2004 Ford Mustang GT

FRONT BRAKES DRAG OR FREEEZE UP CAUSING EXTREME HEAT OR ACTUALLY STOP VEHICLE. CAR HAS 18,000 MILES. FRONT CALIPERS HAVE BEEN REBUILT TWICE. FIRST FAILURE AT TEN YEARS,THEN FAILED AFTER APX 3 YEARS. THE PROBLEM IS THE PHENOLIC PISTONS SWELL AFTER TIME OR DUE TO LOSE OF LUBRICATION. THEY CHANGE DIMENSION AND STICK IN THE CALIPER. THIS IS THE 3 RD VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBEM. 81 FORD F150, 98 FORD F150 FRONT DISK BRAKES. BOTH AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD ABOUT 10 YEARS. WHEN PISTONS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH METAL PISTONS I HAVE HAD NO MORE ISSUES WITH THE FRONT BRAKES. THE MUSTANG HAS NO METAL PISTON AVAILABLE AND HAD TO BE REBUILT WITH AFTER MARKET PHENOLIC PISTONS. THEY FAILED AGAIN PROBABLY BECAUSE OF LACK OF LUBRICATION OF BOOT AND PISTON. SOMEHOW I FEEL THIS IS A CHRONIC FAILURE AND HAPPENS A LOT WITHOUT ANYBODY BEING AWARE THAT TIME AND OR HEAT AFFECT THE PHENOLIC PISTON AND CAUSE BRAKE FAILURE.THIS FAILURE IS STRICTLY VEHICLE RELATED AND NOT DUE TO ANY EXTERNAL CAUSES EXCEPT TIME, HEAT, OR LUBRICATION. I FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THE NON METALLIC PISTON DOESN'T COMPENSATE FOR THE COST OF THE BRAKE FAILURE THAT IT CAUSES. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY FORD THAT THE PHENOLIC PISTONS WERE SELECTED TO SAVE WEIGHT.

AFTER STARTING ENGINE, SPARK PLUG EJECTED FROM BLOCK AND EXPLODED. ENGINE WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN AND HAULED TO A REPAIR MECHANIC. COST OF REPAIR WAS $2,400 AND VEHICLE WAS IN SHOP FOR 5 DAYS. EXPLOSION WAS LOUD AND COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WITH THE SHOCK OF THE LOUD NOISE.

I STARTED THE CAR UP TO DRIVE OUT OF THE GROCERY PARKING LOT AND THE CAR WAS SPUTTERING. WHEN I PULLED ONTO THE MAIN HIGHWAY IT SPUTTERED AND COMPLETELY STOPPED RUNNING. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT FAILED TO RESTART. *KB

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE NUMBER FIVE SPARK PLUG KEEPS BLOWING OUT OF THE HEAD. THE CAR HAS MOTORCRAFT SPARK PLUGS AND ARE TORQUED TO THE FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. WHILE LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM ONLINE I FOUND OUT THAT IM NOT THE ONLY PERSON HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THE CRAZY THING IS THAT ITS IS ONLY HAPPENING WITH THE NUMBER FIVE PLUG. *TR

BRAKE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT INTERMITTENT..THEN ON CONSTANTLY...HASN'T BEEN FIXED TOO EXPENSIVE...IN WET WEATHER, SLIPPERY, ICY WEATHER TIRES SPIN BECAUSE TRACTION CONTROL DOES NOT WORK...ABS CONTROL MODULE WENT BAD...THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BLOGS AND FORUMS COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PART...I WILL POST THIS WEBSITE WITH HOPES THEY ALL COMPLAIN! *TR

THE TOP OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY WHEN DEPRESSED AND RELEASED RUBS THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE BRAKE SWITCH, NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH AND OTHERS SHORTING OUT THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND MAKING THE CRUISE CONTROL INOPERABLE. IT WORKS FOR A WHILE BUT THEN IT BLOWS THE FUSE AGAIN AND SOMEONE HAS TO STOP ME AND TELL ME MY BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED ONE OF THE WIRES FOR THE BRAKE SWITCH WHICH IS IN THAT SAME WIRING HARNESS AND SAYS THE PROBLEM IS FIXED BUT SOONER OR LATER IT WILL RUB THE REST OF THE WIRES BARE TOO. I HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE BRAKE SWITCH A COUPLE TIMES BECAUSE WHEN IT SHORTS OUT IT MELTS IT IF THE FUSE DOESN'T BLOW RIGHT AWAY. I AM AFRAID ONE TIME SOMEONE WILL REAR END ME OR I WILL GET A TICKET. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT RETRACTOR COMPLETELY FAILED; MY PASSENGERS ARE NOT ABLE TO BUCKLE THEIR SEATBELT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 MUSTANG GT. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH CAUSED THE FUSE FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO BURN OUT, WHICH MADE THE BRAKE LIGHTS INOPERABLE. THE FUSE WAS REPLACED CONTINUOUSLY AND IT CONTINUED TO FAIL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 26000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35000. UPDATED 06/03/10*BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK, BUT NOT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. UPDATED 06/10/10.*JB

I OWN A 2004 MUSTANG WITH A 4.6 DOHC ENGINE. LAST NIGHT THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE HEAD. THE HEAD NOW NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED BY USING A HELICOIL OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE FORD MODULAR ENGINES, CAUSED BY POOR DESIGN. AT LEAST 75% OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW WHO OWN FORDS WITH MODULAR ENGINES HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH AND HIT BLACK ICE AND LOST CONTROL. KNOCKED DOWN A 6*6 INCH SIGN POST . CONTACT POINT WAS RIGHT FRONT BUMPER. FRAME WAS BENT, MASSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE . CAR WAS WRITTEN OFF. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. WHIPPING FORWARD ACTION CAUSED A BROKEN BACK. SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND LONE OCCUPANT. *TR

I OWNED A 2004 MUSTANG, MACH I PKG, WITH A SHAKERHOOD/COBRA JET, POLICE INTERCEPTOR/ 5 SPEED: $40,000.00 VEHICLE. IT HYDROPLANED DURING A RAIN STORM HERE IN GEORGIA ON THE ABOVE DATE. IT CAUSED ME TO GO DOWN A 26 FOOT RAVEEN AND I HIT A SEWER CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO GO INTO A VERTICAL POSITION STRIKING A TREE. SEAT BELTS WERE WORN. I WAS NOT SPEEDING; THIS HAS BEEN PROVEN BY THE TOWING COMPANY. WHEN AIR BORN IF YOU TURN THE KEY THE LAST MPH WILL APPEAR. IT SHOWED 30MPH. BESIDES, I WAS IN 2ND OR 3RD GEAR WHICH RUNS MAX AT 30MPH/SPEED LIMIT POSTED 35MPH FOR THAT AREA. I REMEMBER THE (R) REAR OF MY VEHICLE SLIP/SWING TO THE (R) CAUSING ME TO GO OFF THE ROAD AND DOWN THIS RAVEEN. IT WAS TOTALED. I NOW SUFFER FROM MANY INJURIES; YET, THE MOST SERIOUS INJURY IS A BRAIN INJURY. MY BRAIN HAS SEPARATED FROM MY FRONTAL LOBE. I SPOKE TO MANY MUSTANG OWNERS AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT A MUSTANG OWNER HAS ENCOUNTERED HYDROPLANING AND BECOMING INVOLVED IN A SEVERE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. I HAD MY TRACTION BUTTON ENGAGED AND STILL WHEN HITTING WET GRASS IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. I'M COMPLAINING AND CONCERNED. I INTEND TO TAKE THIS TO THE TOP IF NEEDED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEED 68 MPH WHEN A CAR CROSSED THE MEDIAN 30 FEET IN FRONT OF ME AND I HAD A TOTAL LOSS HEAD ON COLLISION WITH NO AIR BAG..... IT FAILED TO OPEN ? *JB

2004 FORD MUSTANG CUSTOMER BELIEVES THAT THE CAR IS A LEMON**CC THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE AND THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO DISCLOSE TO HIM THAT THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAD MAJOR MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. *JB

2004 FORD MUSTANG GT CONVERTIBLE. FRONT RIGHT BRAKE FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AT 5:00 AM THE PAVEMENT WAS DAMP FROM RAIN I TRIED TO APPLY THE SERVICE BRAKES TO SLOW THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO EXITING FROM ONE FREEWAY TO THE OTHER. THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE FROM THE RIGHT FRONT AND A SCRAPING NOISE. I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AGAIN AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. AS I WAS DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, I DOWN SHIFTED INTO THE NEXT LOWER GEAR WHERE THE REAR OF THE CAR SPIN OUT AND ACROSS 4 LANES OF THE FREEWAY I WAS TRYING TO ENTER AND INTO THE MEDIAN STRIP. AS AN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER I BEGAN THE INVESTIGATION AT THE SCENE. WHAT I FOUND WAS AS FOLLOWS: THE RETAINING BOLTS FOR THE BRAKE CALIPER FAILED CAUSING THE BRAKE CALIPER TO FALL OFF AND HANG BY THE FLEXIBLE BRAKE HOSE. ONCE THE BRAKE CALIPER WAS LOOSE, THE PISTONS WERE FORCED OUT OF THEIR BORE BY THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE THEREFORE CAUSING THE PEDDLE TO GO TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 24622 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND HAS NOT HAD BRAKE SERVICE HOWEVER THE CALIPERS WERE SPRAY PAINTED (NOT REMOVED) BLACK TO PREVENT CORROSION AND FAILURE DUE TO BEING STORED OUTSIDE DURING THE WINTERS. BECAUSE THE CALIPERS HAVE BEEN PAINTED THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR AS HE FEELS THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE FURTHER AND FOUND THAT THE BOLTS AND CALIPER ASSEMBLY ARE INVERTED DELTA SAFETY RELATED COMPONENTS AND THE BOLTS SHOULD HAVE LOCK PATCH (THREAD LOCKING) TO PREVENT THEM FROM BACKING OUT. I ALSO LEARNED