The 1990 Ford Probe has 9 recalls, the most serious being a throttle that can stick and fail to return to idle, leaving the driver unable to reduce engine power and potentially losing control of the vehicle.
The throttle concern affects vehicles with the 3.0-litre engine, where the throttle lever may have been bent during assembly. On the occupant safety side, the automatic motorized shoulder belts on both the driver and passenger sides share a common defect: the belt track rail can wear down until the cable that moves the buckle jams in place, leaving the shoulder belt unable to function in a crash. Three recalls address emissions compliance on 3.0-litre models. The throttle position sensor can wear prematurely and interrupt its signal, carbon monoxide levels in 3.0-litre automatic transmission models can exceed the allowable standard, and catalysts on certain vehicles may release exhaust emissions above the permitted level. There is also a lighting compliance issue where the daytime running lights switch off whenever a turn signal is activated.
