93-95 Ford Probe

Maxim

Just wondering if anyone has one of these.
Planning on purchasing one in a few weeks and was
wondering how satisfied you are with them. If
someone would be so kind as to list the pros and
cons.
By the way, I'm looking into the 5speed model.
Thanks.

mzn

This is a good time to highlight our Search feature. Knowing that the Ford Probe is one of the cars that is sometimes classified as a hatchback (because it has a hatch) and othertimes as a coupe (because it has two doors and is "sporty,") I did a search of Conferences and Topics for the word "Probe."

Sure enough, I found a discussion in the Coupes area that I think will answer some questions for you. Other discussions were listed as well. Try it and see.

Of course, we're still interested in hearing from current Probe owners here in this topic! Can anyone share his own experience?

Esteban

My mother owned a loaded 93 probe GT,I drove it a few times and it was sure a fun car to drive.She had some thing go wrong with the computer on it within the second year she had it,the dealer took
care of it.She traded it in for a Jeep Wrangler the following year.I ran into an old friend of mine a while back and he purchased a used 93 Probe GT and was very unhappy with it.It had about 60K on it and he claimed the alternator went out on it and the price for a new one is VERY expensive, somewhere around 600 bucks?He also had to replace his front wheel brake disks and they where very expensive also.He claimed all parts for the Probe
are expensive cause they are all MAZDA parts.

ppete

i got a '94 probe gt n yes, all parts for this sucker will cost u more then any other car in this car's price range. i've been quoted outrageous prices for OEM replacement spark plug wires(which seem to be lousy on the probe) n break rotors n other maintenance parts. even tires for this sucker is expensive. but, on the good side, for the same price as Motorcraft replacement parts, u can get performance parts. for instance, rather then purchase new break rotors from Motorcraft, or any other usual source, i went w/ cross drilled rotors for the same amount of money($60 each). but i have to agree, this is an expensive car to upkeep, n if it didn't look so damn cute, i'd ditch mine a long time ago.

jmill

I HAVE a 1993 probe 4cyl, 5-speed. I brought it used 14 mos ago. In the beginning, it had a stalling problem. The dealer could not figure it out. It would only happen in very warm weather.
The cure was to rev the engine very high for about
five minutes. Now it does not happen anymore. The exhaust system has been replaced from the cat. converter to the muffler, it was only 195.00 installed. It moves pretty well and is great on gas. I am looking to add a few more ponies. Any ideas?

sitel19

I bought a 93 Probe GT in December and I like it, but I've had a few problems. The a/c was running water in to my passenger seat, but the drain was just plugged. I got a history on the car from the place it was serviced before I owned it and they also had this problem. I also am noticing how much everything costs for this thing. I need to get my front brakes replaced soon, any suggestions on good brakes and why?

enigma23

Try Metal Master pads from Axxis. They are an aftermarket maker of OEM style brake pads. I have had them on my 96 Probe GT for about 7 months now and they are ALOT better than the factory brake pads the car came with. Basically I replaced the OEM pads at 21,000 miles because they gave the pedal a soggy feel and after repeated stops the brakes started to fade. With the Metal Masters, the soggy feel of the pedal is gone, the brakes do not fade after repeated hard braking, the car stops shorter and with less effort. Also, they are not to expensive. They are about $60 for a set of 4 pads for the front. Most performance suppliers carry them as well as some local parts stores.

bjmeyer

I have a 95 PGT, and overall am very pleased with it. There have been problems with the door handle springs (inside the door) popping off and denting the doors from the inside out. Ford fixed it under warranty, but out of warranty could be a problem. Pre 95 versions have had problems with corrosion of a pivot bolt in the rear brake causing the parking brake to lock up (with the brakes on. And the interior is the most rattle prone car I've had in many, many years.

But it looks great, sounds great, and is a blast to drive.

mzn

"Looks great, sounds great, and is a blast to drive" sounds good to me! Thanks for the report, bjmeyer!

carlady/host

rschott

93 Probe GT with 115K miles. Problem, Check Engine warning light comes on after 3 miles of driving. Turn the engine off and the light stays off for another 3 miles. MPG has decreased by 4. So far a local shop has replaced the oxygen sensor and cooling sensor. Problem persisted and then the car quit running. This time they replaced the cranking sensor and the complete distributor assembly. No change, after the 5th time in their shop they gave up. Ford dealer has now replaced the air charge sensor and the valve cover gasket assembly. They said that an oil leak was fouling my new oxygen sensor. Total cost so far $2,581.40. Problem, the Check Engine warning light comes on after 3 miles driving. Any suggestions?

haylee

I've been considering purchasing a 93 Probe (Not the GT) from a friend. The car has 54k miles and the owner said that so far she has not encountered any mechanical problems. I've heard that this car is fun to drive but as I read the messages posted above it seems that the Probe may have some costly maintenance problems. (Not that any other type of car doesn't have its own problems.) Does anyone highly recommend this car or would you say that there are better alternatives for this age and mileage?

Thanks!!!

bjmeyer

Brand new, never used Borg Warner premium plug wires, in the box. I paid $120 for these for my 95 PGT, which someone else courteously totalled for me before I could put them on. I'd like to get $100, and I'll include shipping in that price.

Please e-mail me at meyer_b@rocketmail.com

Thanks.

darwin

i am looking into buying a 94'to 96' probe but I have not heard to much about these cars and would like to get some opinions on them.

enigma23

Good cars but watch out for premature steering rack wear out as well as misaligned synchros(5-Speed models), as well as rattles. Probe's are extremely rattle prone expecially the dashboard and hatch area.

syla

I'm also looking into a 93 probe gt, so if anyone has any strong for or against arguements, i'd be very grateful. It's my first car (graduation present) and i'm really excited about it. I've heard mixed reviews, so should i go for it?

enigma23

a 93 I would not go for unless the previous owner kept really good repair records and the repair records show good reliability.

tffkap

I was wondering if anyone knows the specific torque and hp numbers for a 95 probe gt. 24v v6. Also top speed, o-60 times, etc. Any info would help! Thanks

bmonahan

I own a 94 PGT manual trans - the 94-97s are identical interms of power output (acording to Ford.)

peak hp - 164 at the crank, about 133 at the wheels

peak torque - 160 at the crank

0-60 - everyone seems to have it pegged at 7.5 sec
1/4 mile - I've seen anywhere from 15.8 - 15.3.

I love the car and have very few problems other than the "normal" problems all 93-95 PGT owners typically have! (bad plug wires, locking parking brake level, rattles.) It's a reasonably quick car with a very high "fun-to-drive" factor.

vidgeek

I agree with enigma23 about some of the Probe's shortcomings. I have a '95 GT and the steering rack is starting to make popping sounds on hard turns or quick switchbacks. I had it looked at but all looked well. The rattles in the hatch are annoying and in my case, are related to the hatch lock.

enigma23

I installed a rear strut brace in my 96 Probe GT about a week ago and it has a made a noticeable difference. The rear end definately feels tighter, more solid, and the amount of rattles from the hatch area have decreased.

hbund216

Looking at a 93 Probe. Any experiences with 93 probes with 4 cylinder engines? This one has about 83,000 miles. Any problems with the front axles?

rollerfunk

...A 4 cylinder Probe? Performance, handling and lookin' are just "horrendous". Get the GT, they cost just a little bit more than the SE 4cyl. I know somebody who bought an SE and now he is very unhappy with his ride. He paid $11k! for a 95 Probe with 75k miles...no comments!

enigma23

Where is everyone??? They got rid of the Probe Topics in the Coupes conference, so now everyone should be in here talking about Probe's!!!!!

rjsitton

I own a 93 probe, GT. Car is definitely fun to drive. Had a water pump go out at 70K miles, just replaced. Ford installed a new AC compressor at about 30K, I think I'm about to put in its third at 78K. CV joints are going bad (a low rattling sound when accelerating and turning). But I've heard that that might be covered under a Factory extended warranty... anyone?

Also, mine is "Teal" (light metallic blue) color. The paint has started to "dissolve" in two spots on the hatch. It's allot more than normal oxidation, it's actually gone almost down to the metal. I've seen two other 93-96 probes with the same paint that have the same problem. Anyone have Probe paint experience?

campout

To answer some of your questions, I own a '95 Probe GT and the only problem it has had was with the electrical system not holding a charge, drained the battery and everything, but that was taken care of under warranty. The car itself has been a pleasure to drive, with Ford still made them. It only has 30k on it, has never seen snow. The color is Rio Red and no fading or discoloration. When it is waxed, it looks great!

Paul

enigma23

Only major problem was ford rebuilt the tranny at 38K miles on my 96 PGT 5-speed. Some my fault some manufacturer's fault. Other than that most of the problems under warranty were minor like rattles and window adjustments. 45K miles later the paint is still basically perfect. Except for minor scratches and chips on the front end from flying debris. The black paint on my car still shines and still has it's luster. No cracking or fading.

mcdc

I have a '95 GT and love it. A friend has a '90 GL(When I drive it, it is like driving a truck compared to the GT).

My friends has a couple problems that has me baffled. Both occur when in gear. It has an automatic transmission. When in drive and you hit about 1200 rpm or above there is a ticking in the area of the throttle position sensor(the ticking sounds like a cracked plug boot that is arching, but the plug wires are fine.)

The second problem is at a stop with the brakes applied and in any gear except park or neutral the front of the car shakes and shakes the steering wheel. I think this might be engine mounts. the car has 130K on it. does anyone have any suggestions?

urbanek

95 Probe GT at 70,000 mi showed oil in spark plug wells, fouling of spark plug wires etc. Replaced for $300 parts and labor. The original gasket material was hard, near to brittle.

Steering has a clanking sound when first started and cold out. After some minutes of operation it subsides, has been looked at but no solution.

Love the car, my second Probe

chrism10

My Probe just had engine and transmission gaskets replaced, along with the transmission pan/hose replacement kit. In addition, I've replaced an engine sensor, heat pump, fan motor, battery, alternator and timing belt, and the "spark plug" wires arched last year. It has a leaky valve on the rack & pinion steering ($800 since they don't have a replacement for the seal) and the car now thumps when I accelerate between 10 and 40 mph. Any ideas -- besides trading it in?

Oh, and I left our the burning rubber smell that's emitted from the heater - since 11,000 miles. Great car -- please note that Ford officially told me my car is not a lemon.

only1harry

Of course they 're going to say that.
Sure sounds like a Lemon to me. Too bad they were able to fix most of the problems the first time or right away. You could 've had a new car. Lemon laws should also include "the frequency at which parts break down" instead of just how many times you have to go back for the "same" failure/part..
That's too bad, I feel sorry for you.
Looks like the car is not under warranty anymore and you're still having problems like bad smells and thumping sounds, etc. I 'd trade it if I were you. I mean you 've had all kinds of problems like electrical, mechanical, gaskets, smells, noises, what are you waiting for? I 'd be scared the tranny or the motor might go any minute..
It's these stories I hear all the time that keeps me from buying American sorry to say. I like the Probe a lot but reliability is always #1 for me.
I hope those Cobra owners that filed the class action suit against Ford win big..

chrism10

sad thing is, it is a Japanese car. It's a Mazda MX6 with Ford parts

ragtop99

bebob.... I owned a 94' PGT and also really loved the car. I miss the torque that engine provided. Regarding the bad distributor. I had the same thing happen to me. The car was out of warranty (45,000 miles, as I recall) and the dealer replaced it free of charge. They said it was covered under the emmisions control system warranty which is more miles and years than the standard warranty. I don't remember the details. You might want to check into that. That was the only problem I had with the car before selling it with 60,000+ miles.

bebob

Thanks for the info about your distributor. Unfortunately, the federal emissions warrenty is for 5 yr./50,000 mi. (I've had the car 5 1/2 years). I called two Ford dealers and they both said that the distributor was NOT part of the emissions system. The warrenty book says it is. Oh well, it's a moot point now...

marvin_k

And it was hell!

I think I had the one that was making the circuit around the car shows at the end of 92. As soon as I got it I noticed bad build quality. Ran fine for a while but had many warranty claims. Leaks, the exhaust system fell off, power seats never worked right, etc. As soon as the warranty wore off the real expensive parts started to fail, O2 sensor, idle sensor, brake calipers rusted out (not the disks, the calipers, >300 dollars each). Noticed more looming problems and decided to trade it in. If you want a zippy little hatchback, buy an Acura Integra. Not quite the low end grunt but much better engineering / build quality.

jay88

I need help finding listings for '93 ford probe v6 2.5 liter engines. If anyone can help, please e-mail me at Blaze122180@aol.com, or please post info in Town Hall. Thank You

malibublue

Hello,
I used to own a 95 Probe GT, till I wrecked it in 1997. I kept many of the parts in hopes of buying a new one, but the 97 models were stripped down (no power antenna, lighted visor vanity mirrors, door side moldings, etc.)

I have the original probe floor mats in grey (with the "Probe" embroidered o n them), K&N airfilter (about 300 miles on it, basicaly new),
and the instrument cluster, (showing about 40K miles I think)

I'll take the best offer for these parts if intertested.

angefran@isu.edu

Frank

pjuhring1

How much do you think I can get for a red, black interior '95 Probe, A/C, CD player, power steering, a/l brakes, 26000 miles. Inside is clean, there's a small dent in back bumper, small dent in left rear fender, and the driver side door was backed into. That is fixed, you can't even tell it was hit unless you look at an angle or you know it's there. I paid 7800 for it, and it is still in same condition, Plus I added cd player. I'm hoping for atleast 7500. Thanks for any replies.

angiew

We just bought a 89 Probe for my daughter. It has 129,000 miles on it with 61,000 on the engine. Has anyone had these cars farther than this mileage?

kells70

I have a 94 Probe GT loaded with 47,000 miles on it. It's breaking my heart, but with 2 kids I have to get rid of it. The car is in perfect condition and runs like a dream. What would be a good asking price for this car?

angiew

Has anyone been able to get rid of the vibration on the Probes when at a stop?

chas45

I have a ’93 probe GT with about 130,000 miles. It has been average in repair quality. Much better than a VW I had, but not as good as the Toyota and Honda. Let’s see if I can remember what I have done to it (I’m going from memory here):

10K: Had ford rebuild the cylinder head under a hidden warranty.
15K: Driver’s door inner panel did not stay snapped down. Complained to dealer and they did not fix it. Eventually this caught on the carpet and tore the bottom half of the panel off. Ford did not want to have anything to do with fixing this, and a new panel costs $400. I used small sheet metal screws and duct tape to put it back together and keep it from coming un-snapped.
80K Clutch started to go out, and completely failed at 100K. Not unusual for my driving.
Changed the timing belt at 80K (20K after it was required). Belt still seemed to be in good operating condition. This was expensive
80K Changed the valve cover gasket – like everyone else, it was leaking and ruined the spark plug wires. This was very expensive.
100K Changed the CV joints because the boots had worn out, and it is just as easy to replace the whole assembly.
90K. A/C clutch failed. I was told it would cost $2000 to repair the system (several things were leaking), so I still don’t have A/C.
120K: new water pump – original one was leaking.
120K: oil pressure gauge reads low. Compression checks out OK, but it burns about one quart per 700-900 miles. Hmm, someone said these cars could last 200,000 miles, but with oil changes every 3-4000 miles my car won’t last that long.
80K Exaust pieces began wearing out. When the pipe between cat and muffler wears out, the cat will drag on the ground and the car will be undrivable (unless you want to destroy the cat).
Right tail light fills with water. A ford Lighting engineer told me this is a common problem with Probes.


Other: Rewired the fog lights to allow them to turn on when I wanted them to, not when engineers wanted them to. Put Redline synthetic fluid in the transmission (shifts a bit smoother and adds lots of protection). Changed struts to Tokiko illumina 5-way adjustables at 30K. Much much better than stock. Car rides smoother and bottoms out less.

Rear brakes: When I had the rear brake pads replaced as 70K, the shop told me that both rear calipers had rusted and frozen, and I needed two by new ones (big bucks). The car drove fine, and I had a hard time believing this. Reading the Factory repair manual, I found that Ford hid the piston retracting screw under a fake bolt head. I saved $600 by telling the shop how to do my brake job. If a shop tells you the rear calipers are frozen, they may not know how to find this screw.

All in all, it hasn’t been a bad car. My biggest problem with the car is the A/C, and the fact that it costs at least $400 to have anything done under the hood. That big 4 cam engine is shoe horned in there, and you have to take a lot of stuff apart to reach whatever is wrong.

harbachj

The clear coat on my wife's 94 PGT is failing in a number of spots. Color is teal mist, but I don't think that matters with the clear coat. I noted a number of posts that indicated similar paint problems. Has anyone with a similar problem gone to Ford and gotten some satisfaction? Overall this has been a good car and I would like to keep it a few more years, but I can't justify paying for a new paint job.

corradom

I have a 95 Probe SE with 34K miles and the trans went out! I am not the original owner and my mechanic said perhaps the odometer was rolled back. Anyone else ever heard of a trans going out on 34K? What is the deal with Overdrive- should it be OFF at all times unless driving on highway? Could I have been the culprit?

gcb922

I have a '95 Probe GT (purchased new), '89 Jeep Wrangler, '91 Range Rover, and a '97 F-150. And I the Probe is by far my favorite. I had a bad (leaking) steering rack that was replaced under warranty, oxygen sensors (warranty), and bad fog light enclosure that was also replaced under warranty. Other than that, I havn't had any problems at all.

Everything else that has required the Probe to be in the shop for has been standard maintenance (cv boot was replaced)

I couldn't imagine having purchased a better performing car for the money. I highly recommend getting one.

The '95's are probably the best year as there are some issues with the '93-94 that got worked out (rear brake calipers freeze and buggy distributors) and they don't have all the extra emissions stuff that the '96-97 have making them a bit harder to work on (if you enjoy taking car of your car)

adelturco

Concerning the creaking, bending noise coming from the rear. Check the hatch. The hatch tends to creak with body flex. The fix is relatively expensive for what it is, as with all things concerning this car, but probably cheaper than the steering rack. Should be ~$100.

mbleznyk

I'm trying to price out my 90 gt, its fully loaded with the 4 cyl turbo, minus a sunroof. in acar pricing guide over the net, it has a "prefered equipment package" listed on the option list, which makes it worth $2800 more?!

How do i know i have this?

My gt is black/turbo,rear wiper,service board, power windows, locks ,brakes, automatic, etc.

please help, need to know how much to sell it for, it is in mint showroom condition. Body and interior are perfect, let me know!!!

mzn

mbleznyk, have you visited our Used Cars area? You can use the information there to help price your car. Our information goes back to 1990.

Bear in mind however, that there are regional variations to price. Take a look at your local paper and see what cars like yours are selling for in your area. And please, let us know how things go for you.

carlady/host

lanir304

I'm looking to by a '93 Probe.
From what I know they have not had any any problems at all with the car and don't really want to sell it but they just don't need it anymore.
Was wondering if anyone would recommend buying it or if they would not recommend it.
Thanks

jnowski

I bought a new 93 Probe GT, loaded, in June of '92. I sold it in October of '99 with 127,000 mi. on it to a friend of mine. Other than regular maintenance, I replaced the spark plug wiring at about 36,000 Mi. The brakes were done, finally, at 110,000 mi. and my friend has replaced the water pump at 127,000 mi. The car was a joy to drive and own for me, and my friend loves it. Hope this helps you.

hyskyp

Just thought I'd share my '93 PGT experience.
Bought it used from a dealer in 02/99 with 42K
miles, my odometer now reads 56K.

2 weeks after I bought it the engine started
shutting off under hard acceleration and sometimes
even when cruising. I searched the net and found
the distributor to be the likely cause. Dealer
replaced free of charge. This solved the problem.

What is beginning to concern me now is an ever
louder knocking sound from the engine - I'm
guessing it's carbon buildup on the VALVES (???) -
has anyone had this and if so, is there some
inexpensive fix like a fuel additive or something?

I HAVE NOT HAD the other problems that I read
about in this conf - like the Spark plug wires or
Rear calipers.

I love the car. I call it Proberarri for its
stunning looks (in spite of the fading paint),
great handling and very decent performance.

Check out http://pupak.webjump.com for some
pictures and racing/autocrossing stories.

ecidemon

If you have carbon buildup on a car that Red-Lines at 7,000 RPM and you drive it like a "proberarri" then You have some problems.
Did you ever think of checking the oil??