1996 Ford Thunderbird engine and engine cooling problems
65 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine and engine cooling on the 1996 Ford Thunderbird — 28% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 ford thunderbird. The contact was driving 30 mph when he noticed an abnormally strong coolant odor. The contact then inspected the vehicle and found that the antifreeze intake manifold had failed. The intact manifold was cracked and causing antifreeze to spill. The…”
filed Jul 12, 2011
“Defective intake manifold. Ford replaced once, free of charge @ 48,523 miles. Cracked again @ appx. 95,700 miles. Ford refused to replace free of charge. Replaced one defective manifold with one that was just as defective. There was a class action suit on this manifold, it was so bad. *jb”
filed Aug 3, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation tool correct application. *mj
02221 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 11, 2002Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt
870197 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 22, 2002Some vehicles may exhibit an intake manifold crossover (first runner) coolant seepage condition. *tt
0222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 4, 2002Some 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
0214 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 21, 2002Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt
01246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 10, 2001
Engine and Engine Cooling problems in other Thunderbird years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Thunderbird | 3 | 11% |
| 2004 Thunderbird | 5 | 15% |
| 2003 Thunderbird | 3 | 9% |
| 2002 Thunderbird | 24 | 26% |
| 1997 Thunderbird | 54 | 32% |
| 1995 Thunderbird | 49 | 19% |
| 1994 Thunderbird | 61 | 20% |
| 1993 Thunderbird | 171 | 40% |
| 1992 Thunderbird | 27 | 15% |
| 1991 Thunderbird | 14 | 13% |
| 1990 Thunderbird | 11 | 8% |
| 1989 Thunderbird | 13 | 10% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1996 Ford Thunderbird
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.