2003 Ford Mustang problems and complaints
Owners have filed 271 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Mustang. The most-reported areas: Engine And Engine Cooling (62), Power Train (40), Electrical System (28).
Key takeaways
- 271 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 23 involve a crash, 6 a fire, 17 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 62 | 23% |
| Power Train | 40 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 28 | 10% |
| Seat Belts | 27 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 8% |
| Suspension | 17 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 16 | 6% |
| Unknown Or Other | 16 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 5% |
| Structure | 12 | 4% |
| Equipment | 12 | 4% |
| Fuel System | 11 | 4% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Ford Mustang Convertible | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| 2003 Ford Mustang 2-DR. | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Service Brakes,engine - filed 2026-07-16
Breaks went out
Service Brakes,engine - filed 2026-07-16
Breaks went out
Air Bags - filed 2026-01-27
From all the research I have done on my vehicle, it has the Takata airbag inflators that uses phase‑stabilized ammonium nitrate without a desiccant which should have been in the Nationwide Ford vehicle recall. I am the original owner of my 2003 Mustang Mach 1 and it has never had the airbags replaced and I have never ...
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More for the 2003 Ford Mustang
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.