Faults:

One headlight holds moisture.

Rust starting on bottom of doors.

Needed shocks.

Door handle broke.

Needed a windshield due to rock chips.

Inner taillights with special bulbs look like they're ready to burn out.

General Comments:

A good car overall, well built and sturdy.

Styling is OK, but is generic and anonymous.

Can be hard to park due to sloping hood.

Interior is good quality overall.

Legroom is just a little cramped with large console.

Seats are comfortable and hold you in place well.

Should have padded armrests on the doors.

A step up from the Escort in every respect.

Acceleration isn't that great, but is adequate once up to speed.

Motor is not too easy to service by yourself.

Faults:

The brake rotors were replaced, but not really needed. The car has been perfect so far.

General Comments:

I was in an accident with my '86 Mercury Cougar LS a while back, and although I loved that car to death, I decided that it was time to invest into a newer car. The Cougar never really gave me problems, but the 19 year old car can nickle and dime you to death. I knew that it was going to take hell freezing over, thawing out, and then freezing over again to get me to part with the Cougar. A friend of mine suggested at looking at 96-97 T-Birds/Cougars. I didn't like the idea, because my Cougar was my baby.

I was driving around the neighborhood one day, and this '96 T-Bird jumped out at me. It was for sale. It was beautiful... practically flawless on the interior and exterior. I knew I had to talk to the owners. So, I met with the owners. They pretty much gave me the keys and told me to be back in an hour. I drove the car around and fell in love with it. When I got back, I told them they had a deal. The car drives as smooth as glass with the performance of a Mustang. The interior is very pleasing to the eye, and very comfortable. This car will deffinitely fill the void that my Cougar left.

The car is perfect. Tons of features... very luxurious and sporty at the same time. You get the luxury of a Cadillac and the sportyness of a Mustang. You cannot go wrong with a '96 T-Bird. The car is very well rounded... a must have. I can't stress enough how wonderful the car is.

I read other reviews on this site, where people had endless problems. I believe that the key is preventative maintenance, and investing in a garage. Those two combined should make the car last practically forever.

Faults:

AT 90K Computer blown. Lower Control arm bushing worn. Leaking Transmission fluid. Transmission slips, started at 80K. Drivers side door handle broken (recall). Blown front passenger side speaker.

General Comments:

Very quick, comfortable car. Cut off exhaust from Res' back and replaced with straight pipes, Sounds good. Handles good.

Faults:

Brake rotors replaced on all 4 wheels.

The power door locks set off the car alarm. Have to lock the car by manually pushing down the lock button.

General Comments:

This is my 3rd Thunderbird. I cannot understand why they weren't more popular when new or why Ford decided to stop making this body style.

I bought this car used with 70,000 miles and now have 103,000. I bought it when I gave my '92 T'Bird to my son when he entered college. His car, with the 3.8 L engine has over 145,000 miles. But back to the '96.

This isn't just a good car, it's a great car. It has every luxury convenience you could want and runs as well as any car I've ever driven. It is more comfortable than my wife's '01 Lincoln Continental and handles as well as or better than any car this side of $40,000. My car, even fully loaded with almost every available option, only listed for about $21,000.

Last year, with almost 90,000 miles on the clock I decided to drive cross country. This car did not use a single drop of oil the entire trip, over 5,800 miles. It gave me a consistent 25mpg and made 800 mile days an absolute joy. The temperature gage didn't budge whether I was driving through the snow covered Rockies or through the 90 degree desert. The sunroof is designed so well that there's almost no noticeable wind noise when open, negating the need for those ugly wind barriers that people install on their roofs. Every power option, electronic control, and instrument works perfectly. And, it has as standard equipment, a complete set of gages instead of those idiot lights. Even Cadillacs, Lexus and Acura, to name a few, do not have full gauges.

This car has been rock solid reliable. Aside from replacing the rotors, and the car alarm starting to act up, there hasn't been a single major problem. I love this car and regret that I can't buy a new American V8 rear drive coupe. What a bargain these cars were. Luxury, comfort, performance, and reliabilty for much less than half the price of the nearest foreign competitor. (There weren't any American competitors unless you consider the Mustang which is a much smaller car.) And in my opinion, the styling is classic. This car looks as good today as it did when new and far better than almost every new jellybean styled car in today's showrooms. Did I say I love this car? Go buy one. You will love it too!