1996 Ford Thunderbird Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Thunderbird years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 233 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Ford Thunderbird. That ranks 2nd out of 9 Thunderbird model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (65 complaints, 28%), typically at around 79,326 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 4 fires, 18 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 233owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Ford Thunderbird problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 65 | 28% | 79,326 | “intake manifold” (37%) | $1,600 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 46 | 20% | 135,125 | — | — |
| Power Train | 21 | 9% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 20 | 9% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 6% | 69,999 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 14 | 6% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 13 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 4% | 123,100 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 4% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 3% | 78,211 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 3% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Ford Thunderbird recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: When in the secondary latched position, the driver door latches may open when subjected to transverse loads less than that specified in fmvss no. 206, "door locks and door retention components."
Risk: The driver's door, when closed only to the secondary latched position, may not sustain a 1,000 pound transverse load.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver door latch.
Equipment:appliance:air conditioner
Problem: Under certain conditions, the climate control blower does not operate as intended. The blower could (1) stick on "high;" (2) operate erratically with blower output varying between no blower and maximum blower; or (3) not operate at all due to malfunction of the temperature control module.
Risk: Blower malfunctions limiting or stopping output can adversely affect windshield defrosting and defogging performance increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will replace the semi-automatic temperature control modules with modules containing revised software.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Air bag flashing code
When driving the air bag light began blinking the horn and cruise control switchesystem stopped working in motion failure of the clock spring
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 ford thunderbird. The contact was driving 30 mph when he noticed an abnormally strong coolant odor. The contact then inspected the vehicle and found that the antifreeze intake manifold had failed. The intact manifold was cracked and causing antifreeze to spill. The…
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford thunderbird. While driving approximately 25 mph with the air conditioner activated the fan blower stopped functioning. The contact stated the failure also occurred when the heat or defroster was activated. The functions would also operate erratically causing the fan…
Opening doors from the inside, little by little, both doors failed to open from the inside, had to leave window or windows open to stick hand out to open door from the outside. Failure of these doors to function properly at some point if battery would give out would leave us locked in, but…
Other Ford Thunderbird years
← 1995 Thunderbird · 1997 Thunderbird →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Thunderbird | 27 | 1 |
| 2004 Thunderbird | 34 | 1 |
| 2003 Thunderbird | 33 | 0 |
| 2002 Thunderbird | 93 | 1 |
| 1999 Thunderbird | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 Thunderbird | 3 | 0 |
| 1997 Thunderbird | 169 | 0 |
| 1996 | 233 | 2 |
| 1995 Thunderbird | 261 | 0 |
See all Ford Thunderbird problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Ford Thunderbird?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic, power train problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 65 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Ford Thunderbird?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Ford Thunderbird a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Thunderbird model years, the 1996 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.