1998 FORD MUSTANG Complaints

THE SPEEDOMETER IN 1998 MUSTANG STOPPED WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. IT WILL SOMETIMES GAUGE SPEED INCORRECTLY, AND TELL I AM GOING ABOUT 85 MPH WHEN I AM DOING ANYWHERE FROM 15-30 MPH. THEN IT WILL ALL OF A SUDDEN STAY ON 0 MPH. SOMETIMES TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT RESETS IT, OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT. I WOULD SAY THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK ACCURATELY ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME. THERE WAS NOTHING THAT LEAD UP TO THIS HAPPENING, IT JUST STARTED ONE DAY. THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL IF IT IS GOING TO WORK WHEN I TURN IT ON OR NOT. SOMETIMES IT WILL GET STUCK ON 0 MPH FOR DAYS, AND THE ONLY TIME IT WILL RESET ITSELF IS WHEN I GET ON A HIGHWAY AND DO ABOUT 65 MPH. SO FAR, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB

ON AUGUST 07, 2005 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE 85 IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT 65 MPH. MY CAR SUDDENLY MADE AN ABRUPT TURN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT THE TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATED LOOSING IT'S BEAD WITH THE WHEEL. THE TIRE WAS A NITTO NT555 P255/35/18. IT WAS MOUNTED ON A 9.5 INCH GENUINE FORD WHEEL.*JB

APPROXIMATELY THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY A LOUD HISSING NOISE OCCURRED AND AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF PRESSURE OCCURRED . WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT THE LOUD NOISE WAS EVIDENT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND THE DISCOVERY WAS A SPARK PLUG HAD DETENADED IN THE ENGINE . SPARK PLUG WIRES WERE COOKED AND BURNT , THE THREADS IN THE ENGINE HAD BEEN STRIPPED DUE TO THE BLOW OUT OF THE PLUG. THE PLUG WAS NOT STRIPPED. THE ONLY WAY IT COULD BE FIXED WAS TO HAVE IT RECOILED , NOT CHEAP IT COST ME ABOUT $1800,00 IN REPAIRS AND IN MY CASE IT HAD TO BE DONE BY SOMEONE WHO WORKS ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I HAVE HEARD THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING IN A NUMBER OF FORD VEHICLES. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AND FORD NEEDS TO PAY FOR MY UNNECESSARY REPAIRS. *NM

AFTER SERVICE OF MY 4.6 MUSTANG GT, MY CAR BEGAN MISSING AND I HAD THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPLETE IT REPORTED A MISFIRE ON PLUG 7 & 8, SO I HAD THE PLUGS REPLACED. DURING THE REPLACEMENT, I SAW COOLANT UNDER BOTH THE 7 & 8 PLUG. THE MISFIRE CONTINUES, AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD FAILED AND THAT THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THE CONSUMER EVEN THOUGH FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS A KIT TO SELL TO THE CONSUMER FOR 900+ DOLLARS. FLEET CARS TAXI, CROWN VIC'S USED BY SHERIFF DEPARTMENTS WERE CLEARED FOR REPLACEMENT, BUT NO THE CONSUMER CIVILIAN. WHAT SENSE DOES THAT MAKE? IF THE ENGINEERING IS BAD, AND IT IS, THE REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE FOR ALL OWNERS OF THE 4.6 LITER ENGINE. HOW IS THE SEGREGATION OF FLEET CARS FROM PERSONAL USE VEHICLES LEGAL IN THIS COUNTRY? EVERYONE WHO OWNS THESE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE A REPLACEMENT MADE AVAILABLE REGARDLESS OF WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, AND WHAT OTHER DAMAGE CAN I EXPECT TO FIND? WILL THIS HAVE A DAISY CHAIN OF FAILURES DUE TO THE BAD DESIGN? I UNDERSTAND THE COST TO REPLACE WILL BE $1,200.00 + WITH THE DEALERSHIP ESTIMATE PARTS AND LABOR. *JB

MY ENGINE STARTED CLANKING NOISES BEFORE IT EVEN HAD 100,000 KILOMETERS ON IT, NOW THE ENGINE IS TOAST AT ABOUT 105,000 KILOMETERS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY FORD THAT I HAVE SPUN THE MAIN BEARING AND WILL NEED A NEW ENGINE,. THIS VEHICLE IS BABIED, REGULAR OIL CHANGES WITH PURE SYNTHETIC OIL, AND PREMIUM GAS. *NM

I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HOPE YOU WILL LET ME KNOW. I OWN A 1998 FORD MUSTANG GT. IT HAS 48,620 MILES ON IT. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THE CRUISE CONTROL AND INSIDE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. I TOOK IT IN TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS SOME KIND OF SENSOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I DO NOT REMEMBER SPECIFICS. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE ABOUT $500.00 PLUS TO FIX IT. I COULD NOT AFFORD TO FIX. LAST MONTH THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON IN THE CAR. I TOOK IT IN LAST WEEK AND THEY TOLD ME THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT WAS BAD. IT WOULD BE $992.00 PLUS TO FIX IT. I SPENT $115.00 JUST SO THEY COULD TELL ME THIS. I AM FINANCIALLY STRAPPED, I DO NOT HAVE THIS KIND OF MONEY. THE CAR IS IN MINT CONDITION. YES, IT IS ABOUT 8 YEARS OLD BUT, AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE MILES IT HAS HARDLY BEEN DRIVEN. FORD DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I DO NOT THINK ALL OF THESE SENSORS AND OTHER THINGS SHOULD BE GOING WRONG WITH IT. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING ERROR AND PROBLEMS ON FORDS END. I THINK THEY SHOULD BE FIXING THESE THINGS. I COULD SEE IF MY CARD HAD MORE MILES ON IT AND I HAD THESE PROBLEMS BUT, NOT AT 48,620 MILES. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF THE ABS UNIT IS NOT REPLACED. THE FORD DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT GO INTO DETAILS. SO, COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR ME. *NM

DT: 1998 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONSUMER STATES THE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED. THE ENGINE STARTED SMOKING AND THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING HOT. THE ENGINE COOLANT WOULD RUN OUT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. THE CONSUMER CALLED FORD. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, IF THE SETTLEMENT GOES THROUGH IT WILL BE APPEALED. THEREFORE, FORD WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM.*AK

DT: WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 20-25 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL KEPT TURNING BUT THE WHEELS WERE NOT MOVING. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HIT A PARKED CAR. THE CAR WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED, BUT HAS NOT BEEN TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. INSURANCE COMPANY INSTRUCTED A MECHANIC TO INSPECT THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WAS NOTED THERE WAS PROBLEM WITH THE SHAFT WHICH BROKE AND THEREFORE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. IT WAS NOTED BY THE MECHANIC, AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY AS A DEFECTIVE STEERING ON THE CAR INVOLVING THE SHAFT. MECHANIC SAID HE MUST REPAIR VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS OTHER ISSUES WITHIN THE STEERING OR SUSPENSION. AS OF YET NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED HE AND THE OWNER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE DID NOT THINK IT WAS NECESSARY TO FILE A POLICE REPORT SINCE THE DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL. *JB

INTAKE MANIFOLD DEFECTS.. IT'S MADE FROM PLASTIC AND IT CAN NOT WITHSTAND ALL THE PRESSORE AND HEAT THAT IT WILL CRACK VERY EALRY AND CAUSE COOLING FLUID TO LEAK , AND WITH ALL THAT STEM COMING FROM THE HOOD IT WILL BE SO HARD TO SEE THE ROAD AND WILL CAUSE A FIRE FROM THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM SHORTING OUT FROM THE FLUID.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON. WAS TOLD FAULTY HEAD GASKET. LOSING COOLANT WITH NO VISABLE LEAKS. ESTIMATED $1200.00 REPAIR AT LEAST. WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE FORD 3.8 C.I. ENGINE WHY HAVE THERE BEEN NO RECALLS FOR THE MUSTANG UNLIKE THE TAURIS? (SAME ENGINE)