On or about 01/28/2023 I purchased a 2002 Ford Mustang GT for a N.J. used car dealer. I was assured by the sales person that the Mustang had been thoroughly inspected and there were no mechanical problems whatsoever. Upon delivery of the Mustang, that had only 68,886 miles, I took the Mustang for a required Virginia Safety Inspection and learned that the front brakes were completely worn out and must be replaced. I had a complete front brake job done, to include: new brake pads, rotors, calipers and hoses. The front brake job cost $637.17. Mula Auto Group 117 E Main St Somerville, NJ 08876 mulaautogroup.com (908) 231-1777 - Main (908) 231-1799 - Fax On Mon, Mar 13, 2023 at 5:19 PM [XXX] wrote: Dear sir: On or about 01/28/2023, I purchased a 2002 Mustang GT from Mulaj Auto. Before I purchased the car from [XXX], he told me there were no mechanical problems whatsoever and the car had been inspected. It took almost three weeks for me to get the Mustang transported from New Jersey to Virginia. After the Mustang arrived on February 13, 2023, I was away for two weeks and did not drive the car until early March. I recently had a Virginia state safety inspection done and the Mustang barely passed inspection because of the badly worn front brakes. Both pads were worn to minimum limits, both rotors were badly grooved and the left caliper was seized. I just had the front brake work done today, for a total of $637.17. Invoice #[XXX] is attached. If I had been told the Mustang needed front brakes, I would not have bought the car. There is no doubt that Mulaj Auto should have advised me of the bad front brakes. Because Mulaj Auto failed to do so, I think you'll agree that Mulaj Auto should compensate me for the front brake job. Your assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The worst 2002 Ford Mustang problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine26
- Airbags20
- Acceleration15
- Seat belts13
- Body10
- Brakes10
- Electrical9
- Fuel system9
- Tires8
- Transmission7
- Suspension5
- Visibility5
- Lights4
- Driver assistance1
- Seats1
- Steering1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Ford Mustang
Stalling 14No deployment 12Seat belt 9Tire blowout 6Fire or smoke 5Loss of power 5
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
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 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
Technical service bulletins for the 2002 Ford Mustang 72
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, or 6.8L 2V engine--spark plug thread repair...
- Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers. tt
- Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. tt
- Safety belt retraction speed. tt
- Safety belt web stop button service. eh
- Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair. tt
- Steering rack noise. tt squeak/creak noise from steering rack when turning. sc
- General (PCM) power train control module programming procedures. tt
- Exhaust leak - cracked or separated right side exhaust pipe - 3.8L and 3.9L engines. tt
- Manual transmission hard to shift into first/reverse from a stop. tt
2002 Ford Mustang fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6‑cyl | RWD | 17 | 25-27 | 20-21 |
| 4.6L 8‑cyl | RWD | 16 | 22-23 | 18-19 |
What 2002 Ford Mustang owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
No
The fuel pump in my 2002 3.8l mustang stopped working. When I lowered the gas tank to replace it, I found that the plastic part the fuel pump/sending unit sets down into is offset from the hole and the fuel pump/sending unit can not be removed without breaking the part that it sets down into. So not only do I have to replace the pump, I have to buy an entire gas tank since that part comes pre-installed
While idling my car suddenly had cylinder #3 misfire and the spark plug blow out of the cylinder head.
Ten minutes prior to air bags deploying I complained to my two passengers that my eyes were burning. I was stopped in traffic, with my foot on brake in center lane in city traffic, when I hear a loud bang and instantly both airbags on driver and passenger side deployed. The noise and force startled me taking my foot of brake and rolling forward. The air bags blew both my passenger and my glasses into the back seat of car. The passenger bag was smoking badly and I quickly put down both windows and I pulled off street into shopping center parking lot. The car in front of me whom I rolled into pulled over as well. We checked both the front of my car and rear bumper of her car and because no visible damage. I took a picture of her bumper and license plate to show no damage. My passenger in front seat was bruised from airbag as for myself and the other passenger we were shaken by the experience.
While my daughter was driving on a in town road she came upon construction, all traffic was stopped because the 2 lanes were down to 1. As she was waiting for traffic to start moving her boot got caught under seat lever (thigh high boots flap got caught) and it made her foot slip from brake, she then bumped into the van in front of her, less then 5mph and both which there was no passenger or anything on her seat airbags deployed destroying her colume. Absolutely no front end damage, no damage to other vehicle, car still runs and seatbelts still work. Having it checked for malfunctions.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford mustang. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the brakes failed when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard and, as a result, the contact rear ended another vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an undisclosed location. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford mustang. While driving 35 MPH, the air bags deployed without warning or impact. The steering wheel and dashboard were damaged due to the deployment. The contact took the vehicle to an auto repair facility where it was diagnosed as an air bag failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 115,000.
Headlight
While in drive, with the car stopped, the car tries to surge forward by itself. You have to be weary that you keep additional pressure on the brake or the car will burst forward.
Compare the 2002 Ford Mustang
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2002 Ford Mustang
Is the 2002 Ford Mustang reliable?
Owners have filed 118 complaints about the 2002 Ford Mustang, fewer than a typical Mustang model year.
What is the 2002 Ford Mustang year score?
The 2002 Ford Mustang scores 80 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford Mustang: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Ford Mustang?
Engine and cooling, with 26 complaints, typically around 72,500 miles. Next is airbags (20).
How many recalls does the 2002 Ford Mustang have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Ford Mustang have bad engine?
The Ford Mustang model years with the most engine complaints are 1995 (341 complaints), 1994 (162 complaints) and 1996 (84 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2002 Ford Mustang get?
Official estimates for the 2002 Ford Mustang range from 18 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.8L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 17 city and 25-27 highway.
VIN decoder
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