1990 Ford probe tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1990 Ford Probe, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185/70R14 OEM | R14 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 195/70R14 OEM | R14 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 205/60R15 OEM | R15 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
1990 Ford probe wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x114.3 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M12x1.5 |
| Center bore | 59.5 mm |
| Source | bolt-pattern.com |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the Ford Probe, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Ford Probe →
Compatible alternative sizes for 185/70R14
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
195/60R15 |
0.07% | plus 1 | Safe |
215/60R14 |
-0.16% | wider | Safe |
155/75R15 |
-0.18% | plus 1 | Safe |
175/60R16 |
0.29% | plus 2 | Safe |
165/70R15 |
-0.42% | plus 1 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 185/70R14 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 185/70R14 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 195/60R15; one rim size up, 0.07% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 175/60R16; two rim sizes up, 0.29% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1990 ford probe SE
The 1990 Ford Probe SE ships from the factory on 185/70R14 tires mounted on R14 wheels. 3 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Ford Probe comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1990 Ford Probe SE owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1990 Ford Probe SE, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1990 ford probe
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (13) · Tread / Belt (7)
Reported across: 1989 – 1997 (8 years)
What owners described
Tread or belt separation appears in 27% of these reports; about 2.0× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 11 reports covering every model year of the Ford Probe that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread or belt separation | 27% | 13% | 2.0× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 27% | 6% | 4.6× |
| Sidewall failure | 18% | 15% | 1.2× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 9% | 8% | 1.1× |
Mileage at failure
6 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 32,500 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 2,000 and 166,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Ford Probe. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD PROBE EQUIPPED WITH HERCULES RAPTURE (NA) TIRES, SIZE: 18570R14 (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BUBBLE STICKING OUT OF THE TIRE TREAD AREA. THE TIRE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 166,000.
ENTIRE YOKOHAMA TIRE TREAD AND CARCASS SEPARATED COMPLETELY FROM THE SIDEWALL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. SIDEWALL REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE RIM. THESE TIRES WERE PURCHASED AT 48523 MILES ON VEHICLE WERE SOLD WITH A 40000 MI WARRANTY. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE. VEHICLE WAS TOTAL LOSS WITH MULTIPLE INJURIES TO THE DRIVER (SOLE OCCUPANT). VEHICLE WAS UNCONTROLLABLE, CRASHED INTO CONCRETE BARRIER SEVERAL TIMES, DRIVER STILL RECOVERING FROM INJURIES. THESE HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES WERE PURCHASED FROM SEARS 12/13/97, AND STILL HAD ALMOST 2,000 MILES LEFT ON THE WARRANTY.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P22550V16 )
A MECHANIC SAID THE CHOPPED TIRES ARE THE RESULT OF HOW THEY ARE MANUFACTURED. HE SAID THEY SHOW THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS AS THE 2 FIRESTONE TIRES THAT ARE NOW RECALLED. THERES LOTS OF TREADS LEFT BUT I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE UNSAFE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P195/65R14 )
TIRE SIZE 19570R14 WITH 20,000-25,000 MILES, AFTERMARKET AND WITH 65,000 RATING. REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM REST OF TIRE INTO 2 PIECES, AND SIDEWALL SHREADED INTO PIECES WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH IN MILD WEATHER CONDITIONS.*AK GOODYEAR AQUATRED II TIRE DOT MKRW5BHRD63. *SLC
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1990 Ford Probe?
What is the bolt pattern of a 1990 Ford Probe?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1990 Ford Probe?
Where can I buy tires for my 1990 Ford Probe?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1990 Ford Probe?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1990 Ford Probe?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1990 Ford Probe?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Ford Probe is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1990 Ford Probe.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.