2000 Ford Mustang

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.

The contact owns a 1965 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle unintendedly reversed on an incline of a parking lot and struck another parked unoccupied vehicle. There was no injury sustained. The contact stated that the vehicle was not designed with air bags. The vehicle sustained fenders, bumpers, and paint damage. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had unintendedly shifted from park(P) to reverse(R). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11696521

Incident

Oct 27, 2025

Mileage

105,000 mi

Drivers side and passenger (front) seatbelts no longer operational. They do not retract and they do not lock in place -- this is a safety issue. We attempted to get them replaced, but our Ford dealer has confirmed the drivers side belt has been discontinued. We have no recourse here.

NHTSA ID

11435576

Incident

Feb 2, 2021

AS MANY HAVE SAID THE PASS. SIDE SEAT BELT IS JAMMED UP, CANNOT BE USED. EVEN IF YOU SPEND RIME AND COMPLETELY STRAIGHTEN EVERY THING OUT IT WORKS MAYBE ONCE AND JAMS UP AGAIN. THE COMPLAINTS ARE LEGIT. THIS CAR HAS 80,134 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ID

11341090

Incident

Jun 1, 2019

Mileage

78,854 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIMMED AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE WHILE DRIVING IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SIDE AMBER REFLECTOR LIGHTS WERE MISSING FROM THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO MEET THE FMVSS REQUIREMENTS. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

NHTSA ID

11338256

Incident

Jul 8, 2018

Mileage

120,000 mi

I WAS MAKING A NORMAL ORDER DELIVERY DROP OFF GOING OFF MY GPS I CAME TO A NARROW ROAD WHERE NO SIGNS OF A DIP AHEAD. CAME TO A DIP AHEAD THAT YOU COULDN'T TELL IT WAS A DIP AND I WASN'T GOING NO MORE THAN 11 TO13 MILES WHEN I WAS COMING OVER IT AND MY AIRBAGS BUSTED OUT OF MY STEERING WHEEL HITTING MY HAND AND MY ARM LEAVING BURN MARKS. I COULDN'T STAY ON THE ROAD SO I WAITED 30 MINS BEFORE I DROVE SLOWLY BACK TO MY HOUSE CAUSE THEN MY TIRE STARTED GOING LOW. *TR

NHTSA ID

11331191

Incident

Jun 26, 2020

Mileage

11 mi

IS A BIG PROBLEM SHIFTING IN A GEAR AFTER IN FIRST GEAR STARTS TO SPUTTER AND SHAKE BELIEVE IT'S THE TRANSMISSION MANUAL 5-SPEED ALSO ENGINE OVERHEATING AND KNOCKING SOUNDS VIBRATIONS COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT BRAKES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SHAKY EVEN IF APPLIED SLOWLY AND SOFTLY

NHTSA ID

11100693

Incident

Oct 1, 2017

Mileage

116,000 mi

AS I WAS PULLING INTO A FRIEND'S DRIVE WAY, MY AIRBAGS JUST WENT OFF. THE SEAT BELTS DON'T RETRACT

NHTSA ID

10995246

Incident

May 26, 2017

Mileage

193,550 mi

VEHICLE REPORT FILE NO. 15-010497.

NHTSA ID

10994260

Incident

Nov 1, 2015

Mileage

1 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

SOME 1997-2008 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, OR 6.8L 2V ENGINE--SPARK PLUG THREAD REPAIR PROCEDURE--NOT COVERED UNDER NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY. *NJ THIS INCLUDES F-53 MOTORHOME CHASSIS. UPDATED 2/23/10. *PE

EXTENDED COVERAGE PROGRAM 05N04 - EXTENDED COVERAGE FOR COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THIS PROGRAM IS BEING PROVIDED AS A SETTLEMENT TO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT EXTEND THE COVERAGE OF THE ALL-COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO 7 YEARS FROM THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY START DATE OF THE VEHICLE, WITH NO LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF MILES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN. *TT

WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIP - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - ENGINE MISFIRE OR ROUGH RUNNING. *TT

SAFETY BELT RETRACTION SPEED. *TT

SAFETY BELT WEB STOP BUTTON SERVICE. *EH