IllustrationTRANMISSION GRINDS AND SLIPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AND LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS. TRANMISSION WAS FIXED ONCE BEFORE BY DEALER. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED NOW.
1994 Ford Thunderbird
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Thunderbird years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 17 of 300 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 92 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
22 crash reports10 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
300 reportsCONSUMER WAS DRIVING 20 MPH AND REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT LOW IMPACT, AND DUAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. INSURANCE COMPANY FEELS AIR BAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED DUE THE LOW AMOUNT OF DAMAGE AND SPEED. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 40-60 MPH . CAR LOSES ALL POWER AND ACTS LIKE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS YOU CAN PUSH SOMETIMES ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO FEEL LIKE IT SLIPS AND THE TACH RPMS GO TO ALMOST 6000 RPM BEFORE THE …
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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 40-60 MPH . CAR LOSES ALL POWER AND ACTS LIKE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS YOU CAN PUSH SOMETIMES ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO FEEL LIKE IT SLIPS AND THE TACH RPMS GO TO ALMOST 6000 RPM BEFORE THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES SHIFT BACK INTO DRIVE. CAR HAS HAD THE MAIN COMPUTER REPLACED TWICE, AND THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY HAS BEEN REPLACED AT THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP PER THEIR ADVICE BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. .........PLEASE TRY TO ADVISE ME OF A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. I HAVE A FRIEND THAT HAS THE SAME MODEL OF CAR AND THE SAME YEAR WHO IS EXPERIENCING THE SAM SORT OF PROBLEM. *AK
VEHICLE O-RING FAILED,DUE TO A CRACK IN THE SENDER PUMP, RESULTING IN LEAKAGE.
TRANSMISSION GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. PROBLEM OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED THE THIRD TIME AT OWNER'S EXPENNSE. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR WHEN IN 1, 2, 3, AND 4 GEAR. *AK
WHEN BRAKES ARE JUST TOUCHED, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GO TO FLOOR BY THEMSELVES THEREBY STOPPING ON A DIME, CONTENTS AND PEOPLE BEING THROWN FORWARD. WE HAVE HAD FORD DEALER CHECK AND THEY "THINK" IT MAY BE MASTER CYLINDER OR VACUUM PROBLEM ,BUT CAN'T REPRODUCE PROBLEM, THEREBY CAN'T FIX. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS BUT …
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WHEN BRAKES ARE JUST TOUCHED, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GO TO FLOOR BY THEMSELVES THEREBY STOPPING ON A DIME, CONTENTS AND PEOPLE BEING THROWN FORWARD. WE HAVE HAD FORD DEALER CHECK AND THEY "THINK" IT MAY BE MASTER CYLINDER OR VACUUM PROBLEM ,BUT CAN'T REPRODUCE PROBLEM, THEREBY CAN'T FIX. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS BUT INCONSISTENT PROBLEM! *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE RPMS GO HIGHER AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO RACE FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES. ALSO, ONE DAY THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCLEERATED WHILE THE FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKES, AND DROVE INTO A WALL, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.