1997 FORD MUSTANG Complaints

SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER'S SIDE FAILED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND WERE REPLACE DWITH ONE FROM JUNK YARD. NOW THE ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS LOCKED UP (BELT WON'T EXTEND). THIS IS ON A 1997 FORD MUSTANG V-6. *AK

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT FAILS TO FUNCTION, WILL NOT CATCH/STOP FORWARD MOTION WHEN JERKED/PULL ON. I ASK MECHANIC TO LOOK AT IT WHEN IT STOPPED RETRACTING. CAR WAS IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE. HE ADVISED ME THAT THE SEAT BELF WILL NOT FUNCTION IF I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT, OFFERING NO DRIVER RESTRAINT. BASICLY THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.*AK

MY 1997 MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE GT, VIBRATES AT SPEEDS OF ABOUT 60-65 MPH. THOUGH THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR SOME TIME, AFTER PLACING NEW TIRES ON THE VEHICLE (LAST WEEK) I DECIDED TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND FOUND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS CONSISTENT WITH MY VEHICLE'S PROBLEM. *JB

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

THE VEHICLE HAD STEAM COMING OUT OF ENGINE, WHICH COULD CAUSE OVER HEATING. OWNER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD NEED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER WOULD REPAIR AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *NM

EXCESSIVE RATTLING..ROUGH IDLE..WHILE ENGINE IS RUNNING..A SLIGHT "HUMMING" CAN BE HEARD OVER THE DUAL EXHAUST..NOTHING MAJOR HAS HAPPENED AS OF YET.*AK

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

(1) EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: FORD POORLY DESIGNED AN INTAKE MANIFOLD SO THAT THE COOLANT RUNNING THROUGH IT ACTUALLY EATS AWAY THE PLASTIC. *AK (2) FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES: THE INTAKE CRACKED AND SPRAYED COOLANT THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE BAY. THIS RENDERED THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. (3) WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. FORD HAS A PROGRAM (97M91) WHEREIN WHEN THE PART FAILS(REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE), THE DEALERSHIP WILL REPAIR IT AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. THIS PROGRAM STATED THAT IT WAS COVERED FROM 7 YEARS OF THE START OF THE WARRANTY OF THE VEHICLE. MY INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED AT 7 YEARS AND 59 DAYS WITH ONLY 23000 MILES ON THE CAR.

THE PAINT ON TOP AND ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE PASSENGER'S STARTED TO PEEL OFF LIKE AO MONTHS AGO. *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