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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,014 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Ford Mustang electrical problems

electrical problem

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2003 Ford Mustang Owner Comments

problem #7

Jan 272024

Mustang

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Date of incident....sometime over night 1/27/24. Vehicle FIRE I believe started in electrical components. Happened overnight while PARKED in front of home in parking lot Melted left side of dash (all odometer area) and center console where AC controls and radio are. Shattered front windshield which was black with soot, as well as the plastic frame around front area of convertible top. Fire has somehow extinguished itself. Whole interior car full of soot. I had actually used my key FOB to enter my car at which time I noticed what had happened & all the damage. I immediately disconnected my battery. The engine did not look damaged. The fire seemed to have stayed behind firewall. My insurance company TOTALED my car out due to the fact of it being an ELECTRICAL CAUSE TO FIRE & even if it could've been repaired, was told parts (dash, odometer area which was COMPLETELY melted) were obsolete. Regardless, the car now has posed a serious DANGER. I have photos & totaled decision by insurance company information, but have been unable to upload on your site. I believe you should REALLY SEE THE PICTURES. After incident, I searched to see if there had been any recalls. I found a couple incidents of this happening to others with their 2003 MUSTANGS & am wondering why this had never been investigated. If I had known about a problem of electrical fires, this car would NOT have been purchased in 2017. I don't understand why this problem wasn't researched. It could've been so much worse as I had a FULL TANK OF GAS.

- Palm Bay, FL, USA

problem #6

Dec 232022

Mustang

  • miles
Flooded salvage title not listed

- Riverhead , NY, USA

problem #5

Mar 172003

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 100 miles
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

- Asheville, NC, USA

problem #4

Dec 162012

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 73,650 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving on the freeway at 65 mph. All of a sudden the car just stopped running. All dash board lights came on including check engine and theft light was blinking. Luckily traffic was light during the time I was driving. I ended up getting pushed off the freeway by the chp. I had to tow the car to the dealer, and the service advisor stated to me, that a wiring harness that was mounted above the cat converter, and the wire shorted out. Whatever was holding the wire in place must have came off, and that over time the wire shorted out because the wire harness was resting on the very hot surface of the cat converter. The dealer took pictures, and I could not believe that they put such a vital wire harness directly above something that gets extremely hot. I was lucky, but someone else my not be so lucky. No warning lights and a car just shuts completely down while driving. I hope you will look into this issue and not just the year and model of my car. This must be recalled before someone gets hurt or killed.

- Cerritos, CA, USA

problem #3

Jan 102010

Mustang

  • 95,000 miles
Brake pedal switch harness connector deformed resulting in inoperative brake lights. Wires no longer fit within plastic connector.

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #2

Oct 282007

Mustang

  • miles
2003 Ford Mustang caught fire. Consumer states that her stepdaughter's Mustang caught fire while parked in a parking lot. Fire department stated the fire was caused by something electrical in the motor wall.

- Huntsville, AL, USA

problem #1

Sep 112006

Mustang 8-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 34,349 miles
Car occasionally and randomly stalls when slowing to stop or make a turn after clutch is depressed.

- Pueblo West, CO, USA

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