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2002 Ford Mustang GT engine problems

21 complaints (44% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 65,000. 1 crash reported.

owner complaints
21
of this car's complaints
44%
typical mileage
65,000
crashes
1
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Engine
    7
  • Engine: gasoline
    2
  • Exhaust system: emission control: crankcase (PCV)
    1
  • Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Ford Mustang GT engine problems in other years

19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Related investigations

Spark plug ejection from cylinder headOpened September 22, 2005, closed January 4, 2006

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 the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.

DP05005

What 2002 Ford Mustang GT owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Nov 4, 2016 · Engine · 119,400 miles · SC

Blew spark plug out.

Filed Mar 8, 2015 · Electrical, Engine · 116,000 miles · MA

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.

Filed Nov 7, 2014 · Engine · 73,000 miles · PA

Spark plug blew out of head and there's a knock coming from the block.

Filed Mar 12, 2014 · Engine, Fuel system · 98,000 miles · NY · crash · fire

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.

Filed Nov 24, 2013 · Engine · 65,000 miles · SC

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.

Filed Nov 10, 2013 · Engine · 80,723 miles · CA

The number three (3) spark plug blew out.

Filed Oct 28, 2011 · Engine · CA

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.

Filed Apr 13, 2010 · Engine · 46,383 miles · OK

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.

Filed Jan 26, 2010 · Engine · 77,000 miles · PA

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.

Filed Feb 16, 2009 · Engine · 122,000 miles · AL

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?

Questions about the 2002 Ford Mustang GT engine

Does the 2002 Ford Mustang GT have engine problems?

Owners have filed 21 complaints about the engine of the 2002 Ford Mustang GT, 44% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.

At what mileage do 2002 Ford Mustang GT engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 65,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Mustang GT engine?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Ford Mustang GT have bad engine?

The Ford Mustang GT model years with the most engine complaints are 1998 (44 complaints), 1996 (25 complaints) and 2000 (24 complaints).

Other 2002 Ford Mustang GT problems

Seat belts 8Transmission 7Fuel system 4Brakes 3Electrical 3Body 2Suspension 2Visibility 2Wheels 2Airbags 1Driver assistance 1Lights 1

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