1997 FORD MUSTANG GT Complaints

(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.

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

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE LEAKED DUE TO A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *AK

ON 2/3/04 I FILLED UP THE GAS TANK ON MY 1997 FORD MUSTANG GT. I THEN DROVE 2-3 MILES TO WORK. ON THE WAY TO WORK I SMELLED A GASOLINE ODOR. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT OF MY OFFICE THE SMELL WAS VERY STRONG. UPON EXITING MY CAR I SAW GASOLINE STREAMING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO GWINNETT PLACE FORD. THEY CALLED BACK AND TOLD ME THAT THE GROMMET WHERE THE FILLER NECK ENTERS THE GAS TANK HAD DRY ROTTED AND FAILED. THIS REPAIR COST OVER $300 EXCLUDING TOWING. HAD SOMEONE BEHIND MY CAR TOSSED OUT A CIGARETTE OR A SPARK OCCURRED, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LARGE FIRE ENDANGERING BOTH MYSELF AND OTHER MOTORISTS. I CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WERE VERY ABRUPT AND RUDE ABOUT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

I HAVE A 1997 FORD MUTANG GT WITH 106,000 MILES, AND FORD MADE IT CLEAR ABOUT A RECALL ON CRACKED PLASTIC MANIFOLDS. MY MANIFOLD IS CURRENTLY LEAKING AROUND THE PLASTIC INTAKE WHICH WAS CLEARLY ADDRESSED IN THE RECALL. I RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION FROM FORD. I THINK FORD SHOULD REPLACE THIS AT NO COST.

THE VEHICLE'S INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED. A RECALL WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THE PART CRACKED IN THE WRONG PLACE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED, CAUSING COOLANT TO BE SPRAYED ON ENGINE. A $245 EXPENSE JUST FOR THE PLASTIC PART THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN PUT INTO PRODUCTION, NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY CONCERNS SHOULD THE CRACK HAD HAPPENED RAPIDLY AND STEAMED UP THE WINDSHIELD. HOWEVER, AFTER TRYING MULITPLE TIMES TO GET THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING TO QUIT LEAKING (USING RTV ON THE POORLY DESIGNED O-RING SEAL), MY SON NOTICED THE CRACK IN THE INTAKE NEXT TO ONE OF THE BOLT HOLES USED TO SECURE THE THERMOSTAT ELBOW. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE HOW SUCH A MATURE CAR COMPANY CAN PUT SUCH A DESIGN IN PRODUCTION; AND TO MAKE IT WORSE REFUSE TO VOLUNTEER TO CORRECT THEIR ERROR.*AK

I WAS DRIVING MY 1997 FORD MUSTANG GT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE COOLANT LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE WHOLE COCKPIT FILLED UP WITH SMOKE. UPON NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE AND THE COOLANT LIGHT TURNING ON I IMMEDIATELY HAD TO PULL OVER. AFTER TOWING THE CAR HOME I NOTICED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A CRACK AND ANTI-FREEZE WAS SPRAYED EVERYWHERE. AN INTAKE MANIFOLD IS A PART THAT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF A CAR WITH PROPER MANUFACTURING. I DID SOME FURTHER RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT FOOD CHANGED THE MANIFOLD STYLE IN 1999 AND CHANGED TO A ALUMINUM FRONT RUNNER OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD INSTEAD OF THE PLASTIC RESIN THAT THE ANTI-FREEZE CAN EAT THROUGH. I ALSO FOUND A TSB ABOUT IT #0222. DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THEN NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING IS NOT A VERY PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. ESPECIALLY NOW THAT I HAVE A VERY INCONVENIENT AND COSTLY PROBLEM THAT I FEEL FORD SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR. *LA

MANUAL TANSMISSION. NO 5TH OR REVERSE. CLUTCH/TRANMISSION MESSED UP WHILE ON INTERSTATE.

CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD. PART ON THIS HIGH PERFORMANCE CAR IS MADE OF PLASTIC. THERE ARE NUMEROUS WEB SITES THAT STATE FORD IS AWARE AND HAS MADE REPAIRS FOR THIS IN THE PAST. THERE IS NO RECALL NOT 'PROGRAM' THAT FORD HAS FOR THIS KNOWN DEFECT. ALL WILL FAIL AT SOME TIME. A MECHANIC RECOMMENDED TO CONTACT FORD RATHER THAN PAY HIM TO REPAIR AS FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS PAID FOR REPAIRS IN THE PAST. *PH