford parts dept these part numbers interchange.the removed part showed signs of melting and charring.
Vehicle went out of control for no apparent reason.tt
There is brass or copper ring that are in the steering fall apart peice fall out and horn don't work.tt
Steering wheel melts and drips hot black substance during hot weather.
Bought car frm old lady who rarely drove it. After bought noticed frnt end clunk all speeds replaced struts clunk stillthere replaced strut bearings and all bushings in front end.clunking still there rear end clunking bad when put into gear and when car shiftsreplaced rear shocks....still there ....at front also ...was told by santa maria ford the front clunk is from the rear somewhere?...i finally found it in steering rack the rod ends were dry (no lube from factory) the ball sockets in them were just short of a wreck wear wise ....replaced them and behold no clunk from front....rear still clunks to this day.recall for ing switch after this was replaced the enging surgesand sometimes stalls at speed and idle the dealer (jim burke in bakersfield) says its my problem and they could check it out for $$$$$ i had payed them for diagnoses and they said it needed injector cleaned @495.00for #4 inj.well i installed new one for $40.00 and price of gasketscar passed smog but still surges at all speeds..........the seat belt buckle stopped latching about the time of ingnition recall ford said tuff luck go to a junkyard
Outer tie rod end broke, causing loss of steering. *dh
Bought car frm old lady who rarely drove it. After bought noticed frnt end clunk all speeds replaced struts clunk stillthere replaced strut bearings and all bushings in front end.clunking still there rear end clunking bad when put into gear and when car shiftsreplaced rear shocks....still there ....at front also ...was told by santa maria ford the front clunk is from the rear somewhere?...i finally found it in steering rack the rod ends were dry (no lube from factory) the ball sockets in them were just short of a wreck wear wise ....replaced them and behold no clunk from front....rear still clunks to this day.recall for ing switch after this was replaced the enging surgesand sometimes stalls at speed and idle the dealer (jim burke in bakersfield) says its my problem and they could check it out for $$$$$ i had payed them for diagnoses and they said it needed injector cleaned @495.00for #4 inj.well i installed new one for $40.00 and price of gasketscar passed smog but still surges at all speeds..........the seat belt buckle stopped latching about the time of ingnition recall ford said tuff luck go to a junkyard
Headlights and fog lights go out intermittently:immediately, or up to 20-30 minutes after turning them on, has almost caused several accidents.. Have replaced 3 turn signal/bright light switches, due to them overheating and melting. When headlights go out, interior fills with burning plastic smell, but no fire.almost every power accessory inside car doesn't work, or only works sometimes.driver's power seat sometimes shorts out and has a burning smell:no fire detected.at times, interior of car fills with burning plastic smell so strong that you have to exit the car:have not been able to find the source of overheating/smoldering, no fires. Abs brakes fail when stopping suddenly.brakes lock and car skids, steering very difficult when brakes lock.
Purchase car new with 62,300 miles the rear wheel bearings are wearing out consumer had the part .tt
No repairs yet...haha..just weak brakes,bad paint and wierd speed control...look to the cruise control..to much electrionics in this car man!
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
Consumer has been having vehicle repaired by dana motors ltd. (718-983-8700) stanten island ny. Since aug. 96, consumer was told that the exhaust needs to be cleaned from the manifold. Vehicle has been in the shop five times for same problem (accelerates unexpectently too many times).
Sudden acceleration, causing accident/injury.
Throttle linkage stuck, causing accident/injury.
The vehicle lurched foward, when the brakes were depressed.
While driving the vehicle the engine would get up and the vehicle would take off without any notice. Driver would have to apply the brakes with all the force she had in her footdriver would take foot off the accelerator, and the vehicle would take off. This has been happening for about several years. Dealer repaired the vehicle and the problem only happens about 1/5 of the time now.
The engine accelerates unexpectedly.
Vehicle surges at intermittent times, varying from 1600 to 2600 rpms.
Dt:this vehicle caught on fire while driving. Contacted ford, and they did notoffer any assistance. It caught fire on october 1, 2000. There was no forewarning. The fire started under the hood. Had mechanic look at vehicle to repair it, and they said it was to far gone.
With the mirror glued to the windshield, an object hit the roofline of the car, causing the windshield to shatter, and at 65mph, the windshield colapsed with the mirror attached, hitting me in the the face, and the mirror edge hit me in the rt side of myhead, breaking my skull, causing bone frgments in my brain, and damage .un related insident in my 92 caravan, a big bird hit my passengerside windshield, and the rearview mirror launched to the back.both could be prevented with a teathering strap to the roof, keeping mirror in the general mounted area, as now all mine are so attached.i also know of another where the mirror flew off in a rear end collision, hitting the driver's head. The mirrors always fall off in this texas heat, in a static position.
With the mirror glued to the windshield, an object hit the roofline of the car, causing the windshield to shatter, and at 65mph, the windshield colapsed with the mirror attached, hitting me in the the face, and the mirror edge hit me in the rt side of myhead, breaking my skull, causing bone frgments in my brain, and damage .un related insident in my 92 caravan, a big bird hit my passengerside windshield, and the rearview mirror launched to the back.both could be prevented with a teathering strap to the roof, keeping mirror in the general mounted area, as now all mine are so attached.i also know of another where the mirror flew off in a rear end collision, hitting the driver's head. The mirrors always fall off in this texas heat, in a static position.
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