There are 39 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2002 Ford Mustangin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
BLEW SPARK PLUG OUT.
SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF HEAD AND THERE'S A KNOCK COMING FROM THE BLOCK. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 MUSTANG GT BULLITT THAT I BOUGHT IN JULY 2013. SO FAR I HAVE HAD TWO DIFFERENT INCIDENTS WHERE A SPARK PLUG HAS BLOWN THE HEAD. THE MOST RECENT WAS YESTERDAY 11/23/2013. ALL I WAS DOING WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND HEARD A NOISE COME FROM THE SPARK PLUG. TODAY, I CHANGED THE SPARK PLUG AGAIN, AND SO FAR IT IS RUNNING OKAY FOR NOW. BUT A FEW WEEKS AGO, I CHANGED THE SAME SPARK PLUG, THEN IT WORKED FINE, THEN IT WENT OUT AGAIN YESTERDAY. SO, HOPEFULLY IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT IF IT DOES, I WON'T BE SURPRISED. *TR
THE NUMBER THREE (3) SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. *TR
WHILE IN DRIVE, WITH THE CAR STOPPED, THE CAR TRIES TO SURGE FORWARD BY ITSELF. YOU HAVE TO BE WEARY THAT YOU KEEP ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE OR THE CAR WILL BURST FORWARD.
THIS IS REGARDING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON FORD V8 ENGINES. MY INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MY 2002 FORD MUSTANG V8 CRACKED AND CAUSED ME TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE INTAKE MANIFOLD. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, IT LEAKED COOLANT RAPIDLY. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT FILED (IN WHICH FORD WAS HELD LIABLE) IN THE PAST YEARS AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS LAWSUIT REGARDING THIS ISSUE. FORD HAS SINCE STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT HONOR ANY REPAIRS AFTER MARCH 2006. HOWEVER, THIS IS STILL AN ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER. MY MUSTANG ONLY HAS 89K MILES AND THE MANIFOLD CRACKED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING A MAJOR REPAIR BILL OF $1,231. FORD SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY/ALL REPAIR COSTS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME REGARDING THIS WEAK ENGINEERING. *TR
THE FOURTH SPARK PLUG ON MY 2002 FORD MUSTANG GT 4.6L VEHICLE BLEW OUT. THIS RESULTED HEAVY LOSS OF POWER, SHAKING, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FUEL FUMES TO COME OUT. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON AN INTERSTATE AT HIGH-SPEED AND I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO SAFELY MAKE IT OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE COST TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR IS ESTIMATED AT $2500. THIS IS A VERY COMMON SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE FORD 8-CYLINDER ENGINES FOR WHAT I GATHERED THROUGH INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE THREADS ARE TOO THIN AROUND THE SPARK PLUG AND THE HEAT CAUSES THEM TO BLEW OUT - LITERALLY. *TR
I OWN A 2002 FORD MUSTANG GT WITH A 2-VALVE 4.6L ENGINE WITH ONLY 46K MILES. AROUND 1 APR 10 I STARTED HEARING A DISTINCT TICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. NOT BEING THAT MECHANICALLY INCLINED, I ASSUMED SOME LIFTERS NEEDED ADJUSTING; SO, I BRUSHED THE NOISE OFF. ON 10 APR 10 I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THEN SOUNDS THAT PATTED LIKE A HARLEY RUNNING OUT OF GAS. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED SEVERAL TIMES. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ONLY 2 MILES FROM HOME; SO, I SPUTTERED THE REST OF THE WAY. AS I HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL, I CHECKED THE CODE AND IT READ THE #3 CYLINDER WAS MISS FIRING. I CALLED MY MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME TO CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS. ONCE I FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET ALL THAT DONE, I REMOVED THE COIL FROM THE CYLINDER AND IT WAS SHREDDED WITH THE COIL DANGLING. I EXTRACTED THE SPARK PLUG WITH NO RESISTANCE BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SITTING IN THE HOLE. TO MY SURPRISE, IT WAS THE ORIGINAL SPARK PLUG THAT CAME WITH THE CAR. I TRIED TO PUT IN A NEW SPARK PLUG, BUT IT WOULD NOT TIGHTENED AT ALL. I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES AND EVEN TRIED TO MAKE IT CROSS-THREAD, BUT IT WOULD NOT TAKE. WHEN I TOOK A GOOD LOOK AT THE SPARK PLUG, I SAW WHERE THE BOTTOM THREE THREADS WERE SMASHED FLAT AND THE METAL THAT YOU GAP WAS MASHED AGAINST THE ELECTRIC DIODE. I CALLED BOB MOORE FORD IN OKC AND THE SERVICE WRITER, GERRY, TOLD ME THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THAT EVENT. I ASKED HIM WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT AND HE RESPONDED IMPROPERLY TORQUED SPARK PLUGS. WHEN I TOLD HIM IT WAS THE FACTORY PLUG, HE SAID THEN HOT RODDING MUST HAVE CAUSED IT. I TOLD HIM ITS MY WIFE'S CAR AND THE CAR DOESN'T TAKE ANY ABUSE. I ASKED HOW MUCH BOB MOORE CHARGES TO DO A HELICOIL AND HE SAID $500. I LET HIM GO. I ENDED UP TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC SHOP AND GETTING THE CYLINDER RE-THREAD FOR WHOLE LOT LESS AND WHOLE LOT BETTER ATTITUDE. HOPEFULLY, IT HOLDS. *TR
SPARK PLUGS EJECTING OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD ON MY 2002 FORD MUSTANG GT. HAD ONE BLOW OUT 1 YEAR AGO AND NOW ANOTHER ON THE OTHER HEAD. USED HELI-COIL KIT TO REPAIR THE FIRST ONE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE HEAD. JUST THIS PAST OCTOBER IN 2009 THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT AGAIN. GOT NEW HEAD INSTALLED IN JANUARY 2010. A WEEK LATER , JUST TODAY, ANOTHER SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT ON PASSENGER SIDE HEAD. *TR
I WENT TO DRIVE MY CAR FRIDAY MORNING AND HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND HAD 3 PULLEYS REPLACED ON IT AND IT WAS STILL SQUEAKING THEY REPLACED THE WATER PUMP STILL SQUEAKING I HAD 3 MECHANICS CHECK THE CAR AND THEY TOLD ME WITH THE MILES THAT WAS ON MY CAR I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING PROBLEMS COMING FROM MY CRANKSHAFT I DON'T EVEN HAVE 100,000 MILES ON THE CAR YET. *TR
ON MY 2002 FORD MUSTANG V6 THE AC CONDENSATION DRIPS TO MY MANIFOLD AND KEEPS CRACKING THE WELD. I HAVE TO GET IT REWELDED EVERY SIX MONTHS. THE GUY AT THE SHOP TELLS ME HE GETS AT LEAST 10 A MONTH WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED COOLANT WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE LEAK COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND MAYBE A FIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. ALSO, THE SPARK PLUGS SEPARATED FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP IN REFERENCE TO THE SPARK PLUGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.
2002 FORD MUSTANG GT (4.6L V8) BLEW OUT # 2 SPARK PLUG AFTER 80,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP PUT IN A HELICOIL TO REPLACE THE STRIPPED THREADS CAUSED FROM THE BLOW OUT AND REPLACED THE OTHER SPARK PLUGS AND BOOTS. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD DOES NOT WARRANT THE HELICOIL REPAIR AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET A REPAIR THAT FORD WOULD BACK WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE HEAD. REPLACING THE HEAD WAS A RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE OPTION. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE A FIRE AND BURN A VEHICLE TO THE AXELS IN 12 MIN AND NO ONE HAS DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT IS ABSURD. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL AND REPLACE THE HEADS WITH NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *TR
I OWN A 2002 FORD MUSTANG GT. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER, I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE EVER. CAR MILEAGE :85,138 WHILE DRIVING MY CAR IN TOWN,A LOUD BANG CAME FROM THE ENGINE, FOLLOWED BY A POPPING NOISE AND SEAMED TO BE A LOUD LEAK. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A GARAGE AND THE MECHANICS INFORMED ME THE #3 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. HE INFORMED ME THAT THIS KIND OF THING HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO FORDS.HAD TO GET THE IGNITION COIL REPLACED, NEW SPARK PLUGS, AND HELI COILED THE #3 SPARK PLUG THREAD. FINAL BILL $694.00 NOW I AM WONDERING HOW SOON BEFORE THE OTHER SPARK PLUGS DECIDE TO BLOW OUT.I READ ON THE NET THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OTHER FORD VEHICLES, NOT JUST MUSTANGS. FORD NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *JB
CAR WILL BOG/ HAVE LITTLE POWER ON ACCELERATION THEN YOU WILL FEEL THE CAR PICK UP AND GO. ALSO, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM INTO A TURN CAR WILL BOG DOWN THEN PICK BACK UP. IF GAS IS PRESSED QUICKLY THE CAR WILL BOG THEN PICK UP. MASS AIR SENSOR REPLACED IN 2003 BUT PROBLEM STILL HAPPENING. *JB
I WAS TRAVELING HOME FROM WORK ON JUNE 30, 2006, IN MY 2002 FORD MUSTANG GT DURING A HEAVY RAIN STORM. UPON TURNING INTO A SUBDIVISION NEAR MY HOUSE I WENT THROUGH SOME WATER IN THE STREET THAT WAS HIGHER THAN USUAL, BUT NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO STALL MY CAR'S ENGINE OR TO SPRAY UP OVER THE WHEEL WELLS. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE STEERING AND BRAKES OF MY CAR QUIT WORKING. I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT THE DRIVE BELT WAS MISSING. THE NEXT DAY I HAD MY CAR TOWED AND THE PERSON TOWING THE CAR INDICATED THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE HAPPENED FREQUENTLY. ACCORDING TO THIS PERSON, THE DRIVE BELT HYDROPLANES WHEN SUBSTANTIALLY WET AND COMES OFF THE PULLEYS. I HAD THE DEALERSHIP FIX THE CAR AND WAS ASTOUNDED TO FIND OUT THAT FORD KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS NOT NOTIFIED THE OWNERS. ON THE INVOICE FOR THE REPAIR IT IS STATED THAT THE TENSIONER ON THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO A TENSIONER WITH A RAIL. I WAS ALSO ASTOUNDED TO FIND OUT THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DIDN'T COVER THE WORK ($186.32). IF THIS KIND OF FAILURE CAN OCCUR AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH, I BELIEVE THAT AN ACCIDENT COULD HAPPEN. *JB
WE TOOK THE FORD MUSTANG GT2002 TO METRO FORD IN TUEPLO, MISSISSIPPI DUE TO KNOCKING. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THE ENTIRE MOTOR WAS OUT NEED TO BE REPLACE. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY MOTOR PROBLEMS AT ANY TIMES. WE PROVIDED THE SERVICE MANAGER DOCUMENTS WE HAD REGULAR OIL/FILTER TO PREVENT INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE. WE HAD WORK COMPLETED OR NOT COMPLETED IN DECEMBER 2005 DUE TO PREVIOUS WORK COMPLETED BY METRO FORD IN TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI THE MOTOR IS OUT. THEY WANT US TO PAY FOR A NEW MOTOR. AFTER FILING A COMPLAINT MARCH 10, 2005 THE SERVICE MANGER WITH METRO FORD HAD A OFFICER GO TO MY SON JOB ON MARCH 17, 2005 TO ESCORT HIM BACK TO METRO IN THE LOANER. THAT WAS HARASSMENT, EMBARRASSMENT AND VIOLATED LAW GOVERNING EMPLOYMENT HARASSMENT. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER TO REPLACE TWO EXHAUST MUFFLERS. AFTER TWO AND HALF MONTHS THE NEW STANLEY STEEL MUFFLERS BECAME SEVERELY RUSTED. WHEN THE SERVICE DEALER WAS ALERTED, THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY WARRANTY ON THE MUFFLERS.
DT: 2002 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONSUMER STATED THE EXHAUST INTAKE ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BROKE IN HALF. THE AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER DRIPPED ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER INTAKE. THIS CAUSED THE BREAK. FORD WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE EXHAUST WENT INTO THE ENGINE, AND THE PIPE WAS HANGING ON THE ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT FIX THE VEHICLE UNDER THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, 04216.*AK
2002 FORD MUSTANG V6 WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ENGINE INCREASES RPMS EVEN WHEN FOOT IS OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS HAPPENS IN GEAR AND BETWEEN SHIFTS. EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY, FORD REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY THAT THIS IS "A NORMAL VEHICLE CHARACTERISTIC AND NO FURTHER REPAIRS SHOULD BE PERFORMED". THE PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT AND WORSENING. I THINK THIS IS DANGEROUS AND FORD SHOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
Showing 1–20 of 39 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026