1998 FORD MUSTANG Complaints

CAR IS A 1998 FORD MUSTANG GT WITH THE SOHC 4.6L ENGINE. AT AROUND 105K MILES, COOLANT LEVELS STARTED DROPPING RAPIDLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ENGINE WAS REVVED ABOVE 3000 RPMS. EVENTUALLY, LEVELS DROPPED MORE QUICKLY THAN COOLANT COULD BE REPLACED AND CAR OVERHEATED. FOUND A LARGE POOL OF COOLANT IN ENGINE VALLEY BETWEEN CYLINDERS. FOUND RECALL ON COMPOSITE INTAKES FOR 1996 AND 1997 MUSTANG GT'S WITH 4.6L SOHC ENGINE BUT NOT ON 1998 VEHICLES. INTAKE WAS REPLACED WITH NEW VERSION WITH CAST ALUMINUM CROSSOVER TUBE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK

I HAVE LOST 1 QUART OF OIL PER 1000 MILES SINCE 40,000 MILES. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A POOL OF OIL UNDER MY CAR BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THE LEAK. MULTIPLE VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THIS LEAK. MY NEW MECHANIC FINALLY FOUND THE LEAK TO BE A CRACKED TIMING CHAIN COVER. THERE IS A V-SHAPED CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE COVER. HE SAYS IT'S PROBABLY A CASTING ERROR. THE CAR NOW HAS 90,000 MILES AND OF COURSE IS NOT UNDER ANY WARRANTY. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD AND TWO SETS OF WORN REAR-END BEARINGS.*AK

1. I WAS DRIVING FROM SAN DIEGO TO FRESNO, ON I-5. ABOUT 70 MPH. I STRETCHED, AND LEANED BACK INTO THE SEAT, WHEN THE SEAT FLIPPED BACKWARDS FAR ENOUGH TO CAUSE ME TO LOOSE SIGHT OF THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY, I WAS HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTLY ENOUGH TO RAISE MYSELF QUICKLY AND REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*AK 2. A METAL BRACKET THAT CONNECTS THE SEAT TO THE FLOOR TRACK BROKE, CAUSING A LOSS OF RIGIDITY OF THE SEAT. 3. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE PART, OR GET IT WELDED, IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE SAFELY DRIVEN.

I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN I SMELLED COOLANT. WHEN I GOT HOME AND CHECKED FOR LEAKS I FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING COOLANT IT TO THE ENGINE VALLEY. MY MOMS '96 COUGAR AND FRIENDS '98 MUSTANG DID THE SAME THING. THEY HAD TO HAVE THE MANIFOLD REPLACED. *AK

CONSUMER HEARS A NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS GOING 60 MPH OR GREATER. ALSO, IT CAN BE HEARD WHEN ACCELERATING UP A HILL. *AK

THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS PULLED OUT THE BELTS DO NOT RETRACT. *AK

A USED VEHICLE ('98 MUSTANG GT) WAS FINANCED FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP BY MY DAUGHTER APPROX. 3 WEEKS AGO. THE SALESMAN WHO CLOSED THE DEAL STATED THAT THE ONLY ITEMS TO BE COVERED UNDER ANY KIND OF WARRANTY WOULD BE THOSE REGARDED AS SAFETY ITEMS. ENGINE FAILURE OR COSMETIC FEATURES WOULD NOT BE COVERED. APPROX. 17 DAYS AFTER FINANCING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR SWAY BAR BROKE WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING IT. THE CAR WAS IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM WHERE IT SAT WITHOUT NOTIFICATION FOR ANOTHER 2 OR 3 DAYS. WE WERE INFORMED BY A REPRESENTATIVE (I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE OWNER OR THE MANAGER, DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUT OF THE 4 OR 5 PEOPLE I SPOKE TO, NO ONE WOULD CLAIM MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY) THAT THE PART DOES NOT QUALIFY AS A SAFETY ITEM WHICH MEANS MY DAUGHTER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE COST OF THE PART AND THE LABOR. THE SWAY BAR WAS REMOVED BY THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC AND I CURRENTLY HAVE IT IN MY POSSESSION. THERE ARE DEFINITE SIGNS THAT THE PART WAS CRACKED AND READY TO BREAK LONG BEFORE THE PURCHASE WAS MADE. I ATTEMPTED TO WORK WITH THE MANAGER AND/OR THE OWNER TO GET SOME RESOLUTION. I HAD OFFERED TO REPLACE THE PART MYSELF IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SIMPLY PURCHASE IT. THE MANAGER SAID THE ONLY THING HE WOULD BE WILLING TO DO IS COVER HALF THE COST OF PARTS AND LABOR ($150). I FEEL THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE SAFETY CLAUSE THAT THE SALESMAN ORIGINALLY TOLD MY DAUGHTER WOULD BE IN EFFECT. THE COST OF THE PART AND LABOR DOESN'T BOTHER ME NEARLY AS MUCH AS THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO STAND BEHIND THE VEHICLES THEY SELL. THEREFORE, I AM REQUESTING THAT A COMPLAINT BE FILED AGAINST BAJA MOTORS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY INSIST A FULL SAFETY INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE, BUT THAT THEY REFUSE TO STAND BEHIND A SAFETY ITEM WHICH WAS CLEARLY DAMAGED PRIOR TO MY DAUGHTER TAKING DELIVERY. SINCERELY, [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVE WAY WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON AND IN GEAR. IT HIT A HOUSE AND TOTALED THE VEHICLE. *PH RECALL#434000 *SC

DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. MANIFOLD DEVELOPED CRACK FOR NO REASON. I FOUND OUT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FROM FORD AND FORD WILL NOT RECALL THE CARS. THE NEW REPLACMENT INTAKE MANIFOLD IS METAL IN THE AREA THAT DEVELOPS A CRACK AND FORD CHARGES ALOT OF MONEY FOR THE REPLACMENT THAT WAS A BAD DESIGN IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT REFUSES TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM OR REFUND THE COST OF A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED THE VEHICLE STALLED, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC. PLEASE ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB