1998 FORD MUSTANG Complaints

INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED UNDER NORMAL OPERATION WITH NO REAL REASON AS TO IT'S FAILURE OTHER THAN STRUCTURAL FLAWS IN IT'S ORIGINAL DESIGN.

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED. AS A RESULT, THE COOLANT LEAKED ONTO THE ENGINE. *AK

1998 FORD MUSTANG GT HAS FUMES ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. *MR THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HAVE BREATHING PROBLEMS. *SC *JB

THE SEAT BELTS IN THE FRONT DO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY BECAUSE THEY HANG DOWN AND DO NOT RETRACT, MAKING IT DANGEROUS IF THE VEHICLE WERE TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. MANUFACTURER WILL CONTACTED BY CONSUMER.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE HARD TO PULL OUT AND WILL NOT RETRACT ALL THE WAY BACK. THE SEAT BELTS FIT LOOSE ON THE BODY OF THE PERSON USING IT. *TC

RE: 1998 FORD MUSTANG 4.6 LITRE. DEFECTIVE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD SPLIT NEAR THERMOSTAT HOUSING. FOUND OUT THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, WITH RECALLS TO ALMOST EVERY VEHICLE MADE WITH A 4.6 LITER ENGINE EXCEPT FOR MY YEAR, THUS WE HAD TO FIND OUT THE HARD WAY. WE NOW FACE REPLACING THIS PART, AT OUR OWN EXPENSE, BECAUSE FORD REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. WE WERE TREATED RUDELY AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, WHO EVEN REFUSED TO TELL US WHETHER A UPGRADED REPLACEMENT PART WAS AVAILABLE. THUS THE INTERNET RESEARCH. THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET!!

COOLANT WAS LEAKING SLOWLY FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS, THEN BEGAN TO LEAK A LOT THE END OF DECEMBER, SO THE CAR WAS UNDRIVEABLE BECAUSE OF RISK OF OVERHEATING, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LEAK RESULTED FROM A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD WHERE THE THERMOSTAT SITS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MANIFOLD WITH A NEW MANIFOLD THAT IS METAL WHERE THE CRACK OCCURRED (AN INDICATION OF FORD'S AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM). THE COST TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS $1,070 AND I HAVE KEPT MY OLD MANIFOLD. THROUGH MY RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT FORD WILL REPLACE THIS PART ON THE 1996-1997 MUSTANGS AND POLICE AND FLEET CARS. A MEMORANDUM TO THE DEALERSHIPS SHOWS THAT THE 1996-1998 MUSTANGS HAVE THE SAME INTAKE MANIFOLD PART NUMBER, SO FORD SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST TO REPLACE MY INTAKE MANIFOLD. *JB

THERE IS COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE DUE TO A DEFECT THAT THE INTAKE HAS. *NM

CONSUMER SMELLED ANTIFREEZE. LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OPERABLE. *AK

I CURRENTLY OWN A 1998 FORD MUSTANG GT. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000 MILES ON THE ENGINE. IAM THE SRCOND OWNER. IT HAS THE 4.6 V-8 ENGINE. AT APPROXIMATELY 88,000 MILES THE INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A CRACK AND STARTED LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. IT HAS CONTINUALLY GOTTEN WORSE AND IS NOW TO THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE ON 12/27/2004 REGARDING 3 CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTERS I FOUND ON LINE REGARDING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURES AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN #'S WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL FOR REPLACEMENT. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON FAILURE. I CONTEND THAT FORD SHOULD REPLACE ALL DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLDS AS THEY OCCUR INSTEAD OF DESIGNATING ONLY CERTAIN VIN #'S AS A FAILURE IS A FAILURE.*AK

I HIT A TREE AFTER DRIVING OFF THE ROAD AND THE CAR BECAME INGULFED IN FLAMES AND SOON BURNED THE CAR TO NUTHING BUT STRAIGHT METAL LOSS OF EVERYTHING EVEN RIMS WERE MELTED AND WINDOWS TOO ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS HARD METAL SURFACES I WAS ALMOST BURNED ALIVE PLUS THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED TO LATE AND MY HEAD ACTUALLY IMPACTED THE STEERING WHEEL BREAKING MY NOSE AND SPLITTING MY FOREHEAD OPEN AND ALMOST LOST MY LEFT EYE DUE TO THE IMPACT THE SEATBELT WORKED TOO GOOD IT SPERATED MY LEFT SHOULDER AND BROKE MY COLLAR BONE STRETCHING ALL MY TENDONS IN MY LEFT SHOULDER BREAKING MY CLAVICAL AND SHOULDER BLADE.*AK