2003 Ford Mustang GT

Routine

Owners filed 51 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › manual transmission. No safety recall has been issued.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
6,000 milesMedian miles at failure

39 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 010,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train › Manual Transmission11
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine7
000
Unknown or Other3
100
Electrical System › Ignition3
000
Seat Belts2
000
Power Train2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System2
001
Wheels › Rim1
100
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal1
000
Tires › Sidewall1
101

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seat Belts
Filed May 2, 2018165,000 milesIA

TAKATA RECALL PASSENGER SEAT BELT LOCKED UP NOW DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT ACTING UP AND HARD TO RETRACT IN AND OUT AS WELL.

Seat Belts
Filed Dec 14, 201398,000 milesOR

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT GETS TWISTED AND WONT RETRACT AND GETS SHUT IN DOOR IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION, PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT IS STUCK AND WONT COME OUT OR WORK AT ALL. *TR

Seats1 injured
Filed Feb 5, 2010104,679 milesFL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD MUSTANG GT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, SUDDENLY, THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT COLLAPSED IN A BACKWARD POSITION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITH CAUTION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND ADJUST THE SEAT ONTO THE TRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME OPERATION. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR BACK INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE TRACK ASSEMBLY SEAT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,679. UPDATED 3/10/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE SIR SLID BACK WHILE DRIVING. UPDATED 06/14/10 .*JB

Power Train
Filed Mar 17, 200953,000 milesMO

MY 03' MUSTANG SPIT THE SPARK PLUG OUT OF THE HEAD,AGAIN, TAKING ALL THE THREADS WITH IT. NOW IT IS UNABLE TO RUN DO THE FACT IT HAS A MISSING PLUG. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS OUT OF THEIR HANDS DO TO NOT BEING UNDER WARRANTY ANY LONGER. FORD MOTOR CO. SAID THEY WILL NOT FIX THE CAR,IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. SORRY THE SPARK PLUG WAS EJECTED OUT OF THE HEAD. WE CAN NOT FIX IT UNLESS YOU PAY FOR PARTS/LABOR OUT OF YOUR POCKET. THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE FOR FORD, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE ARE ACTING LIKE THERE IS NOT 1000'S OF PEOPLE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. MY NEXT STEP IS TO HIRE A CLASS ACTION ATTORNEY AND SEE ABOUT GETTING MY CAR FIXED. *TR

Power Train
Filed Oct 6, 200848,825 milesMO

SPARK PLUG WAS SPIT OUT OF HEAD. IT HAS THE FACTORY PLUGS IN IT NEVER BEEN CHANGED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR,THE DEALERSHIP, CHECKED SPARK PLUG IN QUESTION,THEN TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. AT THIS POINT I DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS OK OR NOT? BUT I AM DRIVING IT TILL IT BREAKS AGAIN. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Dec 7, 200734,000 milesHI

ON COLD START, THERE IS A "TICKING" SOUND. TOOK IT TO MECHANIC AND HE GAVE ME A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ARTICLE #03-25-6, DATED 12/22/03, REGARDING FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY ENGINES BUILT BEFORE 9/17/2003. EMAILED FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO FIND OUT WHAT COULD BE DONE TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION AS IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT OF THE CAR ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. ALL THEY COULD TELL ME IS THERE IS NO RECALL AND TAKE IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED IF NEED. *TR

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Jun 13, 2007FL

INTERIOR A/C BLOWER FAN(DASHBOARD VENTS) STOPS WORKING AFTER IN USE FOR 1 HOUR. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 15, 200752,000 milesNC

1) EVERYTHING WAS RUNNING FINE, NO PROBLEMS DETECTED. MAINTENANCE ON VEHICLE WAS UP TO DATE. WAS TURNING A CORNER AND THERE WAS A POP AND AFTER THAT THE ENGINE STARTED TO MIS-FIRE. 2) WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE 2 MILES TO THE FORD SERVICE CENTER. THERE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK AND THAT THIS HAPPENS ON OCCASION. I HAD TWO OPTIONS: THE FIRST WAS TO PAY $610 TO PUT A PATCH IN THAT WASN'T PROVIDED WITH A WARRANTY AND THEY TOLD ME IT COULD LAST 2 YEARS OR BLOW 2 MILES DOWN FROM THE SHOP AFTER I LEFT, OR PAY $2500 AND HAVE A NEW CYLINDER PUT IN. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH FORD VEHICLES, THAT FORD IS AWARE OF BUT IS NOT TAKING CARE OF. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT EVEN IF THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THAT THE WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THIS AND I WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A CAR I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX FOR A WHILE AND A CAR MAKER WHO CAN'T ADMIT THAT THEY BUILT A FAULTY ENGINE AND FIX THEIR PROBLEM. 3) NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS YET, AS I AM LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN FIX IT RIGHT AT A LOWER COST. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System1 injured
Filed Dec 29, 200652,000 milesTX

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BLOW A HOLE AT THE CROSSOVER EXCHANGE, CAUSING COOLANT TO EXPLODE OUT LIKE A GUYSER AND GOT ON MY FACE WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE WHAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM! IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT A RECALL OR CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT IN 2005. CAN I BE REIMBERSED THE PRODUCT HAS BEEN KNOWINGLY AND WIDELY VIEWED BE EVRYBODY AS DEFECTIVE.

Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Oct 9, 2006500 milesNY

IN MY 2003 MUSTANG GT WITH TREMEC TRANNY...GRINDING TYPE FEELING GOING INTO SECOND GEAR. WENT TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID FEELING WAS NORMAL,AND IT WOULD GO AWAY,IT HAS NOT. I ONLY DRIVE IT ONCE AND A WHILE BUT IT IS WORSE ON COLDER DAYS!!!

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 20, 200628,000 milesTX

I OWN A 2003 MACH1 MUSTANG. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT WEAR TO THE CARPET NEXT TO THE GAS PEDAL AND JUST ABOVE THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 36,000 MILES. THE DEALER SAYS THAT IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE AND WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THE CARPET HAS FALLEN DOWN ABOVE THE GAS/BREAK/CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY AS WELL AS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS CAUSED DIFFICULTY IN USING THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER "REGLUED" THE CARPET. *NM

Seat Belts › Front
Filed Feb 17, 2006FL

WE HAVE OWNED SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS OF MUSTANGS (2003, 1998, 1996 TO BE EXACT). FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, THE SEAT BELTS FOR THE FRONT BUCKET SEATS BECOME TWISTED AND DO NOT SECURE A PERSON PROPERLY IN THE SEAT. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN ALL THREE OF THESE VEHICLES. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SPECIFIC INCIDENT RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IF FORD DOES NOT RESEARCH THIS ONGOING CONCERN, THE SEAT BELTS WILL NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS IN THESE CARS. NOTE: THIS PROGRAM REQUIRES A DATE TO BE ENTERED SO I USED TODAY'S DATE EVEN THOUGH THIS DOES NOT REFERENCE A SPECIFIC EVENT. IT IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. *NM

Suspension › Front
Filed Jan 16, 200637,800 milesCA

TIE RODS (STEERING) WENT BAD ON MY 2003 MUSTANG (IT HAS 37,000 MILES), AND CONVERTIBLE BEZEL CAME LOOSE. VIN#[XXX]. PARTS WERE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $236.00, HOWEVER I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A MANUFACTURER RESPONSIBILITY, AND NOT CONSUMER. ALSO, MY 1988 FORD F350 HAD A STEERING PROBLEM THAT WAS CORRECTED UNDER RECALL IN 1988, HOWEVER, RECALL DIDN'T HOLD, AND LAST YEAR I HAD TO SPEND $800 CORRECTING PROBLEM A SECOND TIME. I ALSO BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY MANUFACTURE. MY 2004 EXPEDITION HAD IT'S RECALL DONE (FOR CRUISE CONTROL). YEARS AGO A NEW FORD OF MINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. WHY DO FORDS SEEM TO HAVE CONSTANT PROBLEMS WITH STEERING AND/OR FUEL? *JB UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Nov 11, 200525,400 milesFL

GAS PEDAL STUCK UNDER CARPET. *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Nov 10, 2005WA

DT: CONTACT STATES THE VEHICLE SHE OWNS HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR BRAKES, THE SEAT BELTS, AND THE COMPUTER CHIP THAT MADE THE VEHICLE START. NOW, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTIONED. THE REPAIRS WERE BEING MADE AT NO CHARGE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY.

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Sep 29, 200530,500 milesSC

I PULLED OUT OF THE BANK PARKING LOT AND WHILE ACCELERATING GENTLY I HEARD A LOUD "POP" NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. THE CAR THEN BEGAN TO RUN VERY BADLY AND THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE TO FIND THAT ONE OF MY SPARK PLUGS HAD BEEN FORCEFULLY EJECTED. I CONTINUED HOME WHERE I REMOVED THE PLUG TO FIND THAT THE PLUG THREADS INSIDE THE CYLINDER HEAD HAD ALL BE DAMAGED AND WOULD NEED FIXED. I FIXED THE PROBLEM MYSELF AS I WAS INFORMED BY THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD COST NEARLY $1,000 TO REPLACE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CERTAIN CYLINDER HEADS DATING BACK TO 1997 AND YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. *NM

Steering › Column
Filed Aug 4, 20052,392 milesNC

DT: WHEN THE CONSUMER WOULD APPLY THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD JERK OUT OF CONSUMERS HAND. THE STEERING WOULD PULL TOWARD THE LEFT. THIS OCCURRED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES. THE CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE ANY ACCIDENTS BECAUSE ONCE HE LET OFF THE BRAKE IT WAS FINE. THE FIRST TIME HE TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP THEY DID NOTHING TO THE VEHICLE. THE SECOND TIME THEY GREASED A BUSHING. THE THIRD TIME THEY TOLD HIM IT WAS TO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ,AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR A PART. ALSO, THEY TOLD CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING BROKEN IN THE STEERING AREA, BUT THEY WILL NOT TELL HIM WHAT IT WAS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AS OF YET, IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AS OF YET. *AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 18, 200515,000 milesFL

ACCELERATER PETAL STUCK DUE TO CARPET FOLDING OVER AND NO WAY TO SECURE IT.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Jul 13, 200525,000 milesAR

DRIVING DOWN PINE TWIST ROAD LOST CONTROL OF 2003 FORD MUSTANG GT ON DOWN HILL CURVE WHEN LEFT TIRES SKIDDED ON GRAVEL - WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35 MPH BUT THERE WAS AN ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES. THOUGHT ALL OF THIS WAS MY FAULT UNTIL I SAW THE ARTICLE IN THE LOCAL PAPER ABOUT NHTSA LOOKING AT 2003 MUSTANG GT'S FOR ACCELERATOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE FRONM THE CARPET SO I DECIDED TO REPORT THIS - CAR WAS TOTALED OUT AND WAS REMOVED TO THE SCRAP YARD IN MAY SO THERE IS NO CAR TO LOOK EXAMINE ON THIS ISSUE.

Parking Brake
Filed Jun 27, 2005NH

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON HILL FOR ABOUT 15 MIN. WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED. WHILE LOOKING AT CAR THROUGH LIVING ROOM WINDOW WE SAW THE CAR JUST START ROLLING AWAY. CHECKED CAR AFTER AND EMERGENCY BRAKE STILL ENGAGED ! !

20 of 51 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2005
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2006151110Routine
2005163110Routine
200414000Routine
2003 — this page51000Routine
200248010Routine
200159007Fatalities reported
200064110Routine
199936000Routine
199853030Routine
199723000Routine
199632020Routine

Compare every Mustang GT 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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.