Faults:

Front brake discs failed (£118.00).

Rear disc calipers. Hand brake kept locking on, (£268.00) each.

Leaked oil into the plug pockets.

Bosch immobiliser ruined the ignition switch (£129.00), and distributor burned out (£587.86).

Bonnet paint broke down, and respray cost £575, as all the original paint had to be removed.

Was off the road from 21/12/97 until 20/1/98.

We part ex-ed this for a new 1.6 litre Hyundai Coupe. The people who had this after us experienced similar expensive repairs.

General Comments:

Had charisma, but was undoubtedly the worst, most unreliable and expensive heap of rubbish we have ever owned.

Should have had a Government health warning on it!!!

Faults:

I have just recently bought my Probe for £300. It had no history which is why I was able to get it quite cheap.

However after 2 weeks of driving it I discovered that that engine cuts out while I am driving. This happens whether the engine is warm or cold. Sometimes very frequently other time infrequently.

Having called & taken to various mechanics they say that it could be a number of things. Most if not all have asked for over £100 just to have a look at it & they have assured me there is no guarantee that they will find the fault.

Can anyone help?

General Comments:

For £300 I think I have got a good deal. Despite 125k on the clock it still sounds sweet. Its quite a drinker giving me 250 miles per tank.

The cabin is clapped out with plastics falling off the dash. No rust on roof though which is a common problem. It smokes when I start it.

Faults:

Boot struts not strong enough to support weight of tailgate. (Common problem).

Cloth on driver's seat bolster worn. (Common problem).

Electric window mechanism (driver's side) failed.

General Comments:

Handles very well, sure footed unlike the Capri. Comfortable driving position with electric lumbar support.

Pretty nippy and surprisingly economical. Very reliable.

Tinted windows and good all round view. Fairly basic with not many gizmo's to go wrong. Large boot for a sports model.

A little cramped in the back, not really a family car. Sleek dashboard.

Had no air conditioning, but switch was present? Cloth seats, I would have preferred the leather version.

Tilt and slide sunroof. Bodywork perfect, no rust at all for an 11 year-old car. Polished up beautiful.

Most Probes suffered problems with immobiliser and distributor, very expensive to replace.

Engine parts can be very expensive, especially from Ford dealer.

Not easy to get in and out of in a tight parking space due to very large doors. Doors are convertible style (no window frames).

Not sure about the standard 'swirl' type alloys. Spoked would have been better.

Standard black wing mirrors would have been better colour coded.

Interior a bit too 'plastic.' The housing on my seat belt buckles broke very easily. Ashtray assembly very flimsy.

Some Probes tend to smoke a lot due to gradual failure of oil seals. Never had a problem with mine.

Pleasing engine 'growl.' Much more apparent on the 2.5 24v version.