NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
246 reports100,000 miles · Feb 26, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START VEHICLE. DEALERSHIPS MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO AN INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK VEHICLE ORIGINALLY LOST POWER AT 55 MPH, VEHICLE DIDN'T RESTART. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND FOUND THAT ONE VALVE WAS LEAKING AND HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. VEHICLE HAS 10…
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CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START VEHICLE. DEALERSHIPS MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO AN INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK VEHICLE ORIGINALLY LOST POWER AT 55 MPH, VEHICLE DIDN'T RESTART. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND FOUND THAT ONE VALVE WAS LEAKING AND HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. VEHICLE HAS 100,000 MILES ON IT. *LA
NHTSA ODI #10059841
55,000 miles · Feb 10, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
MY WIFE BOUGHT A USED 1996 FORD MUSTANG V-6 TWO YEARS AGO STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. RECENTLY, THE CAR BEGAN LEAKING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OIL. THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN CRESTVIEW, FLORIDA (HUB CITY FORD) TOLD US THAT THE LEAK WAS FROM THE TIMING CHAIN COVER AND THE MANIFOLD COVER. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN F…
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MY WIFE BOUGHT A USED 1996 FORD MUSTANG V-6 TWO YEARS AGO STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. RECENTLY, THE CAR BEGAN LEAKING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OIL. THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN CRESTVIEW, FLORIDA (HUB CITY FORD) TOLD US THAT THE LEAK WAS FROM THE TIMING CHAIN COVER AND THE MANIFOLD COVER. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIXED UNDER A RECALL AT 30,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, WASN'T REALLY FIXED AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THIS $600 SERVICE DONE EVERY 30,000 MILES AND THAT FORD HAD NO PLANS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE FURTHER. OBVIOUSLY, THE RECALL WAS COMPLETELY BOGUS, AS THE "FIX" WAS MERELY TEMPORARY. ANY AUTO MANUFACTURER THAT INTENTIONALLY IS AWARE THAT IT'S RECALL EFFORTS FAILED IS COMPLETELY MISGUIDED. IT IS LUDICROUS THAT A MAJOR $600 SERVICE EVERY 30,000 MILES OR LESS BE ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10056973
113,000 miles · Jan 15, 2004
Unknown Or Other
ON MY 1996 FORD MUSTANG THE PAINT ON MY FRONT FENDER, DRIVERS DOOR, TRUNK LID AND ROOF HAD STARTED PEELING AWAY FROM THE PRIMER BROUGHT IT TO A FORD DEALER AND HE SAID THE SAME THING THERE IS A PROBLUM WITH THE PAINT AND FORD WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT
NHTSA ODI #10068843
87,000 miles · Dec 29, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
MY 1996 FORD MUSTANG HEAD GASTKETS HAVE GONE OUT. MY CAR HAS 87000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HEARD THAT MANY 95 MUSTANGS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I BOUGHT MY CAR A YEAR AGO AND I BELEIVE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT COMPLETLY FIXED IN THE NEWER MODELS. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE MY CAR IS A 96 IT WAS NOT COVERED BY FORD, THEY INFORMED…
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MY 1996 FORD MUSTANG HEAD GASTKETS HAVE GONE OUT. MY CAR HAS 87000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HEARD THAT MANY 95 MUSTANGS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I BOUGHT MY CAR A YEAR AGO AND I BELEIVE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT COMPLETLY FIXED IN THE NEWER MODELS. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE MY CAR IS A 96 IT WAS NOT COVERED BY FORD, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE NEW MODELS HAVE BEEN FIXED AND THAT THE HEAD GASTKET FAILURE WAS DUE TO MY "EXCESIVE WEAR" ON MY CAR.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10051223
Mileage unknown · Aug 5, 2003
Air Bags
AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10032188
86,983 miles · May 19, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
MY CAR'S COOLING SYSTEM WAS DRAINING FLUIDS, AND WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET CHECKED OUT, THEY TOLD ME THE HEAD GASKETS AS WELL AS THE FRONT TIMING COVER GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT COST ME $2500 FOR THE REPAIRS NECESSARY. THERE ARE ABOUT 12 OR 13 COMPLAINTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE FOR THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR (…
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MY CAR'S COOLING SYSTEM WAS DRAINING FLUIDS, AND WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET CHECKED OUT, THEY TOLD ME THE HEAD GASKETS AS WELL AS THE FRONT TIMING COVER GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT COST ME $2500 FOR THE REPAIRS NECESSARY. THERE ARE ABOUT 12 OR 13 COMPLAINTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE FOR THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR (1996 FORD MUSTANG), BUT SINCE THIS ENGINE WAS INSTALLED ON OTHER MODELS AND YEARS, WHO KNOWS HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE SUFFERED FROM THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10018934
44,000 miles · Apr 23, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE ENGINE CRACKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM
NHTSA ODI #10017408
62,123 miles · Apr 10, 2003
Air BagsFuel System, OtherSeat BeltsCrashInjury
THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED AND HIT OTHER VEHICLES, AS THIS HAPPENED, THE SEAT BACK BROKE AND THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE HAD CAME LOOSE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AND THE FUEL SAFETY SWITCH DID NOT TURN OFF. SCC *NLM
NHTSA ODI #10014843
82,600 miles · Apr 9, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
BLOWN HEAD GASKET DESTROYED ENGINE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS INSTALLED AT THE MANUFACTURER. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10014160
57,000 miles · Feb 20, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
ENGINE FRONT COVER GASKET ISSUES. MY 1996 V6-3.8L WITH APPROXIMATELY 57,000 MILES REQUIRED A NEW FRONT GASKET COVER. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE OWNERS OF 1994-1995 MODELS HAD AND FILED SUIT AGAINST FORD FOR AND WON.
NHTSA ODI #10007864
NHTSA investigations
3PE99002 · Front Brake Hose
Opened Jan 11, 1999 · Closed Jun 30, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
EA97018 · Outer Hood Panel Detachment
Opened Sep 30, 1997 · Closed Oct 22, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available
PE97011 · Outer Hood Panel Detachment
Opened Mar 13, 1997 · Closed Sep 30, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION HAS RECEIVED 6 REPORTS INDICATING THE OUTER HOOD PANEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLES AS THEY WERE BEING DRIVEN.FORD HAS PROVIDE 39 ADDITIONAL REPORTS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH ODI REPORTS.FORD INDICATES THAT THE LIKELY CAUSE IS PRIOR COLLISION DAMAGE.THIS INVESTIGATION IS BEING UPGRADED TO FURTHER STUDY THIS ISSUE.
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