1995 Ford Mustang Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
HEAD GASKET BLEW IN MY 1995 FORD MUSTANG AND CAUSED THE CAR TO OVERHEAT. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE FOLLOWING AN OCCURRENCE IN OCTOBER OF 2000 WHICH LEAD TO THE CAR BEING SERVICED AT COOK-WHITEHEAD FORD UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THERE ARE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT HEAD GASKETS WITH THE FORD 3.8L ENGINES AND REPEATS OF HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AND WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE ON THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE. SHE HAS SUGGESTED THAT I PAY ATTENTION AND THAT FROM THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THERE MAY POSSIBLY BE A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED. I BELIEVE THAT SUB-STANDARD PARTS WERE USED TO SUPPOSEDLY FIX AN ALREADY BELOW STANDARD PART AND THAT PROPER PROCEDURES WERE NOT COMPLETED WHEN THE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY SERVICED. *JB
95 FORD MUSTANG WITH 58,000 MILES ON WAY HOME FROM WORK ENGINE GOT HOT AND DIED BLEW A HEAD GASKET. FORD HAS A NOTICE OF FAULTY HEAD GASKETS WHICH WE NEVER RECEIVED AND FORD REFUSED TO REPLACE FAULTY GASKET DUE TO TIME LIMIT NOT MILEAGE. PLEASE ADVISE. *JB
CONSUMER STATES COOLANT SYSTEM CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALER REPAIRED/ REPLACED FAN AND VEHICLE OVERHEATED AGAIN AND CAUSED OTHER PROBLEMS. *AK
THE ENGINE COOLING FAN HAS FAILED TO OPERATE DUE TO THE POSSIBLE SIEZING OF THE FAN BEARING. THE FAN HARNESS AS A RESULT HAS MELTED AND RESULTED IN A VERY LARGE DRAIN ON THE VEHICLE BATTERY LEADING TO NO ELECTRICAL POWER AND THE VEHICLE STALLING WHEN THE VEHICLE TEMPERATURE RISES ABOVE NORMAL. A SIMILAR RECALL HAS BEEN FILED FOR FORD VEHICLES WITH A FORD RECALL OF FORD RECALL # 01S30OR NHTSA RECALL NO 01V390000. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED ON THE RECALL ACCORDING TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE AND DESERVES SERIOUS CONSIDERATION FOR A RECALL REPAIR.*AK
THE ENGINE OVER HEATED.*JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HEAD GASKET FAILED WHILE DRIVING. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
FAILURE OF FORD MOTOR CO. TO MAKE HEAD GASKET REPAIRS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SERVICE PROGRAM 00M10. ON 6/27/00 I BROUGHT MY 1995 FORD MUSTANG IN FOR REPAIR IN ACCORDANCE WITH 00M10 AND FRONT COVER LEAKING. THE REPAIRS WERE NOT MADE BY THE DEALERSHIP. I CALLED FORD & GOT NOWHERE. I THEN CALLED THE WORLD OFFICE OF FORD AND ASKED TO SPEAK WITH [XXX] DIRECTOR, ISSUER OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT "[XXX]. IS IN THE HEIRACHY AND UNAVAILABLE TO YOU. I KNOW WHAT YOUR COMPLAINT IS. I HAVE DENIED IT, THE REPAIR WILL NOT BE MADE BY FORD. " NOW JUST AS FORD PREDICTED WOULD HAPPEN IN ITS SERVICE PROGRAM LETTER HAS HAPPENED. THE GASKET HAS FAILED AND THE ENGINE IS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 65,000 MILES ON IT. WELL WITHIN THE 100,000 MILES THE SERVICE BULLETIN SAID FORD WOULD COVER. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND AS USUAL THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CAR IS NOW IN SOBH FORD IN DECATUR, GEORGIA, PHONE # 1-404-633-4005. THEIR MECHANICS SAID THE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE IS DUE TO THE GASKET FAILURE. THIS IS THE SAME GASKET THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY FORD BACK IN JUNE 2000, WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR IN ACCORDANCE WITH FORD'S SERVICE PROGRAM 00M10. NOW FORD REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR CITING THE 7 YEAR TIME LIMIT. TIME DOES NOT WEAR OUT A CAR USAGE DOES. LIKE I HAVE SAID PREVIOUSLY THERE IS 65,000 MILES ON THE CAR, WELL WITHIN THE 100,000 MILES SET IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN. I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO TIME LIMIT SET ON THE REPAIRS ONLY MILEAGE. IN ADDITION THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN FOR REPAIR BACK ON JUNE 27, 2000. IT WAS WELL WITHIN THE 7 YEAR TIME LIMIT AND IS STILL RIGHT NOW AS I WRITE THIS LETTER WELL WITHIN THE 100,000 MILE LIMIT SET IN THE WARRANTY. FORD IS RESPONSIBLE IN THIS MATTER. THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE THE REPAIR WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THEM ON 6/27/2000. THE VEHICLE IS A 1995 MUSTANG, VIN #[XXX] AND I PURCHASED IT NEW BACK IN APRIL 1995. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
FAN MOTOR FAILURE CAUSED ENGINE OVERHEAT AND RADIATOR FAILURE. RECALL ON SAME YEAR AND MODEL CAR 95 FORD MUSTANG BUT NOT MY VIN NUMBER ACCORDING TO FORD. I AM REPORTING AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM FOR ADDED RECALL. THE DEALER AND FORD WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIRS.$1239.12 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01I11000. VIN [XXX] THANKS FOR LOOKING INTO IT. TS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
AT UNPREDICTABLE MOMENTS, USUALLY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY WHILE SLOWING TO A STOP, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE WILL REV UP AND CAUSE THE CAR TO LUNGE FORWARD, INSTEAD OF STAYING AT IDLE AS IT SHOULD WHILE COMING TO A STOP. I KNOW THIS SEEMS INCREDIBLE, AND MAY BE AN INACCURATE OBSERVATION ON MY PART, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE HARDER THAT I PUSH DOWN ON THE BRAKE IN THESE SITUATIONS, THE STRONGER THE ENGINE PULLS. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, ABOUT FOURTEEN MONTHS AGO, I JUST ABOUT HAD A "HEART ATTACK" AND ALMOST RAN INTO A BUILDING, AS I WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE. THIS SITUATION HAPPENS MOSTLY AT RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS, ALWAYS AT SPEEDS BELOW FIFTEEN MILES PER HOUR WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND CREATES A REALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM. WHEN IT DOES OCCUR, I HAVE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION QUICKLY INTO NEUTRAL OR TURN THE KEY OFF WITH THE VEHICLE IN GEAR, TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IN SITUATIONS THAT ALLOW ME THE LUXURY ( NO VEHICLES OR OTHER OBJECTS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE IN DANGER) I HAVE FOUND THAT LETTING MY FOOT COMPLETELY OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHILE THE ENGINE IS REVVING AND THE CAR LUNGING EVER HARDER FORWARD, WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO IDLE. THIS PROBLEM THEN ONLY HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY, FOR QUITE A FEW MONTHS, BUT REAPPEARED LAST WEEK AFTER I REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES. IT ORIGINALLY STARTED WITHOUT ANYTHING BEING DONE TO THE CAR. *NLM
THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED DUE TO A CRACKED HEAD GASKET. *JB...*AK
I WOULD START MY CAR IN THE MORNING AND NOTICE THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE GO UP RAPIDLY. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER WENT PAST NORMAL AND INTO THE RED, DURING THIS TIME, NO HEAT WOULD BLOW. THEN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD DROP AND WARM AIR WOULD BLOW. I CHANGED THE THERMOSTAT, TEMPERATURE SENSOR, AND THE RADIATOR( WHICH SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS). NOTHING LEFT BUT THE HEAD GASKETS AND MAYBE EVEN A CRACKED HEAD. WASN'T THERE A RECALL FOR WINDSTAR'S WITH THE SAME ENGINE? THIS IS MY SECOND ENGINE FROM FORD, THE FIRST ONE GAVE OUT AROUND 36,000 MILES. WHEN WILL AMERICAN CAR COMPANIES BUILT RELIABLE ENGINES? NO WONDER THE FOREIGN CAR COMPANIES DO WELL IN AMERICA! *JB
THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. *JB
HEAD GASKET FAILURE...AFTER TAKING MY 95 MUSTANG TO 3 DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIPS OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS TRYING TO RESOLVE A CHECK ENG. LIGHT PROBLEM AND A MOTOR PROBLEM I WAS TOLD IT WAS JUST BAD GAS... NOW THAT THE 7 YEAR/100000 EXTENDED WARRANTY IS OVER, FORD SAID "IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND WE WILL NOT FIX IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE CAR HAS 87000 MILES AND IS PAST THE 7 YEARS BY 6 MONTHS. AND GET THIS... THE ONE DEALERSHIP THAT SPENT THE MOST TIME ON THE PROBLEM SAID THEY NEVER HAD THE CAR THERE AND SHOW NO RECORDS OF THERE BEING A PROBLEM. I HAVE SERVICE RECORDS AND SERVICE TICKETS FROM THIS DEALERSHIP. WOW TALK ABOUT NOT STANDING BEHIND A PRODUCT.
1195 FORD MUSTANG-HEAD GASKETS CRACKED AT 35,000 MILES--COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER MUSTANGS OF SAME AND OTHER YEARS.*AK
BLOWN HEAD GASKETS - REPLACED GASKETS AND HEAD. BLOWN HEAD GASKETS - REPLACED ENGINE.
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECREASE IN SPEED ALTHOUGH BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT APPLIED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, INFORMED CONSUMER HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE HEAD GASKET BLEW CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER REPLACE TWICE. TS
NO SUMMARY. DT
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM BACK OFF VEHICLE ,HAD TOWED THEY SAD THE COOLANT SYSTEM AND HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN.VEHICLE IS PART OFF RECALL,BUT DUE TO THE FACT THAT VEHICLE IS OVER 100,000 NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL.PROBLEM HAPPEN TWICE. MR
NHTSA RECAL# 14673-01-011-000: CONSUMER STATES THE ENGINE REACHES HIGH TEMPERATURE, PROBLEM IS DUE TO FAULTY ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. MR
THIS COMPONENT WAS ALLEGEDLY COVERED UNDER A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION" PROGRAM WHICH HAS JUST EXPIRED. THIS FAILURE CAUSED MY DAUGHTER TO BE STRANDED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN HOME FROM COLLEGE. I BELIEVE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS WITH FORD V-6 ENGINES SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE DUE TO THEIR HIGH OCCURRANCE AND THE DANGERS WHICH THESE FAILURES CAUSE. DT
WHILE DRIVING WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM TAIL PIPE, HAD VEHICLE TOWED. HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN OUT. *AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATION, (O1I011000) BUT WAS ALREADY EXPERIENCING OVERHEATING PROBLEMS, THE DEALER REPLACED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND STATED THE FAN MOTOR WAS FINE, HOWEVER CONSUMER CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING, CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO CHANGED THE FAN MOTOR AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT OVERHEATED SINCE, CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER FOR POSSIBLE REIMBURSEMENT AND WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE FAN MOTOR WAS OK, CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD HADE PRODUCED THE SAME CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE FAN DID NOT WORK PROPERLY, THE FAN STARTED OUT OK, BUT WOULD WIND DOWN TO ALMOST STALLING ON DAYS OF HIGH HEAT, AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING, THE TEMPERATURE WOULD STABILIZE, BUT AS SOON AS CONSUMER GOT INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC OR STOPPED, THE VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT, CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AGAIN AFTER BEING TOLD THERE WOULD BE NO REIMBURSEMENT.*JB
VEHICLE IS LEAKING COOLANT. CONSUMER HAS TO ADD FLUID ABOUT ONCE EVERY 20 MILES. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE. *AK
RECALL 01V390000; DEALER MULLINAX FORD EAST IN WICKLIFFE, OH. PHONE# 440/585-8000 REFUSED TO REPLACE FAN MOTOR WITHOUT CHARGE TO CONSUMER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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Quick Summary
The 1995 Ford Mustang has 291 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.