2003 FORD MUSTANG Power Train Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS COULD NOT BE LOCKED OR UNLOCKED BY USING THE KEYLESS REMOTE SENSOR. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO GEAR. THE CONTACT HAD TO ABRUPTLY FORCE THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKES AND YANKED THE GEAR SHIFT HARDER AS THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,035.

Mileage: 163,035

THE PUSH BUTTON ON THE HANDLE OF THE SHIFTER THAT YOU HAVE TO PRESS TO GET IT OUT OF PARK ON MY 2003 MUSTANG IS STICKING. IT'S AS THOUGH YOU TRY TO PUSH IT WHILE NOT STEPPING ON THE BRAKE BUT WE ARE STEPPING ON THE BRAKE. WE TRY JIGGLING AND PUSHING AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF FIGHTING WITH IT, IT STARTS WORKING FINE UNTIL THE NEXT TIME I HAVE TO DRIVE IT SOMEWHERE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE SHIFT INTERLOCK CABLE DUE TO IT BINDING UP AND NOT RELEASING PROPERLY. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. FORWARD SUN GEAR W/TORRINGTON BEARING. *TR

Mileage: 38,015

WHILE SLOWING DOWN, DOWNSHIFTING OR SWITCHING GEARS, THE CAR ENGINE WILL JUST FAIL AND SHUT OFF/STALL WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CAR WILL NOT "BUCK" OR SHAKE, IT WILL JUST TURN OFF, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO STOP OPERATING. I HAVE HAD TWO CLOSE INCIDENTS WHERE I WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT AND ALMOST HIT A CAR BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING SHUT OFF WHEN THE ENGINE DIED WITHOUT WARNING. I AM AFRAID THIS PROBLEM WILL CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE TWO YOUNG CHILDREN RIDING IN THE VEHICLE MOST OF THE TIME. I TOOK THE CAR TO FORD DEALERSHIP THEY STATED THAT THEY DID A FULL INSPECTION BUT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I AM STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AT LEAST SEVERAL TIMES A DAY WHEN MY ENGINE WILL JUST SHUT OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR NOTICE WHILE I AM OPERATING IT. BOTH MY HUSBAND AND MY FATHER HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR AND EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM SO I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT THE WAY I AM DRIVING IT. *NM

Mileage: 28,450

THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING POORLY, TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT ON ITS ON. DRIVER NOTICED THAT A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION AND SUSPENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 FORD MUSTANG COBRA ON CHRISTMAS EVE 2002. AROUND 2000 MILES, I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE CAR WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVABILITY. I THOUGHT THAT IT MAY BE A LITTLE QUIRK THAT WOULD WORK ITSELF OUT DURING THE BREAK-IN PERIOD. *AK NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT HASN'T. THE FIRST PROBLEM BEGAN WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING ROUGHLY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND HAD IT INSPECTED AT 6,000 MILES. THE ENGINE BEGAN STALLING DURING DECELERATION AND ALSO HAD POWER CUTTING OFF DURING TAKE OFF. THIS HAS BEEN A DAILY OCCURRANCE SINCE THAT TIME. THE CAR NOW HAS 15,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS. THIS RECURRING PROBLEM HAS HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP SIX DIFFERENT TIMES WITH SIX FAILURES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 12,000 MILES. THE AIR CONDITIONING IS NOW CYCLING WHERE IT BLOWS NO COLD AIR FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. THE ADHESIVE SEAL FOR THE SPOILER IS COMING LOOSE AND THE REAR BUMPER COVER IS WARPING AS HAVE PREVIOUS MUSTANGS I HAVE OWNED. THE DRIVABILITY CONCERN IS A HAZARD TO SAY THE LEAST. I HAVE HAD NO FEWER THAN A DOZEN DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHERE I NARROWLY ESCAPED A MAJOR COLLISION DUE TO THE ENGINE BOGGING DOWN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FORD'S REPAIR FACILITY FOR MORE THAN 4 CUMMULATIVE WEEKS FOR REPAIRS. IT IS GOING BACK IN AGAIN VERY SOON. I WENT THROUGH FORD'S ARBITRATION BOARD WHICH WAS AN ABSOLUTE JOKE AND WASTE OF MY TIME. THE BOARD CITED THAT "DRIVABILITY CONCERNS STILL EXIST, HOWEVER FORD HAS NOT BEEN GRANTED SUFFICIENT TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM". EACH TIME IT HAS BEEN IN, I HAVE SAID, I DON'T WANT THE CAR BACK UNTIL IT IS CORRECTED. FORD ALSO TRIES TO CLAIM THAT VEHICLE WAS ONLY IN FOR SERVICE THREE TIME ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAVE SEVERAL WORK ORDERS THAT SAY OTHERWISE. I WOULD LIKE ANYONE WHO HAS HAD OR STILL DOES HAVE A SIMILAR ISSUE TO CONTACT ME. THIS CAR IS A LEMON, THAT FORD DOES NOT WANT TO CORRECT.

Mileage: 6,000

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION.*MR THE FIRST TIME THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE WAS FOR A NOISY TRANSMISSION AND IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM BUT TOPPED OF THE FLUID AND REPROGRAMMED THE PCM. THE DEALER INSTRUCTED THE CONSUMER TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD WORK ITSELF OUT. THE SECOND VISIT WAS FOR THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN, HOWEVER THIS TIME IT WAS GRIDING BETWEEN FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD GEARS WHEN COLD. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM, BUT INFORMED THE CONSUMER OTHER MUSTANGS WERE HAVING THE PROBLEM AND THEY WERE WAITING ON A BULLEITN TO SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. *JB

2003 MUSTANG MACH 1 HAS HAD SHIFTING PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN SEPT 03. FORD SUPPOSEDLY HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR A YEAR OR TWO. THEY HAVE YET TO COME OUT WITH A TSB. THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT, ESPECIALLY WHEN TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE IS COOL. BECAUSE IT SOMETIMES TAKES 2 OR 3 SECONDS (OR MORE) TO SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR THE CAR IS JUST COASTING UPON LEAVING A STOPLIGHT AND I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REARENDED NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE THE TRANS WON'T ALLOW QUICK ENOUGH SHIFTS. CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 3,500 ADULT DRIVEN MILES, 2400 OF WHICH ARE HIGHWAY. MANY ACQUAINTANCES HAVE HAD THIS SAME COMPLAINT. TRANS MANUFACTURER (TREMEC) TOLD PEOPLE AT 40TH MUSTANG ANNIV THAT FORD WAS SUPPOSED TO ISSUE A TSB. IT HASN'T COME TO PASS YET.*AK

Mileage: 200

AUTO TRANS IS SHIFTING SLOW INTO THIRD. THEN WHEN SHIFTING DOWN IT CLUNKS INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

Mileage: 2,200

2003 FORD MUSTANG GT RT AXLE SNAPS ON FREEWAY CAR IS TOTALLED AND THE DEALERSHIP ACTS LIKE ITS NOT THERE PROBLEM THE CAR IS 8 MONTHS OLD WITH 14,000 MILES ON IT .I HAVE BEEN IN THE AUTOMOTIVE BUISNESS FOR 25 YEARS I RACED CARS HAD HOT RODS AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN A AXLE DO WHAT THIS DID I PUT 6,000 DOWN MY PAYMENTS ARE 550.00 A MONTH I HAVE OVER 10,000 INTO THIS CAR DROVE FOR 8 MONTHS NOW I HAVE 0 AND A WRECK ON MY DRIVING RECORD CAR INSURANCE RAISED WHAT DO I DO BIG VALLEY FORD WERE I BOUGHT THIS CAR DONT CARE PLEASE HELP I STILL HAVE POSSESION OF VEHICLE THANK YOU RON WHITLEY . *AK

Mileage: 14,281

JUST BOUGHT MY MUSTANG IN AUGUST OF 2003. PAINT WAS PEELING OFF FRONT BUMPER BEFORE I EVEN PICKED UP CAR. THEN HAD TO HAVE FRONT END REPLACED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE SUSPENSION. NOW MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. *LA

Mileage: 180

ENGINE STALLS WITH CLUTCH DISENGAGED, COASTING AT ANY SPEED SUCH AS WHEN SLOWING TO A STOP, SLOWING FOR TURN, ETC. LOSS OF POWER, CAUSES INSTABILITY TO TURN, BRAKE, OR ACCELERATE AS EXPECTED.*AK

Mileage: 9,855

STALLING UPON SLOWING DOWN WITH THE CLUTCH FULLY ENGAGED. LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND POWER BREAKING. 2003 MUSTANG COBRA. HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. PROBLEM OCCURS SEMI-FREQUENTLY. HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ONCE FOR THIS PROBLEM, PROBLEM NOT RESOLVED. *LA

SURGING AT A STEADY SPEED. *PH

Mileage: 534

CONSUMER STATED A NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE REAR END WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. *MR THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE.*JB