Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1992 Ford Thunderbird, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Exterior lighting40
- Engine and engine cooling27
- Electrical system27
- Service brakes, hydraulic24
- Fuel system, gasoline23
- Seat belts18
- Power train10
- Vehicle speed control6
- Structure4
- Unknown or other4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 10 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1992 Ford Thunderbird failed the safety check 0.96% of the time — 21% less often than the average 1992 passenger car (1.22%). Median odometer at inspection: 87,130 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In Finland
11 of these cars first registered in 1992 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 143,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
1 1992 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1992 Ford Thunderbird.
| 1999193 29 Oct 1999 | Electrical On certain vehicles, the high electrical current flowing through the headlamp switch during simultaneous operation of the headlamps and fog lamps may cause the … |
| 1997193 10 Nov 1997 | Fuel System MOVEMENT OF FUEL LINES, RESULTING FROM NORMAL VEHICLE BODY VIBRATIONS. CAUSES THE NYLON FUEL LINES TO WEAR BY RUBBING AGAINST THE METAL FLOOR PAN. THIS COULD RE… |
| 1995212 29 Nov 1995 | Electrical A SHORT CIRCUIT COULD DEVELOP IN THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT COULD LEAD TO OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN OF THE VEHICLE. THIS CONDIT… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOG LIGHTS, IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS MAY GO OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS AND WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY FLICKERING OR BLINKING AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WEST VIRGINIA. MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL LINES CAUSES THE NYLON FUEL LINE JUMPER TO CHAFE AGAINST THE FLOOR PAN. THIS WEAR CAN CAUSE A PIN HOLE IN THE FUEL LINE RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE.
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 1992 Ford Thunderbird: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 630001 | SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHILE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO LEAK COOLANT AND/OR OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AREA. *TT |
| 625715 | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 623944 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 618546 | SUBJECT REGARDING CLIMATE CONTROL - EATC - BLOWER MOTOR CONTROL SERVICE TIPS. *JB |
| 616522 | SUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE TRAPPED IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING SYSTEM. *TT |
| 615466 | SOME VEHICLES MAY REQUIRE HEADLAMP SWITCH (11654) REPLACEMENT DURING A NORMAL SERVICE VISIT. *TT |
| 615362 | SOME VEHICLES MAY REQUIRE HEADLAMP SWITCH (11654) REPLACEMENT DURING A NORMAL SERVICE VISIT. ENGINEERING IS INVESTIGATING. *TT |
| 612203 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS |
| 6090087 | INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE SAFETY, AND PERFORMANCE CONCERNS IF INSTALLED IN FORD A/C SYSTEMS. *TT |
| 6089681 | SUBJECT ON A WIRE HARNESS TERMINAL REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRING ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESSES. *TT |
| 608431 | INFORMATION ON THE NEW FLUSH AND FILL TOOL AVAILABLE THROUGH ROTUNDA. *TT |
| 606508 | CONDITIONS WITH THE BRAKE LAMPS INADVERTENTLY DISABLING THE BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *TT |
| 606460 | EXPERIENCING A WHINE / BUZZ TYPE NOISE IN THE SPEAKERS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT RADIO OR TWO-WAY RADIO ON VEHICLES WITH AN IN-TANK ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. *TT |
| 606451 | INFORMATION ON "WHINING" / "BUZZING" NOISE COMING THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT OR TWO-WAY RADIO SPEAKER CAUSED BY THE FUEL PUMP. *TT |
| 606420 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY NOW RECOMMENDS SAE 5W-30 VISCOSITY GRADE FOR SERVICING ANY FORD GASOLINE-POWERED VEHICLE REGARDLESS OF MODEL YEAR. *TT |
| 603724 | MASS AIR FLOW (MAF)- SENSOR CONTAMINATION- SERVICE TIP. *AK |
| 601343 | A NEW SILICONE GASKET AND SEALANT. *YC |
| 601341 | EXPERIENCING A WHINING / BUZZING NOISE IN THE SPEAKERS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT RADIO OR TWO-WAY RADIO. *TT |
| 601312 | INFORMATION ON A BUZZING OR RATTLE NOISE FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *TT |
| 601269 | ANNOUNCING THE FORD OEM AIR CONDITIONING RETROFIT KIT AVAILABILITY. *YC |
| 601238 | INFORMATION ON A NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHART. *YC |
| 601012 | THE USE OF PETROLEUM-BASED GREASE AS A LUBRICANT IN SERVICING DISC BRAKES IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE. *YC |
| 53660 | VEHICLES EXHIBITING A "SQUEAKING" OR "CHIRPING" FROM THE BLOWER MOTOR AT LOW BLOWER MOTOR SPEEDS. *YC |
| 51990 | BLOWER MOTOR- "CHIRPING" OR "SQUEAKING" FROM BLOWER MOTOR AT LOW SPEEDS. *JD |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
HEADLIGHT SWITCH
HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT BREAKER
FUEL LINE JUMPER
REAR FUEL LINE INTERFERENCE
THRTTL VLV LINKAGE BUSHING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation