2002 Ford Mustang GT
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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These records cover every 2002 Ford Mustang GT. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
48 complaints5 involved a crash1 involved a fire4 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Seat belts · Structure › Body · Wheels
I recently was traveling on the interstate late after work on interstate 10 at 60 mph when I was struck from behind at a high rate of speed which caused the car to spin out of control , hit a guard rail and thrown into onto oncoming traffic. As stated in police report. Both front and rear of the…
I recently was traveling on the interstate late after work on interstate 10 at 60 mph when I was struck from behind at a high rate of speed which caused the car to spin out of control , hit a guard rail and thrown into onto oncoming traffic. As stated in police report. Both front and rear of the car sustained severe damage however none of the airbags deployed causing facial trauma seatbelts failed, as it did not hold my 100 lb body in place.causing injury. From being thrown all over the car causing loss of conciousnous. Back driver side wheel and hub was torn off from impact and axle was broke. Car had 96 k miles and well maintained.and cared for. However this car has faulty airbags, seatbelts, among other issues that ca result in a human life!
- Engine
Blew spark plug out.
- Electronic stability control (esc)
The ABS electronic stability control warning light has come on. It cannot be turned off. There has been no problem with braking or any accident since this occurred about june 2016. I would like to have this repaired by ford, since this could be a highly dangerous situation.
- Service brakes
Ford motor company discontinued the manufacturing process of the anti-lock pump unit (ABS pump) of their classic car ford mustang for the years 1999 to 2004. it IS a part that serves the car's safety system being an important element of the brake components. this IS an unwise decision that…
Ford motor company discontinued the manufacturing process of the anti-lock pump unit (ABS pump) of their classic car ford mustang for the years 1999 to 2004. it IS a part that serves the car's safety system being an important element of the brake components. this IS an unwise decision that endangers the life of 1999-2004 mustang owners and others on the road. According to www.wikipedia.org a total of 947,667 mustangs were sold on the reference years, the majority IS still on the road. It IS unclear if the ABS control module was discontinued also.
- Electrical system · Engine · Fuel/propulsion system
I had just finished fueling up my car and when I got in to start it up I heard a pop and hissing sound.... When I checked it had blown another spark plug and coil out of cylinder 7.... It blew one out of cylinder 8 and I had it fixed now cylinder 7 did it.... Its obviously common for the 4.6 motor…
I had just finished fueling up my car and when I got in to start it up I heard a pop and hissing sound.... When I checked it had blown another spark plug and coil out of cylinder 7.... It blew one out of cylinder 8 and I had it fixed now cylinder 7 did it.... Its obviously common for the 4.6 motor to do this and I don't find it right that us owners have to constantly fix these problems when its ford's fault for making this motor. *tr
- Electrical system · Seat belts
I have replaced driver side and passenger side seat belts 2 time and they need it again they stop retracting. My driver side window will not work it the sun shines on that side of car. Headlights had to be replaced because they were so foggy you couldn't see when lights were on. *tr
- Engine
Spark plug blew out of head and there's a knock coming from the block. *tr
- Engine · Fuel system, gasoline · Power train
1 - engine makes horrible sound in cold weather. also appears to be issue with electrical wiring harness which caused a fire. Very bad gas mileage - big change in decreased mpg. Have issues when trying to fill up gas tank where fuel gun filler wont allow me to fuel as the gas pump at most gas…
1 - engine makes horrible sound in cold weather. also appears to be issue with electrical wiring harness which caused a fire. Very bad gas mileage - big change in decreased mpg. Have issues when trying to fill up gas tank where fuel gun filler wont allow me to fuel as the gas pump at most gas stations will immediately stop and kick out the fueller gun and spit gas out of my tank and spill on my car. There IS also oil on my spark plugs and ports. 2 -powertrain - poor stability in driving and squeaky noises coming from rearend. I bought this car brand new and went through four automatic transmissions, first time at 800 miles on the odometer only. Ford replaced all defective transmissions while car was under warranty. presently I am re-experiencing the same exact transmission problems. All defective transmissions had problems with the second and third gear to final inoperability causing the car to stop dead while driving. it caused an accident. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling
I have a 2002 mustang GT bullitt that I bought in july 2013. so far I have had two different incidents where a spark plug has blown the head. the most recent was yesterday 11/23/2013. all I was doing was backing out of my driveway and heard a noise come from the spark plug. today, I changed the…
I have a 2002 mustang GT bullitt that I bought in july 2013. so far I have had two different incidents where a spark plug has blown the head. the most recent was yesterday 11/23/2013. all I was doing was backing out of my driveway and heard a noise come from the spark plug. today, I changed the spark plug again, and so far it IS running okay for now. but a few weeks ago, I changed the same spark plug, then it worked fine, then it went out again yesterday. so, hopefully it won't happen again, but if it does, I won't be surprised. *tr
- Engine
The number three (3) spark plug blew out. *tr
- Wheels
We were going around a curve about 45 mph and heard a pop like something hard broke. Did not know what it was at the time. Went to the shop up the road and pulled over the pit and look under the car, after 10 or 15 min seen what looked like a crack on the back of one of the five spokes on the rear…
We were going around a curve about 45 mph and heard a pop like something hard broke. Did not know what it was at the time. Went to the shop up the road and pulled over the pit and look under the car, after 10 or 15 min seen what looked like a crack on the back of one of the five spokes on the rear rim a buddy of ours said come up here and look its broke I could pull fishing line through it, went up and talked about it. Just don't want anyone to get killed if it happens at the wrong time. No marks or any reason it should have broke. Do I need to let anyone look at this to see if there IS a problem with them. Thanks surprised. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling
This IS regarding the intake manifold on ford V8 engines. my intake manifold on my 2002 ford mustang V8 cracked and caused me to replace the entire intake manifold. when this happened, it leaked coolant rapidly. there was a class action suit filed (in which ford was held liable) in the past…
This IS regarding the intake manifold on ford V8 engines. my intake manifold on my 2002 ford mustang V8 cracked and caused me to replace the entire intake manifold. when this happened, it leaked coolant rapidly. there was a class action suit filed (in which ford was held liable) in the past years and I was never notified of this lawsuit regarding this issue. ford has since stated that they will not honor any repairs after march 2006. however, this IS still an issue and needs to be looked into further. my mustang only has 89K miles and the manifold cracked without warning, causing a major repair bill of $1,231. ford should be held accountable for any/all repair costs for an extended period of time regarding this weak engineering. *tr
- Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford mustang GT. While driving at 62 mph, the contact lost control when trying to avoid a deer on the road. The vehicle then flipped over when the seat belts broke from the latch. The vehicle was totaled and the contact sustained internal bleeding, torn ligaments to the…
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford mustang GT. While driving at 62 mph, the contact lost control when trying to avoid a deer on the road. The vehicle then flipped over when the seat belts broke from the latch. The vehicle was totaled and the contact sustained internal bleeding, torn ligaments to the shoulder and arms and bruising. A police report was filed. The vehicle had not been inspected when the complaint was filed. The vin was unavailable at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 122,000.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
I own a 2002 ford mustang GT with a 2-valve 4.6L engine with only 46K miles. around 1 apr 10 I started hearing a distinct ticking noise from the engine. not being that mechanically inclined, I assumed some lifters needed adjusting; so, I brushed the noise off. on 10 apr 10 I was driving on the…
I own a 2002 ford mustang GT with a 2-valve 4.6L engine with only 46K miles. around 1 apr 10 I started hearing a distinct ticking noise from the engine. not being that mechanically inclined, I assumed some lifters needed adjusting; so, I brushed the noise off. on 10 apr 10 I was driving on the interstate when I heard a loud bang and then sounds that patted like a harley running out of gas. my check engine light flashed several times. fortunately, I was only 2 miles from home; so, I sputtered the rest of the way. as I have a diagnostic tool, I checked the code and it read the #3 cylinder was miss firing. I called my mechanic and he told me to change the spark plugs. once I figured out how to get all that done, I removed the coil from the cylinder and it was shredded with the coil dangling. I extracted the spark plug with no resistance because it was just sitting in the hole. to my surprise, it was the original spark plug that came with the car. I tried to put in a new spark plug, but it would not tightened at all. I attempted several times and even tried to make it cross-thread, but it would not take. when I took a good look at the spark plug, I saw where the bottom three threads were smashed flat and the metal that you gap was mashed against the electric diode. I called bob moore ford in okc and the service writer, gerry, told me there were no recalls for that event. I asked him what could have caused it and he responded improperly torqued spark plugs. when I told him it was the factory plug, he said then hot rodding must have caused it. I told him its my wife's car and the car doesn't take any abuse. I asked how much bob moore charges to do a helicoil and he said $500. I let him go. I ended up taking it to a mechanic shop and getting the cylinder re-thread for whole lot less and whole lot better attitude. hopefully, it holds. *Tr
- Seat belts
-----Original message----- sent: 4/20/2009 10:39:26 pm subject: vehicle service issues ford motor company main topic: vehicle service issues email questions: dear sir or madam, I am writing to ford because I have a complaint about the safety of my 2002 ford mustang GT. My ford mustang's…
-----Original message----- sent: 4/20/2009 10:39:26 pm subject: vehicle service issues ford motor company main topic: vehicle service issues email questions: dear sir or madam, I am writing to ford because I have a complaint about the safety of my 2002 ford mustang GT. My ford mustang's seatbelts do not and have not worked properly since I have owned the car; they will not retract properly and hang up, I am constantly having mess with them so they can be used. I have owned four other mustangs (fox and SN95 cars) and three had similar problems, I also have a friend with a 2001 mustang cobra which also has defective seatbelts. I purchased my car several years ago and it only had 36,000 miles on it, the car had been garage kept and babied as I have done also. My car currently has 70,000 miles on it. I believe the faulty seatbelts in my mustang and my friend's cobra could cause serious injury or death to an occupant if involved in a collision. This problem IS often mentioned on ford mustang forums and I have questioned my dealer where my car IS regularly service (mathews ford, in newark, ohio). This past winter while driving the car I had a deer run out in front of me, I pushed the brakes to the floor which caused my girlfriend to almost hit the dash because her seatbelt did not operate properly. I am asking that the ford motor company replace this serious safety issue in my ford mustang, both seatbelts are faulty with the passenger belt being the worse. I have owned many cars in my life and never had faulty belts like ford mustangs seem to have. I believe a reputable manufacture like ford motor company should remedy the situation and not allow myself or my passengers to risk bodily injury or death because of a malfunction on my seatbelts. please contact me if you have any questions. *Tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Spark plugs ejecting out of cylinder head on my 2002 ford mustang GT. Had one blow out 1 year ago and now another on the other head. Used heli-coil kit to repair the first one on the drivers side head. Just this past october in 2009 the spark plug blew out again. Got new head installed in january 2010. A week later , just today, another spark plug blew out on passenger side head. *Tr
- Fuel system, gasoline · Seat belts
Passenger seat belt not working properly. The seat belt does not tighten up when buckled or retract. Second problem. gasoline tank has a broken gasket/seal that goes from the filler neck to the gas tank. gas tank IS leaking gas while parked or driving. *Tr
- Seat belts
Seatbelt retractors do not retract or release safety belts. belts constantly become twisted and will not retract properly; or they get jammed and will not release so it can be buckled. *Tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
I have a 2002 ford mustang GT that I bought new. I was driving to work on 2/16/09 & I heard a loud sound like someone had hit underneath my hood with a hammer so I immediately pulled over & turned the car off. I smelt a smoke / burning smell & when the hood was raised there was no fire. It was 31…
I have a 2002 ford mustang GT that I bought new. I was driving to work on 2/16/09 & I heard a loud sound like someone had hit underneath my hood with a hammer so I immediately pulled over & turned the car off. I smelt a smoke / burning smell & when the hood was raised there was no fire. It was 31 degrees & I had no cell phone service so needless to say was I late for but I was stranded. I was there for 45 - 50 minutes before I was able to intouch with someone. It cost 75.00 to have it towed to a ford dealership & they are saying it blew a spark plug through the coil & cracked the very front pulley. They have not said whether it has put a dent in the hood / fender. They will call on 2/17/09 with the final estimate & report. The service dept said that if it has messed up any heads then I will be looking at 1500.00 each head.... There IS enough of people that this has happen to. Not only IS this aggravating because of there neglect to produce a vehicle that IS safe. But this can harm whom ever IS the vehicle @ this time. My vehicle could not be moved any further because of this it had to be towed. I feel that ford motor company IS responsible for this problem that IS happening to alot of us right now because of there neglect. I would like to know if there IS a new / any petition to sign. also IS there any right that I have to proceed with this in the form of a petition or lawsuit & IS there anything that I need to do to be able to do which ever I choose? *Tr
- Exterior lighting
The head light lenses on my 2002 GT mustang has faded so bad its affecting the lighting you can barely see at night it makes the lights really dim, like shining a light through paper kind of an idea. This IS something that needs looked into, there are several models this IS affecting. And I think…
The head light lenses on my 2002 GT mustang has faded so bad its affecting the lighting you can barely see at night it makes the lights really dim, like shining a light through paper kind of an idea. This IS something that needs looked into, there are several models this IS affecting. And I think ford needs to replace these at their expense, there needs to be a recall to deal with this. It only get worse as time goes by, mine have kept getting more faded as time goes by and its on the inside of the lenses so it has to be a problem in their plastic they make them from. Please investigate this as its a very important safety issue. *Tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
2002 ford mustang GT (4.6L V8) blew out # 2 spark plug after 80,000 miles. The dealership put in a helicoil to replace the stripped threads caused from the blow out and replaced the other spark plugs and boots. I was told that ford does not warrant the helicoil repair and the only way to get a…
2002 ford mustang GT (4.6L V8) blew out # 2 spark plug after 80,000 miles. The dealership put in a helicoil to replace the stripped threads caused from the blow out and replaced the other spark plugs and boots. I was told that ford does not warrant the helicoil repair and the only way to get a repair that ford would back would be to replace the head. Replacing the head was a ridiculously expensive option. After researching the problem, I found that there have been numerous complaints about this problem. The fact that this problem has been known to cause a fire and burn a vehicle to the axels in 12 min and no one has done anything about it IS absurd. Ford needs to recall and replace the heads with no cost to the consumer. *tr
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
Wiper blade electrical system fails. wipers fail in intermittent mode, followed by complete failure of wiper blade function. failure has recurred 5 times after repair work. repair work included replacing wiper motor, replacing relays, and replacing entire relay box housing. *jb
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
I own a 2002 ford mustang GT. I bought this car brand new from the dealer, I have never had any mechanical problems with the engine ever. Car mileage :85,138 while driving my car in town,a loud bang came from the engine, followed by a popping noise and seamed to be a loud leak. Had the car towed…
I own a 2002 ford mustang GT. I bought this car brand new from the dealer, I have never had any mechanical problems with the engine ever. Car mileage :85,138 while driving my car in town,a loud bang came from the engine, followed by a popping noise and seamed to be a loud leak. Had the car towed to a garage and the mechanics informed me the #3 spark plug blew out. He informed me that this kind of thing has been happening to fords.had to get the ignition coil replaced, new spark plugs, and heli coiled the #3 spark plug thread. Final bill $694.00 now I am wondering how soon before the other spark plugs decide to blow out.i read on the net that this has happened to many other ford vehicles, not just mustangs. Ford needs to fix this problem as soon as possible. *jb
- Equipment › Electrical › Radio/tape deck/cd etc.
My car has a factory 6 disc cd changer, and one slot, #3, has numerous problems loading and unloading cds, causing them to get stuck in the head unit. also, when loaded with cd's, the unit will randomly go into shuffle mode if playing a cd, or scan and save mode if playing the radio. this seems like a very poor part for what IS supposed to be a premium audio system on a car with only 40,000 miles....*jb
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Car will bog/ have little power on acceleration then you will feel the car pick up and go. Also, when accelerating from into a turn car will bog down then pick back up. If gas IS pressed quickly the car will bog then pick up. mass air sensor replaced in 2003 but problem still happening. *jb
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton V-8 and V-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or…
On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton V-8 and V-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi IS not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi IS aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it IS possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect IS very low.in view of the foregoing, it IS unlikely that nhtsa would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize nhtsa?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition IS denied.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 636359Some vehicles may exhibit an oil leak coming from the camshaft / valve cover area where the positive crankcase ventilation (pcf) valve mounts.
- 636358Information on oil capacity changed.
Every Ford Mustang GT model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.