2005 Ford Mustang Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while her husband was attempting to fuel the vehicle, the fuel tank was unable to be fully fueled. The contact stated that either the nozzle would shut off prematurely or gasoline would be prevented from flowing into the fuel tank. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent, but by late 2024, the fuel tank could no longer be filled, and the vehicle was placed in storage. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer prior to being placed in storage, and the contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The contact was made aware of Technical Service Bulletin Number: 05-15012; however, the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

NHTSA ID

11678583

Incident

Oct 7, 2024

Mileage

32,000 mi

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. While driving at approximately 25-35 MPH for approximately two miles, the engine started overheating. The oil pan gasket was leaking. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V779000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). There were several hoses that were split. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the radiator and engine were cracked, and the pistons were loose. There was air in the oil. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

NHTSA ID

11650264

Incident

Dec 26, 2024

Mileage

123,000 mi

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that during inclement weather, water was entering the cabin of the vehicle through the passenger’s side glove box. The contact stated that due to the failure, mold had developed throughout the vehicle on the carpet, doors, and interior seats. The contact's husband also discovered that water had entered the computer module after inspecting the vehicle and the module was removed. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable after several repairs and several battery replacements. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the dealer and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 87,000.

NHTSA ID

11643908

Incident

Jun 1, 2022

Mileage

87,000 mi

I have experienced two engine failures in my 2005 Ford Mustang due to timing chain issues, specifically the failure of the timing chain cassette, guides, and tensioners in the 4.0L SOHC V6 engine. The first failure happened suddenly with no warning, resulting in severe bottom-end damage, including rod knock. The timing chain cassette ends tend to snap off, sending debris through the engine and damaging lifters, camshafts, and other critical components. The second failure was preceded by an audible “death rattle,” a known symptom of timing chain guide and tensioner failure. Despite this, my vehicle never displayed a check engine light or oil pressure warning before either failure. Unlike later Mustangs with an oil pressure gauge, mine only has a warning light, which never activated.This issue poses a major safety risk, especially at highway speeds. My first engine failure occurred with no prior symptoms, which could have led to an accident had I been merging or overtaking. A failing timing chain can cause misfires, loss of power, or sudden engine shutdown, endangering the driver and others on the road. Independent mechanics have confirmed this issue, and Ford service centers recognize it as a common problem with the 4.0L SOHC V6 engine. Ford has quoted $3,000–$4,000 for timing chain service, making repairs nearly as expensive as engine replacement. These engines rely on multiple chains and hydraulic tensioners that wear out over time, causing slack in the timing chain, jumped timing, and catastrophic damage, typically after 100,000 miles. Despite this, there are no clear warning systems to alert drivers before failure occurs. While timing chains are considered serviceable components, the high failure rate of the timing chain guides and tensioners in these engines, combined with excessive repair costs, indicates a design flaw. I have spent around $4,500 addressing this issue, yet the risk of recurrence remains.

NHTSA ID

11643850

Incident

Feb 19, 2025

Ford did issue a recall for several issues for my car, including but not limited to, problems when filling gas tank with evaporative purge system as well as cavitation of the fuel pump in high heat conditions, the doors not closing all the way or handles remaining open( not flush with rest of door) when door is shut, driver's side door trim/bezel around power window switch making buzzing sounds when stereo is in use, as well as ticking sounds coming from motor during operation and various creaks and sounds from front suspension when cornering and going over uneven terrain, and the transmission, the 5r55s, has the known hard shift into gear caused by bad servo. I have reached out to the dealers in my area regarding these issues and even though my car is the correct model and year for the service recall bulletins and has the exact issues described there in, I am told that the vin on my car is not covered even though it is clearly suffering from equipment that exhibits all the same problems listed in the recall. I feel the responsibility to perform and pay for these repairs should fall on the manufacturer, not i, the customer.

NHTSA ID

11638493

Incident

Oct 16, 2024

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH on a rainy night, the headlights started flickering. The contact stated that upon exiting the freeway, while driving 30 MPH, the headlights completely turned off and the hazard lights were inoperable. The contact drove to the nearest gas station and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

NHTSA ID

11626876

Incident

Nov 8, 2024

Mileage

170,000 mi

I purchased this car from Trent Family Auto on May 2, 2024. On September 11, 2024 the engine failed. While working on replacing the engine I found an open recall. This is safety related and was never mentioned to me by the dealership. So aside from selling me a bad "as is" they sold me an unsafe vehicle. A vehicle my family has ridden in several times since the purchase. In regard to the recall when I reached out to them about the engine replacement cost they stated recalls can only be taken care of by manufacturing dealerships. Shouldn't they have some ownership to inform customer buying an unsafe vehicle there is an open recall? Thank your for checking into this matter.

NHTSA ID

11619958

Incident

Oct 7, 2024

Took the 2005 Mustang GT in several years ago to have one airbag replaced. Dealer (Autonation Torrance, California) stated parts were not available for the other side. One of the airbags has never been replaced. I now read there is a "Do Not Drive" recall for vehicles of this year and model in "Zone A".

NHTSA ID

11608307

Incident

Aug 13, 2024

Filling gas tank is a nightmare, the first batch of the newly remodeled vehicle. When filling it it'll pump for 3 seconds and then click off and shoot gas out because it thinks it's full so you have to click it on the lowest possible setting. It's a 16 gallon tank and if it's completely empty the first eight gallons will pump fine anything over that because of the way the tank is shaped is where the airlock is and that's when you can barely touch the gas lever before it clicks off and shoots gas up It takes me 20 minutes to fill up so anything before the half a tank mark will fill normally but once it's over half a tank is when the problem arises. From all of the forums that I've looked at for this new remodeled 2005 year this was a common problem and the mustangs built for the first 6 months and judging by the belt date mine was in March so far well within the first 6 months. When I pulled out the extra gas that dripped onto the ground caught on fire so I had to jump out and luckily I had a fire extinguisher in my trunk but that was terrifying because I'm at a gas station and the whole thing could have went up in flames.

NHTSA ID

11561978

Incident

Dec 26, 2023

Body control module. It gets wet when it rains because of an engineering mess up. It shorts out my lights. Sometimes it can't get out of car because it messes with the locks and windows. Can't use my electric mirrors anymore. Instead of being a much needed recall they decided to not even make replacement bcm. It is a problem everything it gets wet that should have been recalled and fixed. At least a thousand other incidents of this happening to others.

NHTSA ID

11553700

Incident

Nov 5, 2023

I've own a 2005 Mustang GT since the year 2012. Throughout the years I've encountered problems where the cooling fan would abruptly shut off and cause the engine to overheat. The first time this happened I had to pull over to the side of the road countless of times just to let my car get cool enough to get back home. I brought the Mustang GT in to a mechanic who suggested to replace the radiator fan. After replacing it, the fan would work for a few weeks only for it to randomly shut off, but turn back on. Just recently I found oil in my spark plugs and found the following OBD II error codes: P0480 Fan 1 Control Circuit & P0481 Fan 2 Control Circuit. I am convinced the valve seals and maybe the piston rings were worn out due to excessive heat caused by the Mustang's electrical issues with the radiator fan. After searching online, I found countless amounts of threads and videos of other Mustang owners experiencing the same issue. Most of them are caused by a faulty relay connection inside the Mustang's fuse box that is causing the radiator fan to fail. The faulty relay would get burnt and cause a short thus not providing power to the radiator fan which left many owners stranded on the road and caused over thousands of dollars in damages to their engine. The part that gets burnt is not easily available and would require owners to pay an additional thousands of dollars to reconnect the relays. Some owners had no choice but to create a makeshift wired connection from their radiator fan to the dashboard so that their vehicle's engine can remain under normal operating temperatures while driving. I've attached a video of someone explaining this issue at the 8:00 Minute mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAs6uf3VV68

NHTSA ID

11531903

Incident

Jul 11, 2023

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the speedometer and several unknown gauges on the instrument cluster became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,981.

NHTSA ID

11529389

Incident

May 12, 2023

Mileage

56,981 mi

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that after parking and turning the vehicle off for extended periods of time, the vehicle would not restart, and the battery needed to be recharged. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11503549

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

Mileage

150,000 mi

I just bought this the floor board is totally soaked I have read this soaking wet I have read this is a serious issue for long time to eye the wiring shorts out as been why is this not on a renal list to bed serious issue

NHTSA ID

11498703

Incident

Dec 23, 2022

I have done all my airbag recalls and the light came on a few months ago and is steady flashing. Called Cresent Ford in High Pint and they looked up my VIN and my car replacement history. They told me it had been replaced but it was still under warranty and to make an appointment to have it looked at. Made an appointment, which I may add I had to take the day off and drive 40 mins one way, I was told by [XXX] that I had to pay for a diagnostic test because it may not be the airbag and they refused to look at the car until I paid for a diagnostic test. I continue to receive airbag notices and if I was told on the phone this was under warranty. If there are problems in the past with airbags and in the future, we have problems why should this not be covered and looked at by Ford at cost to them to run a diagnostic test. This is absurd. Had this happened to me 3 months ago I NEVER would not have purchased a 2010 Mustang if this is how you do your customers for your defective parts. Also went to pull the parking brake up, which was passed inspection SEVERAL times, and the brake does not work. This is a BIG safety hazard. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11493048

Incident

Nov 10, 2022

Allen , our son had accident Friday May 20th in our 2005 Ford Mustang gt. He swerved to miss something in the road and lost control of the vehicle. It actually rolled over but also damaged the front end enough to bend the frame rails. The ai bags did not set off. There was a recall on them and we had them replaced by Ford in 2020 . My wife and I felt like they should have deployed . Thanks

NHTSA ID

11467057

Incident

May 20, 2022

while driving home just as I was switching lanes, the car sputtered badly and a wrench light appeared on dash. Since then, the car did not exceed 20 miles per hour. as I conducted research, a lot of mustangs have this issue and it is theorized to be the throttle body.

NHTSA ID

11462987

Incident

May 1, 2022

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that one day after a rainstorm she noticed several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the headlights were inoperable due to the water leaking into the interior of the vehicle. Additionally, there was water leaking into the interior of the dashboard. There was also water coming out of the driver’s side front air vent and the interior lighting in the vehicle from the interior module and center console. The lights were flickering on and off. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer however, the dealer was not able to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11436811

Incident

Jul 7, 2011

Mileage

40,000 mi

Brought the vehicle in for airbag replacement. Made an appointment ahead of time. Left the car over night. Contacted the service dept the next day and they told me the repair was done. I went in and was handed the keys and paperwork and told it was done. I kept getting recall notices from Ford, so I contacted them to let them know the airbags had been replaced. They insisted I never brought the car in, but I have the paperwork. Upon going over the details with Ford during the first phone call. Only one airbag had been replaced, and they gave the car back to me under the impression it was safe to drive. Last week was the third time I've contacted. Each time they say they will investigate the matter and never call back. I've lost confidence in this dealership and Ford for being unwilling to admit they dropped the ball and fix the problem. Their letters say they will come to you, but that's not happening either. I would like to watch this being done, sorry I just don't trust them anymore. (I have the paperwork)

NHTSA ID

11422210

Incident

Oct 10, 2020

I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUE EVERYONE ELSE IS WITH THEIR SPEEDOMETER, TACH, FUEL GAGE. IT WAS WORKING FINE, THE WEATHER WARMED UP AND IT WOULD WORK SOMETIMES. THEN IT JUST STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE I HAVE NO WAY OF TELLING HOW FAST I'M GOING. I COULD UNDERSTAND THIS HAPPENING IF I HAD 100,000 MILES ON IT, BUT AS OF YESTERDAY, 4/26/2021 IT JUST HIT 39,034. WITH EVERYONE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE, HOW IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL. I HAD TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AT COST OF $875. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND A DANGEROUS ONE.

NHTSA ID

11414202

Incident

Apr 30, 2020

Mileage

37,800 mi

I WAS PULLING OUT OF WORK ONTO A BUSY STREET WHEN CAR WENT INTO IDLE MODE BECAUSE OF THE THROTTLE BODY DRIVE BY WIRE SYSTEM.THERE WAS NO INDICATION ANYTHING WAS WRONG OR ABOUT TO GO WRONG. GOD WAS REALLY LOOKING OUT FOR ME ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY BECAUSE THE CARS THAT WERE ON THIS BUSY ROAD WASN'T IN A HURRY LIKE THEY NORMALLY ARE AND I AVOIDED A (T-BONE)COLLISION. IT REALLY SCARED ME AND I HAVEN'T DROVE THE CAR ANYMORE AND IT'S FOR SALE. I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE REPORTED AND I WILL TELL WHOEVER BUYS THE CAR WHAT HAPPENED UPFRONT. I'M NOT WILLING TO RISK IT DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. I SWITCHED THE KEY OFF AND STARTED THE CAR BACK UP AND DROVE IT 40 MILES HOME WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS AND IT WILL NEVER BE DRIVEN BY ME AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11343952

Incident

Mar 14, 2020

Mileage

135,000 mi

JUST GOT IT DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT

NHTSA ID

11339223

Incident

Jul 1, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V001000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHEEHY FORD OF MARLOW HEIGHTS (LOCATED AT 5000 AUTH RD, CAMP SPRINGS, MD 20746, (301) 298-0793) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

11268008

Incident

Feb 1, 2018

TAKATA INFLATORS. I HAVE BEEN TRYING SINCE LAST AUGUST TO GET THE RECALL DONE ON BOTH MY FRONT AIRBAGS.FIRST THE DEALER(CHARLES GABUS FORD IN DESMOINES IOWA)PROMISED ME A LOANER CAR FOR THE DAY MY CAR WOULD BE IN THE SHOP,ONLY TO TRAVEL THERE 40 MILES AND THEN THEY SAY THEY HAD NONE AVAILABLE.THEN I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. RECALL DEPARTMENT JUST TO TRY TO GET MY NAME OFF OF THEIR RECALL MAILING LIST DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T REALLY TAKE THIS RECALL SERIOUSLY.AFTER REQUESTING TO TALK TO A SUPERVISOR BECAUSE I WAS GETTING NOWHERE WITH THIS WOMAN ,SHE SIMPLY HUNG UP ON ME.

NHTSA ID

11197083

Incident

Aug 20, 2018

Mileage

98,000 mi

HAD AIR BAGS REPLACED ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO AND IT SHOWS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE THAT BAGS STILL NEED TO REPLACED,HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE IT SHOWS THEY WERE REPLACED?

NHTSA ID

11194347

Incident

Apr 6, 2019