THE ELECTRICAL POWER WIRES ON THE OEM-INSTALLED FUEL PUMP, LOCATED INSIDE THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK, WERE INSTALLED SO THAT THEY CROSSED OVER EACH OTHER ON THEIR WAY FROM THE CONNECTOR OUTSIDE THE TANK TO THE FUEL PUMP INSIDE. ON THREE SIMILAR VEHICLES THAT WE OWN THESE CROSSING SOLID CORE FUEL PUMP WIRES CAME CLOSE ENOUGH TO EACH OTHER SO AS TO TOUCH. ON THIS VEHICLE, HOWEVER, THE WIRES NOT ONLY CROSSED BUT THEY TOUCHED AND THE WIRES WERE RIGID ENOUGH THAT OVER THE YEARS THEY RUBBED AND WORE AWAY THE INSULATION ON BOTH THE RED AND THE BLACK ELECTRICAL WIRES. THIS APPARENTLY ALLOWED THE 12 VOLTS DC POWER TO CROSS FROM ONE WIRE TO THE OTHER, RANDOMLY BYPASSING THE FUEL PUMP AND SERIOUSLY AFFECTING HOW THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WOULD RUN. WHILE THE OPERATIONAL IMPACT OF THIS PROBLEM WAS A NUISANCE, MORE DISTURBING IS THE POTENTIAL THIS INSTALLATION TECHNIQUE HAS FOR BECOMING A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION SINCE A SPARK IS THUS POSSIBLE AND SINCE THE WIRES ARE INSIDE A FUEL-VAPOR AREA, INSTEAD OF A LIQUID-FILLED AREA, ANYTIME THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN ABOUT HALF A TANK OF GASOLINE. *TR
1997 Ford Mustang Convertible
Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Structure › Body › Trunk Lid | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts › Front › Retractor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filings1997 FORD MUSTANG GT 4.6L 8CL OIL IN RADIATOR, BUT NO WATER IN ENGINE. CAR RUNS GREAT BUT WILL RUN HOT AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF REPLACING THE RADIATOR. COMPRESSION TEST DID NOT SHOW LOSS OF COMPRESSION. MECHANICS ARE BAFFLED BECAUSE THE CAR RUNS SO WELL WITHOUT MISSING OR POWER LOSS. FURTHER TEST CAN NOT PROVE BLOWN HEAD GASKET. CAR DOESN'T EVEN SMOKE. IM CONFUSED, NEED HELP AND HOPING THERE IS A RECALL. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ERUPTED IN FLAMES WHILE PARKED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS OR PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND THE VEHICLE WAS USED EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND DETERMINED THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM UNDER THE HOOD IN THE AREA OF SOME ELECTRICAL WIRING. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ALSO RESPONDED AND TOOK A REPORT. THE INSURANCE AGENCY DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS.
THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MY 1997 FORD MUSTANG GT IS CRACKED AND LEAKING. THERE IS A RECALL ON OTHER MODELS WITH THIS ENGINE. IS THERE A LAWSUIT RECENTLY SETTLED ON THIS PROBLEM? RIGHT NOW THE CAR IS IN MY MECHANICS GARAGE WAITING FOR PARTS. *JB
MY 1997 MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE GT, VIBRATES AT SPEEDS OF ABOUT 60-65 MPH. THOUGH THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR SOME TIME, AFTER PLACING NEW TIRES ON THE VEHICLE (LAST WEEK) I DECIDED TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND FOUND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS CONSISTENT WITH MY VEHICLE'S PROBLEM. *JB
THE FRONT SEAT BELTS IN THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT LOCK DURING AND EMERGENCY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD RESULTED IN COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. COOLANT WASHING OVER HOT ENGINE CAUSE HUGE CLOULD OF STEAM WHICH OBSCURED VISION FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS WHILE AT 65MPH. ACCIDENT AVERTED, BUT ONLY LUCKY CONSIDERING EXTREMELY HEAVY RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC. PLASTIC MANIFOLD IS MUSHY AND FRIABLE.*AK
MY 1997 MUSTANG HAS RUSTED THROUGH THE TRUNK FLOOR. THE FRAME BELOW IS ALSO RUSTING. THE FRAME SUPPORTS THE REAR BUMPER,WHICH PROTECTS THE GAS TANK.*AK
CAR WAS PARKED IN FIRST GEAR WITH PARKING BREAK UP. CAR WAS HIT WITH HARDLY ANY FORCE AND ROLLED BACK INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE... DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS UNTIL TODAY MARCH 8, 2003. ALSO NUMEROUS TIMES CAR HAS BEEN IN SHOP FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT...NO ONE KNOWS WHAT CAUSES IT COME ON.. SPENT $2000 SO FAR. *NLM
9 of 9 complaints, reproduced as filed.
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.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.