1996 Ford Thunderbird LX 4.6 liter from North America

Summary:

A personal luxury/sports coupe that can't be beat for the money!

Faults:

Front brake rotors warped and were replaced along with the pads at 45,000 miles.

Intake manifold apparently cracked and was replaced under the extended warranty at 47,000 miles.

General Comments:

I'm glad I purchased the extended warranty or I wouldn't be as happy with the car as I am.

I love the styling, inside and out. Very comfortable on long trips. Powerful and smooth V-8, excellent handling and a nice ride.

Quality could be better.... Service at the local Ford dealer is poor, but after several tries, they finally get it right.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th December, 2000

1996 Ford Thunderbird LX Sports Coupe 3.8 Litre V6 from North America

Summary:

A great midsize coupe for people that want performance

Faults:

When I first got the car the odometer read 42,000 miles but I found out by a sticker on the door jam that it actually had 64,000 miles on it.

The left headlight is clouded up, I think a motor mount is out.

The tires are not that great they could be better.

General Comments:

A great car to drive especially on the highway. It's not really the fastest car on the road but with a few modifications I think it will be able to hang with the best of them. It has a load of torque but not a lot of HP, I'm just gonna have to change that.

Girls love my car, they think it's cool. I've gotten my car up to 115 miles per hour, it hit 4th gear at 100 mph. Great fun car for anyone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st July, 2000

13th Apr 2001, 15:21

I own a 1995 with the 4.6L. I've owned it since new. I now have 194,000 miles on. This is the best car I've ever owned in 31 years of driving. I feel it has more than adequate torque and power. A very comfortable ride, very competent handling. I never plan to get rid of this car. The reliability has been outstanding, the gas mileage has been great, sometimes 30+.

25th Jun 2003, 18:43

The 1956 Thunderbird will never get 30 mpg. This comment was ridiculous. 17mpg is more like it. The biggest problem with this car is the transmission. I get a shudder in 3rd gear at round 30 mph. I've put special oil in, but it didn't help much. Also the brakes are too small for the size of the car and need to be watched.

1996 Ford Thunderbird LX 2.6 V6 from North America

Faults:

Had a check engine situation resolved without delay, 300 miles on car.

Recently the O/D light came on just after starting the car. Pulled over to the side of the road, shut engine off. About a week later the same situation. Took the car to the dealer, performed TRANS TEST, NO CODES IN SYSTEM AT THIS TIME. Cost $65.00

Advised if situation occurs again to drive with O/D light on to the dealer and keep the engine running. In my opinion this should have been covered.

General Comments:

Would appreciate comments on this condition. Has anyone else had this problem?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 11th July, 2000

25th Mar 2001, 21:00

The O/D light comes on when you press the button on the gear shifter. This causes the transmission to stay at or below 3rd gear. Perhaps you pushed it by accident and the light came on.

5th Aug 2001, 12:45

I have a '96 T-Bird with the 3.8 V6 also, and my Overdrive light comes on every once and awhile and flashes at me. It seems to do this the most often after it has been washed or when its raining, so I'm thinking some sensor is getting wet and malfunctioning. My check engine light comes on about as often to, then it goes off again. I had that problem when my car was still under warranty and the problem ended up being the Mass Airflow Sensor. Don't pay a dealer to have them reset your computer. You can do the same thing by disconnecting the postive cable from your battery and letting it sit for a few minutes and then hooking it back up again.

3rd Sep 2009, 13:40

Actually the one time my 4.6L Tbird did this to me, was when 3rd and 4th gear went out and I had to get a new tranny.