Breaks went out
2003 Ford Mustang engine problems
45 complaints (31% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 5,350. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 45
- of this car's complaints
- 31%
- typical mileage
- 5,350
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Engine23
- Engine: gasoline3
- Cooling system2
- Engine: other fuel types: turbo/supercharger1
- Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys1
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 engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Ford Mustang engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related 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
What 2003 Ford Mustang owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Breaks went out
The exhaust pipe breaks where the A/C water drips. This is due to poor design of the car. This article describes it better. Https://ford.oemdtc.com/100/exhaust-leak-cracked-or-separated-right-side-exhaust-pipe-1999-2004-ford-mustang
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford mustang. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a loss of power. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the spark plug was missing from the engine compartment. While tightening bolts in the engine compartment, the vehicle ejected another spark plug. The vehicle was taken to hollingsworth richards ford where the contact was notified that this was a known issue with this vehicle. Since there was no recall, the engine head cylinder would need to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that, due to the mileage of the vehicle, the contact would be responsible for the repair cost even though this was a known issue with this model vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.
We have had issues with this car since it was bought new. All issues have been looked at by the dealer during the factory warranty and still remain unresolved. I have written a letter to ford headquarters but they sent a complete rejection letter. I was told today by a ford customer service representative to file a complaint here. I can supply documents and the original letter to ford if needed. The main issues from purchasing new and driving off the lot are (in rough order of importance): -major paint and clear coat issues (brought to dealer two days after purchase to complain. They have never resolved problem and it has continued to get worse to this day.) -driver door window stops working intermittently. -car engine surging making car lurch forward (my wife was involved in a minor accident because of this. It was reported to insurance.) -engine acts like it wants to stall when turning steering wheel in reverse. -headlight lenses completely clouded early on (have had to have restoration done to headlights several times.) -engine sounds like diesel when ambient temperature is high. -bulge in seal above windshield frame where convertible top seats against it. -stereo interference (loud continuous buzzing sound.) -AC thump (high pressure coolant line hits firewall when compressor starts.) -driver door rattle (after the window was worked on but was not fixed.) -light burned out in AC panel (occurred after stereo was replace to try to eliminate interference, but was not resolved.) we have maintained and kept our low mileage mustang in excellent condition otherwise. We don't know where to go from here. Thank you
While driving my vehicle on the interstate I heard what I thought was a popping sound and then experienced a loss of power. I exited off the interstate and began driving again. My vehicle felt as if my torque converter was slipping and that power was reduced from the motor. I took my vehicle to my local service mechanic who advised me that the 3rd cylinder spark plug had somehow backed itself out of the cylinder head which was causing a loss of power to that cylinder. It also was still receiving power via the coil pack which in turn melted the rubber boot and fried the coil pack for that cylinder. The rubber from the boot ran down into the spark plug and filled the hole. I had to replace both the pug boot and coil pack for the 3rd cylinder along with the labor of removing melted rubber from the spark plug hole and cylinder head.
Engine stalls when parking or coasting at 5 to 10 MPH or when coming to a stop.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford mustang. The contact stated that black micro fibers were emitted into the vehicle from the vents through the air conditioning system. The dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing but the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The current mileage was 30,000 and the approximate failure mileage was unknown.
All technical service bulletin stating that vehicles built before 12/19/04 have this problem. A engine cylinder with no compression. Ford is aware but does not want to do anything about it. If fact they want the damaged part return and it's not for a core exchange since the new part has to be brand new replacement. Must be for evidence of faulty part.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford mustang. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle began making a loud popping sound. The contact stopped the vehicle and called for assistance. The vehicle was towed to her residence. She looked under the hood and noticed that the number 8 spark plug had become detached. The powertrain was unknown. The failure mileage was 92,000 and current mileage was 93,000.
Questions about the 2003 Ford Mustang engine
Does the 2003 Ford Mustang have engine problems?
Owners have filed 45 complaints about the engine of the 2003 Ford Mustang, 31% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford Mustang engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 5,350 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Mustang engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
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).
Other 2003 Ford Mustang problems
Acceleration 16Seat belts 16Transmission 15Airbags 11Electrical 10Suspension 9Brakes 7Fuel system 6Lights 5Tires 5Visibility 5Body 4Seats 2Steering 2Locks 1Wheels 1
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