2000 Ford Mustang GT

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR THE DEALER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, REPORTED THAT A SPARK PLUG DETACHED FROM THE CYLINDER AND/OR EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE.AS OF DECEMBER 8, 2005, ODI IS NOT AWARE OF ANY ALLEGATIONS WHERE THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, A CRASH, AN INJURY, OR A FATALITY IN ANY OF THE 10,319,810 SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ADDITION, ODI IS AWARE OF ONLY TWO INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT RESTART.INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND OBTAINED FROM 72 TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH COMPLAINANTS SHOWED THE FOLLOWING:(1) 99% OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE ON MY 1997 TO 2002 SUBJECT VEHICLES.(2) MOST THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED HEARING A LOUD POP WHILE DRIVING OR UPON STARTING UP THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD, REPETITIVE CLICKING OR POPPING SOUND.(3) MANY OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE POPPING SOUND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SOME LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER; HOWEVER, IN 99% OF THE INCIDENTS REPORTED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL.IN THE VERY FEW INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE DID STALL, MOST VEHICLES COULD BE RESTARTED.(4) ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINANTS CITED THAT THEY SMELLED GAS OR A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.(5) IN ALL BUT A VERY FEW INCIDENTS, VEHICLE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE ENGINE.IN ONE INCIDENT, THE COMPLAINT REPORTED THAT THE FUEL RAIL WAS DAMAGED AND REPLACED AFTER ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE; HOWEVER, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT THE DAMAGE DID NOT RESULT IN ANY TYPE OF FUEL LEAK OR FIRE.IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, THE ONLY INCIDENT WHERE A FIRE WAS ALLEGED, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT NO FLUID LEAK WAS OBSERVED, BUT THAT A FIRE RESULTED AFTER THE SPARK PLUG HAD EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE AND HE HAD RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DRIVEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION.NONE OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HOOD.(6) ONLY TWO COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOME DROPS OF FUEL COMING FROM THE CYLINDER WHERE THE SPARK PLUG HAD FAILED OR ON THE SPARK PLUG ITSELF; HOWEVER, EACH OF THESE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FLAMES AS A RESULT OF HIS INCIDENT.AS THE PETITIONER NOTED, AND ODI?S ANALYSIS SHOWED, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A SPARK PLUG TO DETACH FROM THE ENGINE CYLINDER THREADS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI?S ANALYSIS OF 474 COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING SUCH INCIDENTS FOUND ONLY A VERY FEW ALLEGED ANY SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES.NONE OF THESE SHOWED ANY EVIDENCE OF A SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCE.GIVEN THE LARGE POPULATION AND RELATIVELY LONG EXPOSURE TIME OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, THE COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY FROM THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS VERY LOW.IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA?S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY?S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.

TAKATA RECALL. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY THE FIRST TIME, AS IT WAS FAILING TO RETURN TO DEFAULT POSITION PROPERLY. THE SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME, AFTER I WAS REAR ENDED (IT WAS FAILING TO RETRACT AGAIN AT THE TIME, IDENTICAL TO THE FIRST TIME I HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY), AND CRUSHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS AT A FULL STOP WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT ME FROM BEHIND. THAT CRASH DEPLOYED BOTH AIRBAGS. THE FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS WERE REPLACED DUE TO THAT CRASH, ALONG WITH THE SEAT BELT. I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THOSE TWO REPLACEMENT AIRBAGS WERE MADE BY TAKATA. THE SEAT BELT HAS AGAIN BECOME "UNSAFE" DUE TO IT NOT RETRACTING. I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THE SEAT BELT WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY IF I'M INVOLVED IN ANOTHER ACCIDENT! THIS LEAVES ME WITH TWO QUESTIONS: DO I HAVE TAKATA AIRBAGS IN THIS CAR, AND, IS THIS SEAT BELT ISSUE A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED OR AT LEAST HAS A TSB ISSUED? THIS IS AN 18 YEAR OLD CAR THAT I SELDOM DRIVE, AND HAVE OWNED SINCE BRAND NEW, BUT IF I HAVE TWO SAFETY ISSUES THAT FORD SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT IT, SO I CAN GET THE PROBLEMS RESOLVED. IS THERE ANY WAY FOR ME TO DETERMINE THE I DO OR DO NOT HAVE TAKATA AIRBAGS, SINCE THEY WERE REPLACED BY A FORD DEALER (NOW CALLED "AUTO NATION FORD") HERE IN FRISCO, TEXAS. THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT IS AN ESTIMATE.

NHTSA ID

11149915

Incident

Nov 9, 2011

Mileage

100,000 mi

AIR BAG NON DEPLOYMENT!!!

NHTSA ID

11119855

Incident

Aug 9, 2018

Mileage

177,000 mi

MY CAR WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. MY FRIEND TOOK OFF HIS SEAT BELT AND AS IT WAS RETRACTING, IT LOCKED. I TRIED TO PULL ON IT TO SEE IF IT WOULD UNLOCK AND IT WILL NOT BUDGE ONE BIT. IT IS LOCKED ABOUT HALF WAYS.

NHTSA ID

11119523

Incident

Aug 3, 2018

Mileage

106,012 mi

MY 2000 MUSTANG GT OVERHEATED WHILE I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME, ON A TEN MILE JOURNEY A COUPLE DAYS AGO. UNTIL THIS INCIDENT, MY MUSTANG HAD NEVER OVERHEATED. I BOUGHT THE CAR LAST SEPT. I USED HOSE WATER AT GAS STATION TO COOL IT FIRST ON HOOD THEN ONCE MY ENGINE LOOKED COOLER, I FILLED THE RADIATOR (THINKING WE'D FLUSH THE COOLING SYSTEM WHEN I GOT IT HOME) WATER EMPTIED AS FAST AS I POURED IT IN, FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD BEHIND WHAT LOOKS LIKE THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING. MY CAR IS MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION. NOW I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. BECAUSE I USED ALL MY MONEY TO BUY THIS CAR. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX THIS. MY SITUATION APPEARS IDENTICAL TO SEVERAL ON YOUR SITE, SUCH AS THIS ONE I JUST COPIED FROM ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS POSTED:OCT 08, 2013 - LEXINGTON, SC - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. STEAM ROLLED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. DISCOVERED CRACK IN MANIFOLD WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THERMOSTAT HOUSING. COOLANT DRIPPING ON THE ENGINE; I DO NOT KNOW IF INTERNAL COMPONENTS ARE DAMAGED.

NHTSA ID

11098136

Incident

May 23, 2018

Mileage

1,854,635 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD MUSTANG GT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO JAN JA SERVICE CENTER (5771 MAIN STREET TRUMBULL, CT, 06611 PHONE: 203-261-3249), BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S VOLUNTARY RECALL (0S34) FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

NHTSA ID

11010458

Incident

Jul 23, 2017

Mileage

125,000 mi

PI INTAKE IS CRACKED AND IT IS MADE OF PASTIC AND I ONLY GOT 42500MILES IN THE CAR I EXPECT TO GET REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURY

NHTSA ID

10995038

Incident

Jun 2, 2017

Mileage

42,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD MUSTANG GT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ENGINE OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE OIL FILTER ADAPTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE OIL FILTER ADAPTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

NHTSA ID

10640090

Incident

Sep 28, 2014

Mileage

59,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. STEAM ROLLED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. DISCOVERED CRACK IN MANIFOLD WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THERMOSTAT HOUSING. COOLANT DRIPPING ON THE ENGINE; I DO NOT KNOW IF INTERNAL COMPONENTS ARE DAMAGED. RESEARCHED IT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS MODEL AND THAT FORD CORRECTED THIS IN SUBSEQUENT MODELS BY CHANGING MANIFOLD TO ALUMINUM FROM THE PLASTIC. FORD WILL NOT HONOR RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE. THEY ARE CLAIMING THAT MY VEHICLE ISN'T ON THE RECALL DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY CAR CONTAINS THE SAME PART THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10547309

Incident

Oct 7, 2013

Mileage

140,000 mi

FORD: CERTAIN 1999-2001 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES UP TO 6000 LB GVWR REGISTERED IN NEW YORK AND CERTAIN 2001 VEHICLES UP TO 6000 LB GVWR REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF MAINE, CERTIFIED FOR SALE IN CALIFORNIA-FEDERAL EMISSION WARRANTY REFUND. *PE