There are 11 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2002 Ford Mustangin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE FUEL PUMP IN MY 2002 3.8L MUSTANG STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I LOWERED THE GAS TANK TO REPLACE IT, I FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC PART THE FUEL PUMP/SENDING UNIT SETS DOWN INTO IS OFFSET FROM THE HOLE AND THE FUEL PUMP/SENDING UNIT CAN NOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT BREAKING THE PART THAT IT SETS DOWN INTO. SO NOT ONLY DO I HAVE TO REPLACE THE PUMP, I HAVE TO BUY AN ENTIRE GAS TANK SINCE THAT PART COMES PRE-INSTALLED
1 - ENGINE MAKES HORRIBLE SOUND IN COLD WEATHER. ALSO APPEARS TO BE ISSUE WITH ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS WHICH CAUSED A FIRE. VERY BAD GAS MILEAGE - BIG CHANGE IN DECREASED MPG. HAVE ISSUES WHEN TRYING TO FILL UP GAS TANK WHERE FUEL GUN FILLER WONT ALLOW ME TO FUEL AS THE GAS PUMP AT MOST GAS STATIONS WILL IMMEDIATELY STOP AND KICK OUT THE FUELLER GUN AND SPIT GAS OUT OF MY TANK AND SPILL ON MY CAR. THERE IS ALSO OIL ON MY SPARK PLUGS AND PORTS. 2 -POWERTRAIN - POOR STABILITY IN DRIVING AND SQUEAKY NOISES COMING FROM REAREND. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW AND WENT THROUGH FOUR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, FIRST TIME AT 800 MILES ON THE ODOMETER ONLY. FORD REPLACED ALL DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS WHILE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. PRESENTLY I AM RE-EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. ALL DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SECOND AND THIRD GEAR TO FINAL INOPERABILITY CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP DEAD WHILE DRIVING. IT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR
THE MOTORCRAFT FUEL FILTER ON MY 2002 FORD MUSTANG CRACKED AT THE SEAM WHERE THE INLET NIPPLE IS ATTACHED TO THE BODY OF THE FILTER. GASOLINE WAS SPRAYING OUT OF THE CRACK AND LEAKING ON THE GROUND. THE WYNN FILTER I PURCHASED TO REPLACE IT WITH USES A ONE PIECE FILTER BODY WHICH IS MUCH SAFER. HAS ANYONE ELSE REPORTED THE FILTERS BREAKING AND LEAKING? *TR
PASSENGER SEAT BELT NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT TIGHTEN UP WHEN BUCKLED OR RETRACT. SECOND PROBLEM. GASOLINE TANK HAS A BROKEN GASKET/SEAL THAT GOES FROM THE FILLER NECK TO THE GAS TANK. GAS TANK IS LEAKING GAS WHILE PARKED OR DRIVING. *TR
ON MARCH 21, 2007, MY MUSTANG CAUGHT FIRE IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY MOTHER'S HOME IN NEW BRIGHTEN, PA 15066 WHERE I THEN LIVED. IT WAS PARKED AT ABOUT 7PM AFTER DRIVING INTO NEW BRIGHTEN AND BACK, ABOUT 5 MILES EACH WAY. AT ABOUT 2AM THAT NIGHT WE WERE AWAKENED BY THE CAR HORN AND THE GLOW OF THE CAR ENGULFED IN FLAMES. A FIRE INSPECTION RESULT WAS UNDETERMINED. *TR
FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 6,600 MILES. COMPANY INDICATED NO RECALLS, BUT THIS SEEMS RIDICULOUS FOR SUCH LOW MILES. WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 6 MONTHS BEFORE. VEHICLE ALWAYS HAD LOW POWER. *JB
STARTED CAR IN PARKING LOT, RUMBLED VIOLENTLY. PUT CAR INTO DRIVE, TURNING OUT OF PARKING LOT CAR DIES AND AM ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FUEL PUMP HAD GONE OUT ON CAR. NEW PUMP DIRECTLY FROM FORD DEALERSHIP WAS PUT INTO CAR. 3 WEEKS LATER I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT, CAR STARTED TO RUMBLE AGAIN, WAS ABLE TO CREEP THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BEFORE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4 LANE HIGHWAY. FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PUMP FUSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*JB
I HAVE HAD MY MUSTANG IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES TO REPAIR THE CHECK FUEL CAP LIGHT. THE CAR HAS STALLED ON ME SEVERAL TIMES. SENCE THE LAST TIME I HAD IT IN THE SHOP MY CAR GETS REALY BAD GAS MILEAGE. IT HAS RECENTLTY BEEN GIVING ME A HARD TIME SHIFTING. I HAVE A FEAR OF THE CAR STALLING ON THE FREEWAY OR CATCHING FIRE, BEACAUSE OF THE ELETRICAL PROBLEMS IN THE FUEL TANK. *LA
THE VEHICLES FUEL PUMP FAILED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED ONCE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *NLM.
CAR WILL STALL WHILE MOVING. LOSS OF POWER BRAKING/STEERING WILL OCCUR. DT
OWNER DESCRIBES FAILURE AS INTERMIITENT LOSS OF ENGINE, SHUTTING OFF WITH NO WARNING. SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ALL ELECTRICAL POWER FAILS. DEALERSHIP DID A DRIVE AND MAINTENANCE CHECK. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE OWNER. NOW THE ENGINE KEEPS HIGH ACCELERATION WITH THE RPM CONSTANTLY IN THE "RED" EVEN WITH FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. PROBLEM CAN'T BE DUPLICATED SO THE DEALERSHIP DOESN'T HAVE AN ACTUAL FIX. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. MR
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