2003 Ford Mustang GT Engine Problems

ON COLD START, THERE IS A "TICKING" SOUND. TOOK IT TO MECHANIC AND HE GAVE ME A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ARTICLE #03-25-6, DATED 12/22/03, REGARDING FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY ENGINES BUILT BEFORE 9/17/2003. EMAILED FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO FIND OUT WHAT COULD BE DONE TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION AS IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT OF THE CAR ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. ALL THEY COULD TELL ME IS THERE IS NO RECALL AND TAKE IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED IF NEED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10211147

Incident

Nov 9, 2007

Mileage

34,000 mi

1) EVERYTHING WAS RUNNING FINE, NO PROBLEMS DETECTED. MAINTENANCE ON VEHICLE WAS UP TO DATE. WAS TURNING A CORNER AND THERE WAS A POP AND AFTER THAT THE ENGINE STARTED TO MIS-FIRE. 2) WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE 2 MILES TO THE FORD SERVICE CENTER. THERE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK AND THAT THIS HAPPENS ON OCCASION. I HAD TWO OPTIONS: THE FIRST WAS TO PAY $610 TO PUT A PATCH IN THAT WASN'T PROVIDED WITH A WARRANTY AND THEY TOLD ME IT COULD LAST 2 YEARS OR BLOW 2 MILES DOWN FROM THE SHOP AFTER I LEFT, OR PAY $2500 AND HAVE A NEW CYLINDER PUT IN. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH FORD VEHICLES, THAT FORD IS AWARE OF BUT IS NOT TAKING CARE OF. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT EVEN IF THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THAT THE WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THIS AND I WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A CAR I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX FOR A WHILE AND A CAR MAKER WHO CAN'T ADMIT THAT THEY BUILT A FAULTY ENGINE AND FIX THEIR PROBLEM. 3) NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS YET, AS I AM LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN FIX IT RIGHT AT A LOWER COST. *JB

NHTSA ID

10185145

Incident

Mar 15, 2007

Mileage

52,000 mi

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BLOW A HOLE AT THE CROSSOVER EXCHANGE, CAUSING COOLANT TO EXPLODE OUT LIKE A GUYSER AND GOT ON MY FACE WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE WHAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM! IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT A RECALL OR CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT IN 2005. CAN I BE REIMBERSED THE PRODUCT HAS BEEN KNOWINGLY AND WIDELY VIEWED BE EVRYBODY AS DEFECTIVE.

NHTSA ID

10177340

Incident

Dec 25, 2006

Mileage

52,000 mi

DT: CONTACT STATES THE VEHICLE SHE OWNS HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR BRAKES, THE SEAT BELTS, AND THE COMPUTER CHIP THAT MADE THE VEHICLE START. NOW, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTIONED. THE REPAIRS WERE BEING MADE AT NO CHARGE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ID

10142432

Incident

Nov 7, 2005

AFTER DRIVING TO WORK ONE MORNING, ONCE I PARKED I NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM BOTTOM RADATOR HOSE. DEALER REPLACED COOLING HOSES AND CLAMPS. ALSO THE PAINT WERE THE HOOD SCOOP MEETS THE HOOD STARTED TO CHIP, WATER GETS CAUGHT UNDER THE HOOD SCOOP MAKING IT DIFFICULT THE KEEP IT CLEAN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10088206

Incident

Mar 13, 2003

Mileage

2,100 mi

I OWN A 2003 MUSTANG GT 5-SPEED. IT HAS DIED NUMEROUS TIMES AND AFTER THE FIRST TIME I CALLED THE FORD CONSUMER HOTLINE AND WAS BRUSHED OFF. BUT THEY DID REFER ME TO A LOCAL DEALER, THE SAME DEALER THAT LESS THAN 10MINS AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE TOOK MY CAR FOR A SHORT SPIN AND SAID THAT MY CAR WAS A LITTLE LOW ON GAS AND THAT WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE. I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 35MPH AND WAS NOT ON THE CLUTCH OR ACCELERATING. IT JUST DIED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED. I FINALLY HAD A DEALER DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND THEY REPLACED MY CARS IAC VALVE. MY CAR HAS STILL DIED SEVERAL TIMES BUT NOW ITS WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND ITS BEEN ISOLATED. I FEEL THAT A TSB OR RECALL ON THIS LONG OVERDUE.

NHTSA ID

10057105

Incident

Jun 20, 2003

Mileage

600 mi

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT 35 MPH AND PUT ON THE BRAKES AND THE CAR SHUT OFF (SHUTTING OFF THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES). THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE. THE SECOND TIME WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO I WAS GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE CAR SHUT OFF, I WAS LUCKY THERE WAS NOBODY IN THAT INTERSECTION... *JB

NHTSA ID

10038991

Incident

Jul 15, 2003

Mileage

13,980 mi

2003 COBRA. VEHICLE STALLS DURING DECELERATION. TYPICAL SCENARIO INVOLVES LIGHT TO MODERATE BRAKING WHILE OUT OF GEAR. CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT WILL NOT RECOVER CAR. BRAKES RAPIDLY FADE AND VEHICLE LOSES STEERING CAPABILITY. OCCURRED AT LEAST 2-3 TIMES A WEEK FROM DATE OF PURCHASE, JULY 02. ABATED DURING WINTER MONTHS AND RETAINED IN SPRING. DEALER DUPLICATED STALL BUT NO REPAIR AVAILABLE. STILL STALLS TO DATE. *TT

NHTSA ID

10020575

Incident

May 27, 2003

Mileage

20 mi

ENGINE STALLS WHEN CLUTCH PEDAL IS PRESSED AND BRAKE APPLIED RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. *JB

NHTSA ID

10014206

Incident

Apr 9, 2003

Mileage

2,896 mi

CAR STALLS WHEN CLUTCH PRESSED DOWN AND BRAKE APPLIED. LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES MAKING CAR EXTREMELY UNSAFE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10014042

Incident

Apr 5, 2003

Mileage

2,600 mi

CAR STALLS UNDER BRAKING. GETTING ONTO HIGHWAY FROM ACCESS RAMP, I ACCELERATED TO 70 MPH THEN TOUCHED BRAKES TO SLOW TO 65 AND THE CAR STALLED. I LOST POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, AND ACCELERATION. A CAR CUT ME OFF AND I ALMOST RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER AND TRIED TO SWERVE ONTO THE SHOULDER BUT THE STEERING WAS TOUGH DUE TO THE LACK OF POWER. *JB

NHTSA ID

10010915

Incident

Mar 17, 2003

Mileage

1,000 mi