1989 Ford Probe Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE ROAD, A CAR PULLED IN FRONT OF ME AND I BRAKED HARD AND MY SEATBELT LOCKED. BUT AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE SEATBELT HAS NEVER WORKED THE SAME. THE SEATBELT DOESN'T LOCK, OR RETRACT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 48,000 MILES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS CAR. I CAN'T EVEN FIND PARTS TO FIX IT BECAUSE THE CAR IS SO OLD. VERY UNSAFE!

AFTER PULLING ALL FUSES IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH VEHICLE OFF, TO CHECK THEM AND PUTTING THEM ALL BACK, VERIFYING SEVERAL TIMES THE CORRECT LOCATION, THE CAR CRANKS BUT NO LONGER STARTS. THERE IS NO SPARK, NO FUEL PRESSURE. IGNITION COIL GETS 12V POWER TO BOTH PRONGS UNTIL CRANKING, THEN LOSSES ALL POWER. 4EAT COMPUTER UNDER THE DASH REPORTS FAULT WITH THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR IS IN GOOD CONDITION AND THIS WAS VERIFIED BY TESTING IT MANUALLY USING A VOLTMETER, A BAD TPS WILL NOT CAUSE A NO START SITUATION ANYWAY. REPLACED THE 4EAT CONTROL MODULE AND NO CHANGE. TRIED PULLING CODES FROM ECM, NO CODES REPORTED. REPLACED ECM, NO CHANGE IN SITUATION. VERIFIED THE FUEL CUTOFF SWITCH WAS NOT TRIGGERED, VERIFIED THE RELAYS ARE WORKING. CAR IS DEAD AND I'M OUT OF MONEY TO FIX IT. IF FORD WOULD MAKE TOOLS LIKE THE BREAKOUT BOX AND 4EAT TESTER AFFORDABLE FOR CONSUMERS THAT WOULD BE GREAT, BUT NO.

THE ENGINE STOPS UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING, CUTTING OUT THE POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING AND MAKING MY FRONT-HEAVY FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR VERY VERY HARD TO STEER AND VERY VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE ENGINE STOPS UNEXPECTEDLY OFTEN, WITHOUT WARNING. I THOUGHT THIS WAS TIED TO THE IGNITION SWITCH, BUT CHANGING THE SWITCH AND WIRING DID NOT HELP. AT THE SAME TIME OF THIS PROBLEM, THE IGNITION SWITCH STOPPED TURNING ON THE STARTER, BUT WILL LET THE ENGINE RUN. *TR

THE CAR VIBRATES TERRIBLY FROM THE FRONT END SINCE NEW. ALL NINE TIMES I TOOK IN DURING THE FIRST YEAR, WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NORMAL. I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER AND DID NOT MENTION MY WARRANTY, AND I WAS GIVEN A $10,000 ESTIMATE TO REPAIR. FORD STILL REFUSED TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY. IT TURNS OUT THE FRONT AXLES ARE DEFECTIVE AND NOT MADE BALANCED. REPLACING THEM AFTER THEY DESTROYED THE FRONT CV JOINTS SOLVED THE PROBLEM, BUT FORD GOT AWAY WITH A RIP OFF AND I SUFFERED FOR SIX YEARS AND 60,000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1989 FORD PROBE GT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.