Let’s get the obvious bit out of the way first – no one buys a Ford Mustang expecting frugal motoring. You’re never going to run a Mustang on a shoestring.
But wait a minute, there is a way that you can cut down the cost of keeping your prize ’Stang on the road – by getting under the hood and fixing and issues yourself.
And it’s fair to say that the Mustang does throw up the odd glitch or two, but little that’s beyond the realm of the home mechanic to sort out.
So, what’s the best way to do that? Simply invest in the Haynes manual once, and it’ll pay you back time and time again by saving you on the cost of hefty workshop labor bills. That’s got to be a bargain in anyone’s language.
What recalls has the Ford Mustang been subject to?
Yes, the Ford Mustang has been recalled to dealers on a few occasions because of various concerns, but it’s certainly not bad, and is on a par with other vehicles that are claimed to have reliability as their USP.
Some early cars were recalled to have the restraint control module for the passenger airbag reprogrammed. Then more cars were recalled to have their passenger airbag inflators replaced after it was found that the propellent in them could have degraded over time. Then yet more cars were recalled because the passenger airbag inflator could rupture.
What common problems does the Ford Mustang have?
You can pretty much guarantee that the moment you find you have an air-conditioning issue is right when you need the system the most. But unfortunately, the Ford Mustang is prone to an air-con compressor fault, which will need to be fixed if you’re to chill out as you’d like.
The parking brake cables on some Mustangs can also freeze in cold weather, causing the rear brakes to drag. Not good away from the lights.
Unfortunately, the fuel gauge in a Ford Mustang is known to develop a fault in which it behaves erratically, which is somewhat less than optimal.
There’s no denying that the Ford Mustang looks cool, but if it rattles when you’re cruising around then that is very much uncool. Just as well Ford designed a new strut mount to stop it happening.
And never mind rattling, but what if your Mustang’s rear axle made a whining noise as you’re cruising for the horizon? That’s going to take the romance out of any long-distance road trip. However, once more, Ford has designed bits to stop it happening. All you need to do is fit them.
Does the Ford Mustang Mk5 have air-conditioning problems?
On occasion, yes it does. The problem lies with the freon seals around the compressor shaft – these seals can allow the freon to leak out, rendering the system inoperative.
Ford has produced a repair kit specifically for this procedure (part no: F1VY-19D665-A). You’ll need to have the air-conditioning system evacuated by a professional, then you’ll need to remove the compressor from the vehicle, replace the seals, and reinstall the compressor in your Mustang.
And with the Haynes Mustang manual by your side (or on your smartphone) you’ll have all the steps right at hand. It isn’t that hard, so save yourself cash by doing it yourself.
Does the Ford Mustang have parking-brake problems?
On some Ford Mustangs, the rear sealing boot on the parking brake cable can perish prematurely, which then allows in water, which then freezes when winter arrives, and which then causes the rear brakes to drag. This is (quite literally) a real bind, because not only will it cause the brakes to wear out prematurely, but it will also slow your Mustang down and cause it to use more fuel (and nobody needs that in today’s world).
If one of the two parking brake cables is seized, you’ll need to replace both. The good news is that this is actually a comparatively straightforward task that the home mechanic should be able to accomplish in an afternoon, especially with the Haynes Mustang manual at your side.
So buy some new cables, find the right chapter, get the spanners out, and off you go. You’ll save yourself hundreds of dollars.
Does the Ford Mustang Mk5 have fuel gauge problems?
Some Ford Mustangs have a fuel tank and fuel gauge sender system that is sensitive to the amount of sulfur in fuel. If there’s too much, the MIL (malfunction indicator light) will illuminate. At this point, if you plug in a fault code reader, you’ll likely see the code P0463.
If it does, you’ll need to replace both the fuel level sensor and the sender assembly (part nos: 7R3Z-9A299-C and 7R3Z-9275-C).
This entire procedure is covered in some depth in your Haynes Mustang manual, so don’t be afraid. Just make sure you follow all safety advice to avoid any possibility of combustion – that would be bad.
Does the Ford Mustang have rattling problems?
How deeply uncool would it be if the rumble from the engine of your Ford Mustang was drowned out ever so slightly by a rattle or chuckling noise from the front suspension. “Is that my car laughing at me? I must try harder.” But no, there’s no humour here, just faulty front suspension strut mounts that cause a resonance between the strut and the car’s body.
Fortunately, someone at Ford decided people wouldn’t see the funny side in a chuckling noise and designed a new strut mount to stop it happening.
And fitting the new mounts is a pretty easy job, as long as you have the right tools and your Haynes Mustang manual alongside, to give you advice and tacit moral support.
Does the Ford Mustang have whining problems?
Picture the scene. It’s sunny, you’ve found an open road through some stunning scenery, the tank’s full and… can you hear that? All of a sudden there’s a whining noise from behind. You don’t have children, so it can’t be that. No, it’s the rear axle of your Mustang, which is known to emit a loud whining noise on some examples.
However, the good news is that Ford has come up with tuned dampers (part no: 5R3Z-3C246-A) for the rear axle that should get rid of the whining noise. You’ll just need to jack the car up, set it on jack stands (safety first) and install the dampers yourself. Any car built after 11/15/2004 will already have the required damper mounting holes, so no drilling will be required.
Just make sure you follow the procedure in your Haynes Mustang manual for raising the car safely and then follow the instructions on where to install the dampers on the rear axle.
And once you’ve saved the money by doing it yourself, you’ll be able to spend it on fuel for that next trip into the magnificent countryside.