Faults:

Early on, I experienced some problems with the transmission and had to have some work done on it. Its been acting up again recently with delayed shifting, especially when gearing down.

The automatic door locks started freaking out one day and I haven't been able to repair them since.

The rear-window defroster died.

Though I've never used it, the airbag module has problems.

Corrosion frequently forms on the battery cable. Also, on this topic, I've experienced a drain in power on certain occasions even when the cables are clean. This primarily happens at nighttime when the headlights are on. This could be attributed to the alternator. While sitting at a stoplight, your lights can gradually become dim as the battery meter drops slowly. This is odd because usually the battery meter registers fairly high.

The door handles have broken several times on me as well. (The most inconvenient of which was when my passenger handle was already broken. I took my car in for an oil change and the mechanic broke my drivers side handle. It took them an hour to get into the car.) Apparently there has been prior difficulties with these handles, as we found several other remnant handle arms inside the door at the base of the rod. Even after I received a new factory handle, it broke within five months. I plan on fixing this problem by adapting a metal handle from another vehicle.

General Comments:

My parents gave me this car after they got a new vehicle. Despite what repairs I have listed above, for the most part, it has been a fairly reliable car.

This car isn't much for trunk or back-seat space though. Where there's just me riding in it (most of the time), there isn't a problem.

In the winter time, studded snow tires are a must. However, even with the studded tires, it's often difficult to get traction. I buy several 40LB bags of course salt to put in the trunk over the wheels to help with it. Again, this is only a problem on wet and icy roads.

I've actually enjoyed this car quite a bit. It may not be one for speed, but it's done what I needed it to.

Faults:

The rack and pinion boot leaks.

The front right strut leaks.

The oil pan leaks.

The gear housing leaks.

General Comments:

I have just recently purchased the car from a guy who just let it sit in his garage and drove it ever so often.

I plan to have all of these problems fixed soon.

For a 14 year old car, it performs magnificently.

I have owned numerous sports cars and none have the feel of a Mustang.

Sure plenty are faster, but you will have to drive one to understand.

I am thoroughly pleased and only upset that I have not purchased one sooner.

Faults:

Exhaust manifold gaskets started to leak.

The end of one of the rear springs snapped, car rode low on one corner until I fixed it.

Alternator failed.

Strange coolant leak that resulted in replacing radiator and many hoses.

Emergency brake cable broke.

Speedometer broke.

Differential started to slip.

One ball joint wore out.

General Comments:

This car is lots of fun. It has loads of low-end torque easily capable of spinning the tires, consistently barks the tires during shifts and can still get a little attention.

The interior is cheap, I have broken a few pieces of molding by mistake in the past, and my speedometer started to bounce around wildly until I replaced the cable.

Overall the car handles surprisingly well, especially with a few inexpensive suspension upgrades.

Parts and repairs, although more frequent then I would like have all been inexpensive, even for a domestic car.