WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP CAUSING MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO LOSE CONTROL AND RUN HEAD ON INTO A PARKED CAR. *TR
1995 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: 15 of 261 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 92 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Steering complaints
13 reportsLOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. (SOMETIMES RITE TURNS TOO). CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO JERK SEVERELY TO THE LEFT OR RITE. *LA
VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OFF. VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND HAD TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
ON TWO OCCASIONS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK ENGINE ROARS, CONSUMER WOULD TAP THE ACCELERATOR AND WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR, FEELS AS IF VEHICLE IS PUT IN NEUTRAL. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT SWITCH ASSEMBLY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER REPLACE 2 O…
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ON TWO OCCASIONS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK ENGINE ROARS, CONSUMER WOULD TAP THE ACCELERATOR AND WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR, FEELS AS IF VEHICLE IS PUT IN NEUTRAL. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT SWITCH ASSEMBLY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER REPLACE 2 O2 SENSORS AND MAF SENSOR. VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT. WHEEL ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. PRFORMED FRONT DISC/ REAR DRUM BRAKE SERVICE. REPLACED FRONT ROTORS AFTER BRAKE JOB DUE TO PULSATION. STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. AT TIMES, VEHICLE WILL NOT SHUTT OFF. RIGHT DOOR LOCK INOPERATIVE. DEALER CAN NOT DUPLICATE. CUSTOMER STATES FLUID LEAK AT REAR END. RIGHT AXLE SEAL REPLACED. PASSENGER HEAD REST RATTLES OVER BUMPS. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE. CONSUMER STATES NOISE FROM SEAT WHEN NO ONE IS SITTING THERE, DEALER STATES THIS IS NORMAL. SEAT TRACK COVERS MISING ONE LAYING IN THE REAR FLOOR. SEAT TRACK COVER REINSTALLED. CONSUMER STATS THERE IS A PINGING NOISE UPON ACCELERATION. DEALER SUGGESTED HIGHER FUEL OCTANE. CUSTOMER STATES BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS LOW. BRAKES OK. FRONT END SHIMMIES AT 50 TO 60 MPH. 4 TIRES BALANCED. DOME LIGHT WILL NOT COME ON WHEN DRIVER OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE PULLED UP. TEMPERATURE AND SPEEDOMOTER LIGHT BURNED WAS INOPERATIVE. DEALER REPLACED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BULBS. COOLANT LEAK UNDER CAR AND WARNING LIGHT IS ON. DEALER FOUND NO LEAKS AND COOLANT LEVEL LOW. CONSUMER STATES MOTOR WILL ROAR AND SHIFT INTO GEAR. DRIVER SIDE HEADLAMP BURNT OUT. HEADLAMP REPLACED. TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN NOT IN OVERDRIVE. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION OIL PAN AND GASKET. *TT
THIS VEHICLE HAS RECIEVED MAJOR SERVICE REQUIRING IN EXCESS OF 60 DAYS OF SHOP TIME, FIVE TIMES ALONE FOR THE TRANSMISSION .
HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING LINE THAT RUNS FROM THE GEAR BOX ACROSS THE UNDERNEATH CARRIAGE OF THE CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE POWER STEERING SHORT RACK, IS CROSSED BY TWO TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. OWNER MADE TEMPORARY REPAIRS AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATI…
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HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING LINE THAT RUNS FROM THE GEAR BOX ACROSS THE UNDERNEATH CARRIAGE OF THE CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE POWER STEERING SHORT RACK, IS CROSSED BY TWO TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. OWNER MADE TEMPORARY REPAIRS AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
POWER STEERING UNIT FAILED.
WHEN DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK, AND SECONDS LATER THE STEERING WOULD GET EXTREMELY LOOSE AND DRIVER WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. HAS SEEN DEALER 5 TIMES. RACK AND PINION HAS BEEN REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
POWER STEERING HAS "FROZEN" MOMENTARILY ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS AND THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES SHUDDERING/VIBRATING WHEN STOPPING.
DURING VEHICLE OERATION AT SPEED OVER 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.*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.
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