Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1994 record →
HEAD GASKET BLOWN IN APRIL 2000, NOW AUG 2001, I NEED WHOLE NEW ENGINE AT ONLY 85,000. THIS IS NOT RIGHT, AND THE HEAD GASKET AND ENGINE FAILURE ARE RELATED. IF HEAD GASKETS WERE RECALLED, AND IF THEY ARE CONNECTED, WHY ISN'T THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS RELATED FAILURE? OR IS THERE? FORD OF KIRKLAND WHO FIXED MY HEAD GASKETS ONLY GAURENTEE'S THIER WORK FOR 12MONTHS/12,000MILES.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY HEAD GASKETS BLEWOUT, CAUSING CONSUMER TO ALMOST LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE.*AK
HEAD GASKET WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. ENGINE QUIT THEN WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. A LITTLE TOO LATE! *AK
WHEN STARTING VEHICLE AIR BAG LIGHT WILL FLASH ON DASHBOARD. THEN, LIGHT WILL STAY ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER TIGHTENED GROUND TO MODULE. *AK
I HAD THIS CAR FOR LESS THAN 4 WEEKS AND THE HEAD GASKETS BLEW WHICH CAUSED COOLANT TO ENTER THE ENGINE. I AM HAVING TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. I CONTACTED FORD AND GOT NO WHERE WITH THEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE 7 YEAR WINDOW ON MY CAR EXIRED A FEW MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. I THINK THAT FORD SHOULD HONOR ITS MOTO OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. *AK
MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRENTY THEY REBUILT IT, AND AT THAT TIME I HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE FUSE PROBLEM THEY SAID IT WAS SOME WIRE NEAR THE SEAT TRACK SOO THEY REPLACED IT. IT WORKED FOR A LITTLE WHILE WELL THE WARRANTY IS NO LONGER VALID AND THE FUSE CONTINUES TO BLOW I HAVE TO PUT A NEW FUSE IN EVERY TIME I NEED TO MOVE THE SEAT I ONLY GET ONE SHOT AT IT FOR IT WILL BLOW IN A FEW SECONDS I HAVE'NT TAKEN IT BACK. *AK
I KNEW ABOUT HEAD GASKET FAILURES WITH THE FORD 3.8L ENGINES. AS MY CAR IS 7.4 YEARS OLD I WAS TOLD IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS ENGINE IS A LEMON. *AK
WAS TRAVELING 50MPH AND SUDDENLY/WITHOUT ANY WARNING PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. AFTER AIR BAG DEPLOYED, AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. *AK
HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT, ENGINE REPLCD,TRANS. REPLCD 4X PROBLEM STILL THERE,REAR DEFROST WIRE CAUGHT ON FIRE,A/C ON&OFF,SEAT GEAR DOES NOT WORK,HORN DOES NOT WORK,AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED AFTER 5,000 MILES,
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY GIVEN SPEED TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP AND CAUSE VIBRATION IN VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK
3.8L V6 ENGINE EXPERIENCED OVERHEATING/ WHITE SMOKE AND LOSS OF COOLANT. VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE ALSO CONTACTED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER . *AK
I BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH MY MUSTANG SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. I WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY ASSISTANCE AND THOUGHT I WAS VERY STRANGE THIS CAR WOULD EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM LIKE THIS DUE TO IT'S MILEAGE AND AGE. THE CAR WOULD SHUDDER AT EXACT SPEED INTERVALS AND VIBRATE. I HAVE PUT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND FOUND THIS WEBSITE. I THEN FOUND THE PROBLEM LISTED ON YOUR WEBSITE. I HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER TO THE MFG. AND AM VERY UPSET CAR OWNERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IT COULD HAVE SAVED ME TIME AND MONEY. I FEEL FORD IS RESPONSIBLE AND THAT THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART/ASSEMBLY. *AK
CAR SHAKING AND MISS FIRING ALSO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. WHEN ACCERLATION SPEEDMETER JUMPS FROM 1 2 RPM AND SHOTS TO ONE CAR SHAKES LOSES POWER.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HAS COME LOOSE FROM ANCHORS AND ATTATCHMENTS. SEAT ROCKS WHEN DRIVING. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
ENGINE HAS BEEN PERFECTLY MAINTAINED FOR ITS ENTIRE LIFE. I UNDERSTAND FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IS DOING NOTHING FOR THE OWNERS OF MUSTANGS.*AK
METAL COMPONENT OF DRIVER SIDE SEAT, WHICH BOLTS TO FLOOR, SNAPPED. THERE ARE FOUR (4) PREVIOUS REPORTS TO NHTSA OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS: ODI ID 537368 ON 06/24/1998; ODI ID 704022 ON 02/24/1999; ODI ID 711299 ON 09/04/1999; AND ODI ID 862765 ON 05/29/2000. SINCE THERE WERE NO REPORTS PRIOR TO 06/24/1998, DOES THIS POSSIBLY SUGGEST METAL FATIGUE IN COMPONENT USED TO MOUNT SEAT TO FLOOR OF VEHICLE?*AK
VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. WHEN TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER, DEALER NOTED THAT VEHICLE HAD A CRACKED HEAD GASKET. THIS VEHICLE WAS PART OF A TSB THAT WAS ISSUED BY MANUFACTURER. BUT, SINCE VEHCLE WAS OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES DEALER WOULD NOT FIX VEHICLE. DEALER CLAIMED THAT THEY SENT A LETTER OUT IN APRIL 2000, BUT CONSUMER HAS NOT RECEIVED IT.
SECOND COMPLAINT - A RESPONSE WOULD BE APPRECIATED, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH FORD AND WILL ATTEMPT TO FILE LEGAL ACTION. NO SAFETY DEFEC T LISTED. *AK
THIS VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SALVAGED WITHOUT ME KNOWING. NO SAFETY DEFEC MENTIONED.
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
ON MAY OF 2000, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY STATING THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE. UPON RECEIVING THIS LETTER MAY 11, 2000 I CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR CO. AND ASKED THEM IF I COULD BRING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE IT CHECKED OUT TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM HAD TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN BEFORE IT COULD BE DETECTED. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR A YEAR AND A HALF AND NOW THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURED. MY SON WHO WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME WAS PLACED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE CAR VIBRATED AND DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. AN ORANGE LIQUID LEAKED OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE AND WHITE SMOKE ALSO POORED OUT OF THE PIPE. HE MANAGED TO PUSH THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC I HAVE KNOW FOR QUITE SOMETIME, HE INFORMED ME IT WAS DEFINATE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO, THEY WERE EXTREMELY RUDE AND TOLD ME THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE HANDLED WITH THEM BECAUSE IT WAS PAST THE WARRANTY OF 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS 85,000 MILES AND I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. MY COMPLAINT IS WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO SUFFER FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE. I WAS NOT TOLD WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT THERE WAS ANY SORT OF PROBLEM THAT MIGHT OCCUR BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE PART. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD LOOK INTO THIS MATTER ASAP. WHEN I WAS ON-LINE I FOUND NUMEROUS MUSTANG OWNERS THAT ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS ME. I FEEL SOMETHI
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 35 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
THE TAD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DEFROSTER CAME OFF CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY, THE CONSUMER HAD IT REPAIRED AND ALMOST A YEAR LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE TAB CAME OFF. NLM
FAULTY GASKET CAUSED TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO COOLANT LEAKAGE...TOTAL LOSS...HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS - FORD SHOULD RECALL...AND ENGINE SHOULD LAST BEYOND 50000 MILES....POOR QUALITY SHOULD BE COMPENSATED.
HEAD GASKET BLEW FUSING SOMETHING ELSE AND REQUIRING AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *AK
RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS STUCK. IT CANNOT BE USED, AND LEAVES OCCUPANT WITHOUT ANY RESTRAINT DURING A VEHICLE CRASH. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT WARRANTY EXPIRED, AND NOTHING WOULD BE DONE. *AK
HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO ENIGNE. DEALER WILL NOT COVER HEAD GASKET BECAUSE ITS WARRANTY EXPIRED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
HEAD GASKET OUT? WARRANTY RECALL? *AK
WHEN I FIRST RECEIVED THE CAR IT WASNT EVEN A MONTH AND THE FIRST HEADGASKET BLEW, NEXT IT HAPPENED ONE YEAR TO THE DATE AS SOON AS COLD WEATHER CAME AROUND. THEN THE 3RD HAPPENED A YEAR FOLLOWING THAT DATE (COMING AGAIN INTO COLD WEATHER. ) NOW I'M INTO ESTIMATES REACHING UP TO OVER $2000 IN REPAIR AND MACHINED HEAD WORK. FINALLY, I AM AT MY 4TH!!! NOW I AM INTO AN ADDITONAL HEAD GASKET REPAIR. THIS IS VERY AGGRAVATTING BECAUSE I LOVE MUSTANGS. PLEASE CONTACT IF ANY INFORMATION YOU HAVE WILL HELP ME. *AK
ORDERED VEHICLE IN 1994, HAD IT 2 DAYS WHEN A RATTLING STARTED FROM UNDERNEATH, WAS AN UNTIGHTENED BOLT. IN SUMMER/1995, A/C DIDN'T WORK. IN SPRING/1996, TRANSMISSION WAS VIBRATING ON INCLINES AT 25 TO 30 MPH. IN SPRING/SUMMER 1997, TRANSMISSION WAS CAUSING TACTOMETER TO RACE TO 3000RPM WHEN ONLY GOING 25 MPH. IN WINTER OF 2000, VEHICLE OVERHEATED, REPLACED THERMOSTAT TWICE. AFTER OVERHEATING 3 TIMES, AND FINALLY HAVING TO BE TOWED, IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET CAUSING PRESSURE TO BUILD WITHIN THE COOLING SYSTEM FORCING COOLENT OUT OF THE OVERFLOW RESERVE. MECHANIC SAW THIS ONLY HAPPEN IN 3 OTHER VEHICLES.*AK
CAR OVERHEATED; HAD TO HAVE RADIATOR AND WATER PUMP REPLACED; SAME THING HAPPEN; NOTIFIED OF ENGINE GASKET FAILURE. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH WHERE YOU PUT KEY IN DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. MANY TIMES ITS HARD TO GET THE KEY IN AND OUT. OTHER TIMES ITS VERY HARD TO GET THE CAR TO START. I HAVE TALKED TO MANY MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CAR AND THEY ALL HAVE THIS PROBLEM!!*AK
HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS WILL GO OFF AT ANY GIVEN TIME. NEEDS TO JIGGLE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH TO TURN LIGHTS BACK ON. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION, AND VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. *AK
CAR OVERHEATED. WATER PUMP HAD BEEN REPLACED DUE TO LEAK IN JULY 2000. CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN 11/2/00. RADIATOR CHECKED, AND SHOWED MINIMAL LEAK BUT WAS REPAIRED ON 11/3/00. TEMP REMAINED NORMAL THAT NIGHT AFTER REPAIR. THE NEXT MORNING, 11/4/00, CAR OVERHEATED. PUT WATER IN OVERFLOW CONTAINER. CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT. RETURNED CAR HOME AT WHICH TIME WHITE SMOKE AND WATER WAS BLOWING OUT THE TAILPIPE. UPON INSPECTION, HEAD GASKET ON DRIVER'S SIDE WAS BLOWN. WILL CHECK THE HEAD TOMORROW TO FIND OUT IF IT HAS BEEN DAMAGED.
I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE OTHER 3.8L ENGINES MADE BY FORD WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. TO GO ALONG WITH THE COST OF THE GASKET I ALSO HAVE TO PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR THE TIME IT TAKES FOR MY REPAIRS TO BE DONE. *AK
HAD KNOCKING THAT EVENTUALLY GOT WORSE AND THE GASKET BLEW IN #4 CYLINDER, AND COOLANT IN TWO OTHERS. THE TWO OTHERS WERE GOING TO BLOW SOON. *AK
NO SUMMARY
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND SHUT COMPLETELY DOWN WITHOUT ANY WARNING. AFTER ABOUT 30 OR LONGER IT WILL START BACK UP AGAIN. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND THEY PUT IN A FUEL FILTER, AND DID A COMPRESSION CHECK. EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD, BUT PROBLEM WITH STALLING WAS STILL THERE.*AK
WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE FORD COMPANY IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN ABOUT THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM, A FEW MONTHS AGO. AT THE TIME WE HAD NO PROBLEMS. BUT NOW THE HEAD GASKETS HAVE BLOWN BUT FORD WILL NOT FIX IT BECAUSE WE ARE 2000 MILES OVER THE EXTENDED WARRARANTY. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THEY KNEW THEY HAD A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM THEY SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THEM AND FIXED THEM. NOW WE ARE STUCK WITH GETTING THE CAR FIXED BECAUSE FORD USED SHODDY PARTS. WE STILL OWE 17 MORE MONTHS OF PAYMENTS AND I AM NOT VERY HAPPY TO SAY THE LEAST.
CONSUMER RECEIVED MANUFACTURER'S RECALL REGARDING HEAD GASKETS, BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE WORK DONE UNTIL VEHICLE STARTED EMITTING HEAVY SMOKE A FEW MONTHS LATER, DEALER INDICATED THAT SINCE THE FORM WASN'T RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE RECALL WASN'T REIMBURSABLE. *SLC
I HAVE HAD TO PUT LOTS OF MONEY INTO THIS CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND IT NEVER RUNS RIGHT . NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
I HAD TO REPLACE A LEAKING GASKET AT @ 60000 MILES. I DID CALL FORD BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. SINCE THE HEAD GASKET SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD MUSTANGS, I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST--AROUND $1000--FOR REPLACEMENT.
MY ENGINE HAS BEEN RUNNING HOT SINCE 1998. I'VE HAD IT IN NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD DIFFERENT THINGS EACH TIME. THE HEAD GASKET FINALLY BLEW IN JULY, 2000. FORD IS REFUSING TO COVER THE REPAIR COSTS EVEN THOUGH I'VE HAD IT IN BEFORE FOR THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM. SINCE FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM, THEY SHOULD STAND BEHIND THE RECALL EVEN IF THE VEHICLE IS OVER 100,000 MILES. I NEED HELP.
STALL AFTER STARTING WHILE PARKED.HOT WEATHER.SERVICE/ENGINE TUNE-UP FAILED TO REVEAL THE CAUSE. THE VEHICLE STALLING SPORATICALLY CONTINUES ; AT LEAST SIX TIMES. ON ONE OCCASION ,IT HAD STARTED,BUT THEN TRIED TO STALL IN A TRAFFIC SITUATION.
RIGHT FRONT TIRE SWABBLED BECAUSE THE STEEL BELT INSIDE OF THE TIRES SEPARATED. CONSUMER HAD THIS PROBLEM TWICE. SEARS WAS NOTIFIED AND THE ATTENDANT THERE SAID THAT THERE WASN'T A PROBLEM.*AK
OUR VEHICLE HAS JUST STARTED OVER HEATING WITHOUT ANY KIND OF WARNING, THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT ELECTRIC SWITCH TO MOVE SEAT FORWARD AND BACK WILL NOT MOVE THE SEAT, AND THE REAR SUSPENSION IS NIOSEY, UPON BACKING UP AND SLIGHT DIPS IN ROAD OR MORE THAT 2 PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE AT A TIME
MY CAR ACTUALLY FAILED FOR BLOWN HEAD GASKETS (A PENDING RECALL) FOR WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, WHEN THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TIMING COVER GASKET ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WERE TOLD THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE HEAD GASKET RECALLS ALSO SEEM TO NEED THIS TIMING COVER GASKET, IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE INITIAL RECALL. PLEASE RESEARCH, BY CHECKING ALL RECALL VIN # AND REPAIR RECORDS, TO SEE IF THIS IS NOT A DEFECT THAT IS IN FACT CAUSED BY THE RECALLED HEAD GASKET DEFECT AND THEREFORE SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD PAY FOR! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND COOPERATION.
WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN TRANSMISSION KEPT SLIPPING WHILE SHIFTING INTO GEAR. VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOWDOWN. KEPT APPLYING GAS. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SLIPPAGE.*AK
TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED WITH A PROFESSIONAL GAUGE. THREAD BLEW OFF AND SIDES STAYED ON THE RIM. TIRE DISINTEGRATED....NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. ANYBODY WHO MAKES A TIRE LIKE THAT IS A NONPROPFESSIONAL, INCOMPETENT NITWIT!!!!!( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 275/15 )
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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