1997 Ford Mustang GT Problems

ENGINE WAS USING COOLANT/TOOK TO FORD DEALER & THEY ADVISED IT'S COMING FROM CRACK IN TOP OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THESE DUE TO CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, BUT TIME TO FILE ENDED 4 MOS. AGO & WE'D HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. *TR

MY INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED. *TR

MY EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILS WHEN ENGANGED AND THE BRAKES ARE PROPERLY ADJUSTED.THE E-BRAKE POPS LOOSE CAUSING THE CAR TO ROLL EVEN IN 1ST GEAR.I HAVE BEEN RAN OVER BY THE FAILURE AND THE CAR WAS SOLD TO ME BY DUVAL FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULDN'T FIX BEACAUSE OF THE 131,000 MILES BUT THEY CERTIFIED THE CAR AS PERFECT FOR SALE.NOT TO INCLUDE THE REAR END NEEDED REBUILT THE INTAKE WAS CRACKED AND LEAKED INTO THE CYLINDER CAUSING THE ROD TO SPIN A BEARING.

WAS INFORMED BY THE GARAGE I TOOK MY CAR TO THAT MY MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER AND HYDROBOOST WERE LEAKING. I WAS TALKING THIS OVER WITH A LAWYER FRIEND OF MINE AND SHE INFORMED ME OF A RECALL ON FEDERAL VEHICLES, POLICE, ETC. BUT THIS WAS NOT A GENERAL RECALL. BUT IF YOU HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES ON YOUR VEHICLE IT WOULD BE FIXED THROUGH FORD. I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO SUCH RECALL EVEN AFTER I TOLD THEM I COULD FURNISH THEM WITH CASE LAW NUMBERS IN FLORIDA. I AM NOT SURE WHAT I SHOULD DO AND HOPE YOU CAN HELP. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN A 55 MPH ZONE, I ATTEMPTED TO SET MY CRUISE CONTROL. I DID THIS SUCCESSFULLY. HOWEVER, ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AS IF THE CONTROL WAS DISENGAGED. AFTER I REALIZED THIS, I PUMPED THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE THE C/C. IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF PUMPING THE BRAKES TO RELEASE CONTROL. ONCE DONE, I WAS TOO PARANOID TO TRY USING THE C/C UNTIL RECENTLY. I DECIDED TO TRY IT WITH NO TRAFFIC AROUND IN A 35 MPH ZONE ON A STRAIGHT AWAY. THE CRUISE CONTROL SIMPLY WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I TOOK IT TO AN ASE CERTIFIED SHOP IN ELLSWORTH, MAINE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED. THE SHOP SAID IT WAS A RELAY THAT WAS BURNED OUT. THE RELAY WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF 48 DOLLARS FOR PARTS AND LABOR. AFTER REPLACING THE RELAY, THE C/C STILL DOES NOT WORK. I AM MORE CONCERNED WITH THE SUDDEN SLOW DOWN AND NON-RELEASE OF SPEED CONTROL TO THE DRIVER THAN WITH GETTING MY C/C TO WORK AGAIN, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. ESPECIALLY SINCE IT HAPPENED ON A MAINE HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THANK YOU.*AK

VEHICLE'S ENGINE STARTED RACING AND BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND TO STOP VEHICLE.*MR THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC WHO DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE CONSUMER HAS NOT EXPERIENCED ANYMORE PROBLEMS. *JB

MY MAIN CONCERN IS WITH THE WELDING ON THE REAR OF THE CAR. I HAVE HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT BY MORE THAN ONE INDEPENDENT MAINTENANCE PROFESSIONAL WHO HAS STATED THAT THE ORIGINAL DEFECT, THE IMPROPER WELDING OF THE BRACKETS ON TO THE UNIBODY AT THE FACTORY IS A NON-REPAIRABLE DEFECT. ORIGINALLY, THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THE DEFECT AND REPRESENTED TO ME THAT THE BODY SHOP WOULD BE ABLE TO FIX THE DEFECT. AT THAT TIME, I WAS TOLD THE REAR TIRES WERE POINTING TO THE RIGHT. NOW I AM BEING TOLD BY EVERYONE OTHER THAN THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY ARE "TOED TO THE LEFT - NO ADJUSTMENTS CAN BE MADE". AT THE TIME THE DEALERSHIP PUT THE CAR IN THE BODY SHOP FOR "RE-WELDING" IT HAD ONLY 20628 MILES ON IT, AND THE TIRES WERE COMPLETELY RUINED. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO MAKE ANY ALLOWANCES FOR NEW TIRES. AT THAT TIME, THE CAR WOULD FISHTAIL AND SWERVE ON RIGHT TURNS, EVEN FROM A DEAD STOP. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT NOW THE CAR DOES THE SAME THING ON LEFT TURNS. I HAVE HAD THEM LOOK AT THE VEHICLE THREE TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH, AND THEIR CONSISTENT POSITION IS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSE WAS THAT I NEEDED TO GO THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND PAID FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH HAD NOT EXPIRED AT THE TIME I BROUGHT THIS BACK TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER. AT THIS TIME, HOWEVER, THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I DO NOT FEEL THAT MATTERS, HOWEVER, AS THE DEFECT HERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION WHICH I HAVE, IS NON-REPAIRABLE. I HAVE PROVIDED THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE COMPUTER PRINTOUTS WHICH I HAVE FROM OTHER TECHNICIANS EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM, BUT, AS I SAID, THEIR CONSISTENT POSITION IS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. AND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH THE EXTENT OF THEIR EXPLANATION. I WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE MY POSITION WITH THE MANUFACTURER, HOPEFULLY WITH BETTER SUCCESS.

ON 2/3/04 I FILLED UP THE GAS TANK ON MY 1997 FORD MUSTANG GT. I THEN DROVE 2-3 MILES TO WORK. ON THE WAY TO WORK I SMELLED A GASOLINE ODOR. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT OF MY OFFICE THE SMELL WAS VERY STRONG. UPON EXITING MY CAR I SAW GASOLINE STREAMING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO GWINNETT PLACE FORD. THEY CALLED BACK AND TOLD ME THAT THE GROMMET WHERE THE FILLER NECK ENTERS THE GAS TANK HAD DRY ROTTED AND FAILED. THIS REPAIR COST OVER $300 EXCLUDING TOWING. HAD SOMEONE BEHIND MY CAR TOSSED OUT A CIGARETTE OR A SPARK OCCURRED, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LARGE FIRE ENDANGERING BOTH MYSELF AND OTHER MOTORISTS. I CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WERE VERY ABRUPT AND RUDE ABOUT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

AS I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 15MPH, I HEARD A LOUD POP/CRACK COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. AT THIS TIME THE CAR STARTED TO DRIFT OFF TO THE RIGHT AND ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TRIED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CHANGE AND THE STEERING WHEEL CONTINUED TO TURN IN A 360 DEGREE ROTATION WITH NO CONTROL OF THE TIRES. AT THIS TIME I FELT SOMETHING HIT MY SHOE FROM ABOVE THE GAS PEDAL AND I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING HAD BROKE CAUSING ME TO HAVE ABSOLUTE NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE STEERING COLUMN, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE SHAFT HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE COLUMN THAT GOES INTO THE FLOOR BOARD AND INTO THE FIREWALL TO THE ENGINE. NO BROKEN/SHARD PARTS OF METAL NOR ANY BROKEN PIECES THAT COULD HAVE FALLEN OFF WERE LAYING UNDERNEATH. IT WAS AS IF THE SHAFT WAS "PULLED" OUT OF THE COLUMN HOLE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION AT A BODY SHOP, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NEVER BEEN INTO AN ACCIDENT (JUST LIKE THE CARFAX REPORT HAD INDICATED) BECAUSE THERE ARE NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGES. THE TECHNICIANS HAD NEVER SEEN AN ISSUE SUCH AS THIS AND HAVE NO EXPLANATION AS TO HOW/WHY THE SHAFT WOULD JUST SEPARATE WITH SUCH EASE. I'VE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND DEALERSHIPS AND THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN/HEARD OF AN ISSUE SUCH AS THIS. I BOUGHT THE MUSTANG FROM A LOCAL USED CAR DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE NOT DISCLOSED ANY INFORMATION REGARDING STEERING ISSUES/IF THERE IS ANY TO DISCLOSE. I AM HAVING THE BODY SHOP COMPLETELY REPLACE THE SHAFT BECAUSE I DO NOT FEEL SAFE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, IF THIS ISSUE IS TO HAPPEN AGAIN WITH SUCH EASE AND I LOOSE TOTAL CONTROL OF STEERING CAPABILITIES, WHO IS TO SAY IT WON'T HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR? *TR

MANUAL TANSMISSION. NO 5TH OR REVERSE. CLUTCH/TRANMISSION MESSED UP WHILE ON INTERSTATE.