Table 1 shows one common unknown or other related problems of the 1997 Ford Mustang.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other problems |
Tl- the contact owns a 1997 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while traveling 35 mph, a foul odor started to emit into the cabin. The contact then merged to the side of the road because he became distraught. The vehicle was driven to the contact's home. The vehicle was not taken to a mechanic and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 128,000 and the current mileage was 130,000. Pmb.
As I was making a left hand turn on the highway at approx. 15mph, I heard a loud pop/crack coming from the front of the vehicle. At this time the car started to drift off to the right and onto the side of the road. I tried to turn the steering wheel left to compensate for the change and the steering wheel continued to turn in a 360 degree rotation with no control of the tires. At this time I felt something hit my shoe from above the gas pedal and I realized that something had broke causing me to have absolute no control over the vehicle. After inspecting the steering column, it was evident that the shaft had completely separated from the column that goes into the floor board and into the firewall to the engine. No broken/shard parts of metal nor any broken pieces that could have fallen off were laying underneath. It was as if the shaft was "pulled" out of the column hole. After further inspection at a body shop, it was noted that the vehicle had never been into an accident (just like the carfax report had indicated) because there are no structural damages. The technicians had never seen an issue such as this and have no explanation as to how/why the shaft would just separate with such ease. I've spoken to several mechanics and dealerships and they have never seen/heard of an issue such as this. I bought the Mustang from a local used car dealership and they have not disclosed any information regarding steering issues/if there is any to disclose. I am having the body shop completely replace the shaft because I do not feel safe operating the vehicle, if this issue is to happen again with such ease and I loose total control of steering capabilities, who is to say it won't happen on the freeway with children in the car?.
The color of this Mustang is white. Around may or June 2000, the paint began to peel off the roof of the car. Almost immediately, the exposed metal began to rust. I consulted the dealer about it, but they wanted to charge me to paint the car, since the warranty was expired. Prior to this, I had it looked at by another party who said that Ford should paint it at no charge to me because the paint and primer were both defective, thus causing the paint to come off. I called Ford motor company, but they wouldn't help. The owner's manual says the metal has to be "perforated" before Ford would cover the paint. I feel that they should have painted the vehicle when the problem was first reported. Even if they just painted the roof and not the whole vehicle, I would have been satisfied with that. (lt).
Paint cracking and delamination on horizontal surfaces, mostly hood. No safety defect listed in the summary.
No summary.