Who said Mustangs suck?

Well, there's no question that Ford is ... "human." They've made their fair share of mistakes, even on the assembly line. I'd wager that there are very few automobiles made today that are perfect.

I don't know where you read disparaging remarks about Ford's quality issues, but probably not here. This newsgroup is fairly honest about our Mustangs and some of the problems we've had with them. They are built under budgetary restraints, political pressure, and the car has survived any number of attempts to kill it off. With all of that, there has never been a perfect Mustang built.

I've owned several, and I keep coming back for more. In fact, my two Mustangs are 11 years old now, so I have no personal history with a Mustang built AFTER quality control became a critical issue. And, even so, I'd recommend them highly to anyone. They have a combined 225,000 miles on them, and various components have failed over the years. But the longer you keep a car, the more things you expect will break...

Still, in the end, there's probably a very good reason that folks hold onto their Mustangs longer than most cars, and why Mustangs are Blue-Booked higher than other contemporary vehicles, which originally sold for more.

dwight (Of course, I could be making it up.)

If you don't mind me asking, how did the dealer fix this problem?

Patrick '93 Cobra

If I had to guess i'd say its the switch. Mine is having problems right now in the lightning(and there are two on each seat, both are leaking) and I was told that the switches need to be replaced. Erik D. '94 white lightning

They had to bring a guy in to unstitch the leather cover first. I'm not sure if they replaced the unit or fixed it (it was all covered by warranty). Lately, it has been deflating again after 10-15 minutes of use. I'm planning on bringing it back, but will not pay crazy $$$ to fix it (warranty period is over). I sort of got used to it now (like you get used to all the heat coming up through the stick opening when the top is down).

-Ron

ALL cars have problems.. even expensive cars (and they usually have expensive problems). While I've put well over 100,000 miles on several Fords without a single problem, I had a Lexus with 40,000 miles that left us stranded probably 20 times. That doesnt mean Lexus is junk and Ford is the best.. it just means you can have problems with any car.. or not. Cars are machines.. complex machines most of us abuse. I am amazed that they are all as relable as they are.

LJH

Problems I had with Mustangs:

-3 autotransmission died, 4th gear disappears. Engine had too much power for it.

-windshield wipers failed twice, design flaw.

-Cold weather malfunction of seatbelt light, electrical oddities, did not effect driving.

-Cushion material in front seats wears out.

-2 auto trans died, same 4th gear issue.

-wipers failed twice.

-Ignition module failed, known uncorrected design flaw

-Shifter cable frayed, streched and broke. Design flaw. Handle on gearshift can slip upward slightly, needed banging down.

-Area around moon roof rusted out, but it took 5 years and in all kinds of winter weather/salt.

-Cold weather seatbelt light problem.

-magnetic A/C clutch plate rubber wore out with agressive engine use. Renders A/C compressor inoperable, compressor fails.

-Top of box between two front seats cracks.

-Daytime lights failed.

-Transmission slipping, they replaced some kind of valve. Will fail at

-cold weather seatbelt light problem.

-Rattles in plastic when Mach 460 stereo is used.

-front dash blower outlet bezzle can pop up slightly.

-Shifter cable failing after 3 years, uncorrected design flaw.

Some of these they can get rid of.

Glad to know I'm not the only one affected! Only on the driver side for now though...

ah, the truth comes out!

but don't worry, after all, it's the american way (according to ford)!

I've yet to see an american car that's as reliable and well built as a japanese or german car..... I also have a mustang.......there's a laundry list of problems with it. I've been lucky that they haven't been serious (terminal) problems, but they are annoying problems. (headlights suck, seats too far up in cabin, common problem with seat back failing and falling down - I fixed this with a basketball wedged between back of driver's seat and rear seat, mid-1990's v6 engines have very serious head gasket problem, rattles and squeaks all over the place, wind-noise....ah the sweet sound of loud wind-noise......my doctor's 1992 mercedes benz has many more miles than my 1995 mustang yet it's still solid as a rock! no wind noise, no squeaks and rattles........I know this isn't a fair comparison...but it's an example. I guess you can compare quality to a volkswagen/honda/toyata/mazda.....my sister has a mazda about same age as my mustang and it doesn't have anywhere near as many annoyances as the mustang. Sorry about sounding a bit anti-ford. But this is the truth. I really enjoy racing and sports cars....but they are all not made the same. The one car that ford finally got back (the GT40) has been a love-hate relationship for ford for many years! This car was originally developed by ford of europe.......I recall it was designed to beat ferrari. (ford got tired of losing and not being considered "world-class") But the management of ford of america didn't like it - I recall seeing this on one of the racing documentaries. They wanted to make an all american designed racing car - they did try but weren't any good at it! The first engine they put in sucked! It took them a while to get it right.....then it was glorious! But then, just when any rational person would continue the project and evolve the design....they canned it! You can also look at chevy corvette.......it sucked for MANY years! It took gm about 40 years to finally get it right! The latest generation is very good.......it took them long enough! (but I do admire the mid 1960's vettes. My friends dad collects cars...he's got a 1963 split window coupe and a 1967. They look great...even after all these years) FYI....first corvette was 1953. Mercedes Benz 300sl gullwing came out same year. The MB had a full independant suspension, disc brakes all around, inline 6 cylinder engine, fuel injection, top speed of approx. 162mph! If I recall correctly, the mustangs didn't get a full independant suspension until the late 1990's! (I think it was 1999) The corvette was a sorry example of a sports car compared to the gullwing. The gullwing also had monocoque chassis!

I guess it's a different culture.........europeans prize handling and power. But americans just like straight line speed, handling doesn't really matter...until the past few years. I prefer the "european" way of seeing a sports car.

Sorry about the rant......I got a bit inspired!

It is true: Ford Mustangs are not nearly as 'refined' as your Mercedes. By comparison, they are noisy, handle crudely, are heavy and break more often.

It is this 'unrefined' nature of Ford Mustangs that makes them such a hoot to drive. Until my upper lip becomes stiff and my nostrils point skyward, you will not see a Mercedes sitting my my driveway.

Regards,

-JD

--------------------------------- JD's Locally-Famous Mustang Page: http:/207.13.104.8/users/jdadams---------------------------------

Heh, well I have half that problem: Not nearly *enough* power, but my

Which design flaw? Honestly curious...

What /is/ it with you and wipers? 21.5 years on mine with not a single wiper problem and I live in the beautiful rainy Seattle area. :)

Hmm. Thought it was the ignition switches that were the problem...

Yep. I had this one happen to me too, but it took mine 15 or so years to wear out.

The replacement shifter I got from Musttanguy had a cool little set screw to keep that from happening.

Bah, those things are worthless anyway! You're better off without. :)

Man, you've *got* to go easier on your transmissions! :) My C5 auto is still going strong at 100,680 miles , and I /know/ I haven't been too gentle. The foot may be willing, but the engine is weak. :)

Just poking some fun, as you could probably tell from all the smilies. Better luck with your next Mustang, whenever that may be. Might I suggest RainX and a manual tranny? ;)

Amen! I would be embarrassed to drive a Mercedes. I'm not dead yet!

LJH

so you're defending the mediocre? Oh, come on! Don't we all strive to be the best at what we do? you like sports cars because of speed/power/handling, etc. If someone makes a better car than the mustang, it's wrong to appreciate that car? Does being a fan of what is considered the best make you a snob? So, being a fan of Michael Jordan or Pete Sampras makes you a snob? Performance numbers and statistics don't count? I don't understand this logic....

He didn't say he was or wasn't a fan. He just said he wouldn't drive one because he percieves the people who drive them as snobs(thats what I got out of it anyway). While I like mercedes and BMW, I won't ever own one either. Sure, I might be able to afford one, but i'd rather drive a ford any day. Erik D. '94 white lightning

There's something to be said for the personality of the car too.

A Fox Mustang is an unrefined piece of machinery... especially if you dip back into the early '80's. Drive a slightly hopped up '82 Mustang GT, and you'll either fall in love immediately or hate it. Things rattle. Things shake. The console lid doesn't stay shut and the dash pad is cracked. Calling the brakes mediocre would be pushing it - they suck. The car gets squirrely on a turn with bumps. But the feel of the car... the no nonsense dashboard, the non-ergonomically correct controls, the growl coming from the exhaust. The feeling of instant torque you feel when you let the clutch out hard in 1st gear. A refined car lacks some, if not most or all, of this. When was the last time you clutched and revved your Mercedes or BMW slightly just to hear the burble of the exhaust? Do you think anyone would be impressed, including the driver? Mustang owners... the performance enthusiasts at least... will often ride with the radio off just to hear the song of 302 cubic inches of power. People on the street seem to take note as well. Hell, the exhaust literally fell off after the H-pipe on my warmed over '88 GT (150k on the stock exhaust is respectable), and I got

My '97 Cobra is a decent car. Not refined by German standards, but compared to a Fox, it has a lot of extra luxuries. The car feels more comfortable. It will outperform that same '82 Mustang GT in every test you throw at it, but there are still days I long for the older car. It lacks some of the growl... it lacks some of the edge. Torque is there, but is more refined. The dashboard is set up so that everything is in plain view and more accurate, but it seems to be just too "pretty" for a muscle car (I'm not getting into that semantics debate). I love driving it, but there are days I long for something smaller and lighter... less fancy... less refined... just brute strength.

I can imagine loving to drive a German car, but regardless, nothing would ever replace the edge of driving the old Fox. Ask Dwight what driving one means... he can explain it better than I.

JS

That was a pretty good explanation if you ask me. I felt the same way driving my fox mustangs, and I still feel it when I drive my truck. Nothing can compare to the seat of the pants feel of 340 ft.lbs. of torque, with 4.10 gears, and an 1800 rpm stall(all stock). To top that off, the truck has the suspension to put it all on the ground. It has an exhaust note similar to a mustang, but the 49 extra cubes give it a little different tune. The suspension is uncomparable to a mustang, it handles like a dream(I never would have believed it if i hadn't ridden in one). But, it still has all the rattles, squeaks, and normal domestic car problems. Refined it is not, it's just a pickup truck, with a little extra power and a great suspension. I love to put it in neutral and rev it up :). Last night I drove 100 miles because I was bored, I don't think I would do that in anything besides my truck or a mustang. Erik D. '94 white lightning

Oops forgot something; Front wheel bearings failed on my current one at 60,000 miles.

-Rich