Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Ford Mustang owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
My wife was pulling in to the drive way on her way from doing some errands a drive of less than 5 miles and its a rural road where you cant drive more than 30 miles an hour when she smelt like something was burning. She checked the gauges and everything seemed fine and then saw smoke coming off the hood. She only had time to park the car and get off as the whole engine bay got engulfed in flames.the fire fighters arrived and were able to control the fire from spreading but the front half of the car was totally destroyed.
I had just finished fueling up my car and when I got in to start it up I heard a pop and hissing sound.... When I checked it had blown another spark plug and coil out of cylinder 7.... It blew one out of cylinder 8 and I had it fixed now cylinder 7 did it.... Its obviously common for the 4.6 motor to do this and I don't find it right that us owners have to constantly fix these problems when its Ford's fault for making this motor.
I have a 2002 Ford Mustang gt that I bought new. I was driving to work on 2/16/09 & I heard a loud sound like someone had hit underneath my hood with a hammer so I immediately pulled over & turned the car off. I smelt a smoke / burning smell & when the hood was raised there was no fire. It was 31 degrees & I had no cell phone service so needless to say was I late for but I was stranded. I was there for 45 - 50 minutes before I was able to intouch with someone. It cost 75.00 to have it towed to a Ford dealership & they are saying it blew a spark plug through the coil & cracked the very front pulley. They have not said whether it has put a dent in the hood / fender. They will call on 2/17/09 with the final estimate & report. The service dept said that if it has messed up any heads then I will be looking at 1500.00 each head.... There is enough of people that this has happen to. …
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. …
While driving 40 MPH and when brakes were depressed the vehicle pulled from side to side. There was a clunk after the brakes were released, the front tires rubbed on the frame when turning, three belts were installed within 6000, the vehicle smelled like oil, even with the A/C on. The motor rattled before the gears were shifted, with the A/C on the motor would surge up and down to the point where the vehicle would pull. After the consumer would take his foot off of the gas there would be a slight acceleration, the vehicle would hesitate and lunge forward. The vehicle was sometimes hard to start and must be cranked several times. There was a rattle in the rear of the rear of the vehicle as if something was loose moving back and forth. Poor alignment had worn the tires on the outside edge. The bolt from the vehicle was found in the driveway, and the rear window had an air leak.
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.
I was driving and all of sudden the car lost all power which I could not turn or brake and I almost hit the pillar of a bridge. Took it to Ford and said they did not find any problems. The transmission has been rebuilt because of grinding in transmission. It was built 10,000 miles ago, it started doing it again. Also I have talked to other Mustang owners having the same problem where the camshaft position sensor codes are being thrown from the computer. Nobody has figured it out yet. I took the car to Ford, they told me they couldn't find what was wrong with the car...they would have to take it apart. Didn't do that because I couldn't afford it. I don't understand, the car only had 49,000 miles on it, I expect the car not to give me this much trouble.
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.
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.
NHTSA investigations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Engine complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2002 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2002 Ford Mustang, 28% of the model year's 166 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Mustang engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2002 Ford Mustang. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Mustang engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.