What breaks most · 1994 to 2003 model years
Ford Mustang Convertible problems by year
Owners have filed 139 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Mustang Convertible across model years 1994 to 2003. Three years stand out: 2003 for engine and cooling complaints, 2000 for engine and cooling complaints and 2001 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 1996, 1997 and 1995.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 2000, 2001
- Fewest complaints: 1996, 1997, 1995
- Complaints on file
- 1391994 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 200335 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 134 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 78kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 14 | 2 | 0 | Engine and cooling (7) | |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (2) | |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 11 | 3 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 20 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 17 | 4 | 0 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 35 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (7) |
What fails on the 2003 Ford Mustang Convertible
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 20% |
7 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2003 Ford Mustang Convertible |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 20% |
7 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2003 Ford Mustang Convertible |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 14% |
5 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2003 Ford Mustang Convertible |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 9% |
3 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2003 Ford Mustang Convertible |
| Seat belts | 9% |
3 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
2 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 6% |
2 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2003 Ford Mustang Convertible |
| Seats | 6% |
2 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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July 2007 through current date. Car stalls when pushing in clutch to stop or make turns. There is a tsb (17542)on this issue but no recall. This is a dangerous condition which could be fatal to a novice driver; especially when car stalls during a left hand turn.
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Re#1448617 emissions the same secondary air pump was replaced on 7/19/2002 by FORD under warrantey. When it failed again on or about 11/10/2003 , the dealer claimed it was now not covered. This pump is so nessesary,the newer mustangs do not have it.*ak
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Fueling car gas leaking onto ground reached under car right side filler tube going into tank all rusted fuel coming out tube onto ground 2001 mustang 3.8ohv part# 9034 filler neck tube rusted through.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Mustang Convertible years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 2000, 2001 carry the most filings on the Ford Mustang Convertible. The 2003 alone has 35 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Ford Mustang Convertible problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 7 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Mustang Convertible problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Mustang Convertible complaints that include mileage is about 78,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.