1999 Ford Mustang Cobra

Routine

Owners filed 14 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the suspension › front › control arm › lower ball joint. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint3
000
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor3
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Suspension › Rear1
000
Suspension › Front › Control Arm1
000
Power Train › Manual Transmission1
000
Parking Brake › Conventional1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe1
000
Electrical System1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint01V121000
Filed Apr 11, 20018,100 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY IN THE REAR KNUCKLE, WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ATTACHES, IS DISPLACED LONGITUDINALLY FROM ITS INSTALLED POSITION, IT CAN CAUSE HIGHER STRESS LEVELS IN THE KNUCKLE CASTING. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CASTING COULD FRACTURE, ALLOWING THE CORNER OF THE VEHICLE TO DROP, AND THE LOWER CONTROL ARM COULD CONTACT THE INSIDE OF THE REAR WHEEL.

Risk. IN SOME CASES, DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE REDUCED.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH REAR SUSPENSION KNUCKLES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 19, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Suspension › Rear
Filed Aug 28, 200974,000 milesCT

WHILE DRIVING THE METAL PIECE HOLDING THE DRIVER SIDE SHOCK ABSORBER TORE AWAY FROM THE WALL IT WAS MOUNTED TO. THE PIECE THEN TORE INTO THE INNER WHEEL WELL CUTTING IT LIKE RIBBON. THE DAMAGE WAS APPARENTLY CAUSED BY HITTING A BUMP IN ROUGH ROAD BUT THERE WAS NO SINGLE HIT OF A LARGE POT HOLE. JUST NORMAL DRIVING. *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed May 23, 2008116,800 milesTX

HIGH IDLE SPEED AFTER USING THE CRUISE CONTROL ON 5.11.2008. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON-GOING WITHOUT THE USE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WAS SOON DETACHED AND THE CONDITION DISAPPEARED. THE IDLE IS NOW FINE,BUT CANNOT USE THE CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE THE CONDITION WILL RETURN. THE PROBLEM IS QUITE SIMILAR TO THE FORD RECALL NUMBER 99V-062.001, BUT AFTER CONTACTING FORD SERVICE LINE ON 5.25.2008, I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE (1999 FORD MUSTANG COBRA 4.6 4VDOHC) WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR

Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint
Filed Oct 1, 20074,165 milesIL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD MUSTANG COBRA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED ONTO THE FRONT TIRE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LOCK NUT THAT HELD THE FRONT WHEEL SPINDLE ASSEMBLY DETACHED BECAUSE IT WAS IMPROPERLY TIGHTENED AND FELL OFF . THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,165 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,170. UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Mar 13, 200642,000 milesNY

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT PULL OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH DETERMINED THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED, NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 7, 200541,800 milesGA

A SPARK PLUG BLEW IN MY 99 MUSTANG COBRA. IT ONLY HAS 41,800 MILES. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE LAST CHANGED 3 YEARS AGO. I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED YET. THE THREADS ARE STRIPPED AND THE IGNITION COIL WAS DESTROYED. I BOUGHT A NEW IGNITION COIL AT AN AUTO PARTS STORE. *NM

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Jul 24, 200512,000 milesMO

ACCELERATOR STICKING WOT ON CARPET ON 1999 MUSTANG COBRA COUPE. DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE. CAR WAS TRADED. I THOUGHT IT WAS SPECIFIC TO MY CAR. I BROKE 3 ACCELERATOR PEDALS DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I THOUGHT THE PEDAL WAS JUST CHEAP. NOW REALIZE THE CARPET BEING TORN WAS DUE TO PEDAL AND NOT ME BASED ON SOME OF THE INFORMATION I HAVE SEEN ON THE NET.

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed May 16, 200549,000 milesIN

THE SEAT BELT FRONT RETRACTOR ON OUR 1999 FORD MUSTANG COBRA IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IT HAD HAPPEND ABOUT 1 YEAR AND 3 MONTHS AGO AND THE FORD DEALERSHIP HAD FIXED IT AT NO COST THAT TIME. NOW IT IS NOT FUNCTIONING AGAIN. I HAVE CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THE FORD DEALERSHIP BOTH WHICH ARE TELLING US THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND WILL BE AT OUR COST. THIS IS A PROBLEM DUE TO BEING PART OF THE SAFETY RESTRAINT OF THE VEHICLE, AND SHOULD BE FIXED AT NO CHARGE. IT WAS NOT FIXED PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME AND FORD SHOULD TAKE CARE THE ISSUE.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed May 2, 200464,300 milesMO

PURCHASED A USED 1999 FORD MUSTANG COBRA SVT WITH 29,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. SINCE OWNING THE CAR, I HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS FAULTY CHASIS WIRING SYSTEM, CAR SHUTDOWN WHEN HOT AND WOULD NOT RESTART, FAULTY IAC VALVE AND THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, NO BACK-UP LIGHTS DUE TO MANUAL TRANSMISSION REVERSE SWITCH FAILURE, AND BRAKE LIGHTS SWITCH FAILURE. AT APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MILES I HAD NOTICED THE CAR HAD RAN LOW ON COOLANT AND EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION BETWEEN OIL CHANGE INTERVALS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE AT 58,000 MILES ALONG WITH BLUE SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE DUAL EXHAUST. MY MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH THE IAC VALVE AND THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR CITING THE BLUE SMOKE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A RICH IDLE CONDITION. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RETURNED. AN EXHAUST LEAK WAS DETECTED AND CORRECTED AT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND HEADER CONNECTION POINT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT AWAY, HOWEVER, THE RICH IDLE CONDITION REMAINED. AT A LITTLE OVER 64,000 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF CITY TRAFFIC. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, A LOUD NOISE CAME FROM UNDER-THE-HOOD NOT UNLIKE THE SOUND OF A THROWN ROD. I HAD THE MUSTANG TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHOM DETERMINED FROM THE 3.5 QUARTS OF OIL SLUDGE RECOVERED FROM THE ENGINE, AND THE MILK LIKE FLUID IN THE VALVE COVER PAN, THE VEHICLE HEAD GASKET FAILURE WAS THE MOST PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE EVENT. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, I INTEND TO APPROACH FORD MO

Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint
Filed Feb 10, 200428,000 milesCA

FRONT END SHOOK DUE TO DEFECTIV EBALL JOINTS, AND BLUE SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Jun 6, 200340,000 milesCA

HELLO, TSB 99S26 STATES THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE SAFTEY BELT RETRACTOR ON THE 1999 FORD MUSTANG COBRA. I HAVE HAD THE DRIVERS SIDE REPAIRED AT MY COST THEN FOUND THIS RECALL NOTE. HOWEVER THE DEALER AND FORD BOTH CLAIN THAT THIS IS NOT A RECALL FOR MY PARTICULAR VIN#. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE AS NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS NOT WORKING. IS THERE A WAY TO FIND OUT IF MY CAR IS COVERED BY THIS SAFETY ISSUE? FORD AND THE DEALER STATE THAT THEY DO NOT SHOW ANYTHING AND THAT THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT CAN HELP OUT.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. JOHN MILLER. *AK

Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Mar 28, 200345,000 milesGA

96 COBRA, I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION EITHER WORKED ON OR REPLACED 6 TIMES. IT WENT IN THE SHOP FOR IT'S SECOND NEW TRANSMISSION AND IT TOOK TWO TRANSMISSIONS BEFORE I GOT IT BACK. FROM TALKING WITH OTHER OWNERS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE COBRA'S WITH THE T-45 TRANSMISSION. *JB

Suspension › Front › Control Arm
Filed Aug 29, 2001IL

CONSUMER PICKED VEHICLE UP AFTER NHTSA RECALL 01V121000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL #01S15 REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. DRIVING VEHICLE HOME CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER LETTING UP ON THE CLUTCH VEHICLE SWAYED LEFT AND RIGHT. DEALER WAS REFUSING TO FIX VEHICLE BECAUSE IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH RECALL WORK. *AK

Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint
Filed May 18, 2001WA

THE CONSUMER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE NUMBER OF RECALLS THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH. NLM

Parking Brake › Conventional
Filed Jan 19, 2001HI

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00V349, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR RECALL REPAIRS, THE CONSUMER DROPPED IT OFF, WHEN PICKING THE VEHICLE UP, THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY RAN OUT OF PARTS AND IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL DELAY. *SLC

14 of 14 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1999
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20000100Routine
1999 — this page14100Routine
19985010Routine
19976000Routine

Compare every Mustang Cobra year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 11, 2001. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.