2004 Ford Mustang problems & reliability
116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Ford Mustang, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Ford Mustang vehicles were involved in 77 fatal crashes with 66 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 33 | 28% |
| Unknown OR Other | 15 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 8% |
| Power Train | 9 | 8% |
| Suspension | 7 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 5% |
| Tires | 6 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 3% |
| Structure | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 13,892 miles (middle 50% between 7,000 and 50,000 miles), based on 85 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Po442 Evaporative Emmison system leak. Heat catalyst egr set malfunctions. Primary and secondary a/c system deficiencies.”
Engine · filed Jul 3, 2026
“Casual driver. Noticed acceleration and coasting/rolling were sluggish. Mechanic noted brake area temp on front driver's side was over 400 degrees. The brakes on that wheel would not release completely and caused continuous friction producing overheating. (I noticed I am not the only one to submit this brake problem…”
Service Brakes · filed Jan 9, 2021
“Never know when car is fully gas up always put gas in at 1/4 to 1/2 tank, will overfill if not very carefully so really just put no more than 10 to 15 dallas never shows full. Do not want to overflow on me for one two it's bad for my baby #1 mustang”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 27, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- ACCELERATOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE
Engineering Analysis EA05014 · opened Sep 13, 2005 · closed Apr 10, 2006 · led to recall 06V108000
- ACCELERATOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE
Preliminary Evaluation PE05038 · opened Jul 7, 2005 · closed Sep 13, 2005
Technical service bulletins
33 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Ford Mustang. The 10 most recent:
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Engine misfire with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) pewee, p0302, p0303, p0304, p0305, p0306, p0307, p0308, and p0316. *tt
06513 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers. *tt
06216 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Safety belt web stop button service. *eh
05310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2005
1-2 shift clash, grind or hard to shift - tr3650 5 speed manual transmission. *tt
042613 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 31, 2004
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Steering rack noise. *tt squeak/creak noise from steering rack when turning. *sc
04248 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2004 Ford Mustang has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2004 Ford Mustang?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 13,892 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.