Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–116 of 116

2004 Ford Mustang complaints

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 2004 record →

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery
Filed Apr 19, 20051,000 milesNC

WHILE DRIVING SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER VIBRATED, ALL THE FLUID LEVERS WENT TO EMPTY, AND VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED TWICE BY THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM IN WHICH THE CLAMP WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Apr 12, 200515,000 milesDE

I HAVE MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHEN YOU PUT IT IN REVERSE IT WOULD NOT GO BACKWARD. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK, SECOND GEAR GRINDED VERY BADLY. I DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHEN I INITIALLY TOOK THE CAR IN. THEY KEPT TELLING ME TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IT WOULD WORK, IT WAY OUT. IT DID NOT WORK ITS WAY OUT, AND I TOOK IT BACK IN FOR REPAIRS. THEY HAD THE CAR 9 DAYS. AFTER I PICKED THE CAR UP, A FEW DAYS LATER I REALIZED THE REVERSE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS A FUSE . A FEW WEEKS LATER I REALIZED IT WAS OUT AGAIN, THEY AGAIN SAID IT WAS A FUSE, AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT WORKING BECAUSE OF MY AFTERMARKET RADIO. I DECIDED TO JUST DROP THE CAR OFF IN THE DEALERS AFTER HOUR DROP BOX TO MAKE THEM LOOK AT IT BECAUSE OF THE REVERSE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. IT TURNS OUT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND SWITCH WERE BROKEN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I JUST RECEIVED THE CAR BACK TODAY AND NOW THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT IS ON. I NOTICED THIS BEFORE I EVEN GOT OUT OF THE DEALER'S LOT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ON WHEN I TURNED THE CAR IN. I TURNED THE CAR AROUND AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY WERE TO BUSY AND COULD NOT TAKE THE CAR BACK SO I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS ARE IN REGARDS TO THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS FROM BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT TAKE THE CAR IN UNTIL SUNDAY. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Feb 16, 2005MS

REAR BRAKES GRAB AND GRIND IF WET, WORSE IN REVERSE. *AK

Parking Brake
Filed Jan 18, 200518,425 milesMI

(1) COLD WEATHER IN MICHIGAN. DRY CAR, NO ADDITIONAL FROZEN WATER ON VEHICLE. (2) PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT RELEASE WHEN FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXIST. UNABLE TO MOVE IN REVERSE WITHOUT HEAVY ACCELERATION. FREE PLAY IN PARKING BRAKE HANDLE EVENTUALLY GOES AWAY AFTER SITTING ( 3 - 10 MINUTES ), OR DRIVING FORWARD WITH THE VEHICLE FOR ROUGHLY .5 MILE. (3) DEALER COULD NOT VERIFY CONCERN, I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT AGAIN TO LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE APPOINTMENT. NO SERVICE BULLETINS IN REGARD TO THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOT CURRENTLY USING PARKING BRAKE AS I DON'T WISH TO BREAK ANYTHING, OR PREMATURELY WEAR ANYTHING OUT. THIS VEHICLE WAS A FLEET VEHICLE PURCHASED WITH 17,210 MILES ON IT. DEALER IS VERY CORDIAL, AND APPEARS TO BE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, BUT HAS NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM PRESENTED TO THEM PREVIOUSLY. NO SERVICE BULLETIN FROM FORD REGARDING THIS PROBLEMI PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT (ODI ID NUMBER : 10106576), AND HAVE SINCE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. IT APPEARS THAT THE SERVICE WORK THEY HAVE SINCE PERFORMED HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM (HOPEFULLY FOR GOOD). THE FOLLOWING WARRANTY SERVICES WERE PERFORMED: "REPLACE BOTH REAR E-BRAKE CABLES, REPLACE REAR BRAKE PADS DUE TO HOT SPOTS AND RT REAR INNER AND OUTER PADS HEAT CRACKED. USE ON CAR BRAKELATHE MACHINE BOTH REAR ROTORS BEFORE SPEC .550 AFTER CUT SPEC. .530 INSTALL 4 NEW STAINLESS SLIDES, LUBE COMPLETE ASSEMBLY AND ROAD TEST. ALL OK" . *NM

Suspension
Filed Jan 12, 200511,016 milesNC

WHILE DRIVING 5-60 MPH STEERING WHEEL WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 23, 20047,980 milesNV

WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 FORD MUSTANG GT CONVERTIBLE WITH THE TOP DOWN AND THE BOOT FASTENED AS INSTRUCTED IN THE OWNER'S HANDBOOK, THE BOOT DETACHED AND FLEW INTO TRAFFIC. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS.*AK

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash1 injured
Filed Aug 6, 20041,340 milesNV

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FOUR CARS REAR END COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT TOTALLY COLLAPSED BACKWARD. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL. *AK

Air BagsCrash
Filed Jul 23, 2004VA

MALFUNCTION IN DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS ON 2004 FORD MUSTANG.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE VEHICLE HIT THE GUARDRAIL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *NM

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Jun 4, 2004FL

THERE WAS NO INDICATOR LIGHT WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS THE WAY VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED. *AK THE DEALER DID NOT ADVISE THE CONSUMER OF THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB

Power Train › Clutch Assembly › Pedal/Hand Lever(motorcycle)
Filed Apr 22, 2004NJ

WHEN CONSUMER APPLIED THE CLUTCH PEDAL IT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO RISE UP FROM 100 TO 3000 RPMS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND FLOOR MANAGER DETERMINED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH CAR. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Feb 24, 200475 milesMD

GAP ON LOWER PASSENGER DOOR. EXCESSIVE ROAD NOISE WHERE CONVERTABLE TOP MEETS PILAR ON PASSENGER SIDE.*AK

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Power Steering Fluid
Filed Feb 20, 200413,892 milesTX

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED HEARD A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE NOISE SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS NO FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY FULL. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND CLAIMED THAT THE STEERING WAS WORKING NORMALLY. *AK POWER STEERING WILL LOCK UP AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STEER VEHICLE, THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, PROBLEM WITH REAR DEFROSTER. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OF ALL VEHICLES 1999 AND UP. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Feb 5, 200433 milesWA

REAR BRAKES 2004 MAKES A NOISE WHEN WET IDLE IS TO HIGH WHEN YOU PUSH IN CLUTCH. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System
Filed Jan 26, 2004100 milesCA

REPEATED INTERMITTENT FUEL SMELL DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE IN INTERIOR COMPARTMENT. *LA

Seats › Front Assembly › Head Restraint
Filed Jan 15, 2004PA

THE HEAD REST ONLY ADJUST UP TO ONE INCH. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT ANYONE WHO DRIVES THESE VEHICLES WILL NOT HAVE THE PROPER HEAD RESTRAINT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit
Filed Oct 29, 20031,000 milesOR

I BOUGHT A 2004 FORD MUSTANG ON 9/15/03. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS FAULTY, CAUSING ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE REPLACED ON 10/28/03. THE REAR END WHINES AND IS WOBBLY WHILE MAKING ANY TURNS, LEFT OR RIGHT.*AK

Reading these

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.

Full record for the 2004 Ford Mustang → · Every Mustang year → · How the figures are calculated →