Faults:

EGR Valve replaced.

Idle Air Control Valve replaced.

Rear Suspension Bushing replaced.

Transmission was rebuilt before I bought it. Even so, at times it has difficulty shifting as it jerks & car shakes.

Taillights replaced.

General Comments:

It is very comfortable, stylish.

The taillight is a sealed unit and if it burns out you must replace it; there are no bulbs!

The RWD aspect of the car is troublesome in snow-covered road conditions especially when turning and going up inclines; car tends to fishtail.

Looking at used-car prices, T-birds are holding their value better than the average American car.

Parts are inexpensive with the 3.8.

Faults:

The same week I bought the car the cam shaft, and brake rotors had problems.

The transmission started to make funny sounds and I had brought it back to Ford numerous times and the car still had this problem until I traded it in at Ford, where the transmission fell out in the lot!

The transmission made a funny noise when you accelerated around 40MPH.

The oil filter is impossible to find, even the service station I had brought it to had a hard time getting to it!

The cup holders are in the most ridiculous space, not to mention when you go over a bumpy road you end up wearing your morning coffee!

To make a long list of cons short, the car was nice looking, but looks can be deceiving.

General Comments:

The car accelerated very quickly and on the highway you could really move.

The interior is very nice and comfortable.

I have gotten complements on the car only for looks though.

Faults:

A small bolt in the rear suspension linkage was worn, and made a small noise when turning. I replaced it with a similar bolt from Lowe's for about $1. That's it.

General Comments:

The downside to this car is the headlamp plastic shell can get cloudy over time and reduce light output.

The upsides to this car:

Motor. Runs strong, and runs forever. I have seen several over 200,000 mile and even a few over 400,000 miles (Crown Vic taxis). Very quiet with modern spark control versus older cap and rotor.)

Transmission. Shifts for the older crowd, but basically bulletproof. The 1-2 accumulator spring can break in these. As long as that cheap part is fixed promptly, the rest of the transmission will live forever.

Suspension. Modern independent rear provides a very smooth ride on the highway while soaking up bumps with ease. This is the only car I have owned that has no rattles or squeaks when going over rough pavement. To me this is a highway car.

Interior. Seats are very comfortable, even for 5+ hours. Controls and dash layout are in just the right places. Air conditioning blows ice cold, even I have to back off the a/c a little sometimes. Heat will bake you right out of the car if you let it. I love the variable fan speed.

Faults:

Since I purchased the car in Nov. 2002, I have done:

Replaced Alternator (bearing was going bad), however I could have risked it and waited!

Driver's side motor mount.

Water pump.

Mass Flow Sensor.

A/C Receiver-Drier.

General Comments:

I purchased the car for $1550.00 in 11/02. The car is perfect inside and out, with the exception of normal rock chips on the nose of the car. It has been exceptionally reliable. The interior is very comfortable, and the ride is quiet.

Faults:

Hmm where to begin? I bought the car with a slight shimmy in the braking, I didn't think much of it, but after having it aligned it still continued, but not on damp and rainy days. Don't ask me why.

87,000 miles, one year owned, I lost the transmission while on a trip. I was not all that happy with it and resented ever getting it fixed in the future.

120000 and 2000 dollars more spent on it I have now changed both the oxygen sensors (130 dollars a piece), both serpentine pulleys, the fuel filter and mass air flow sensor (230 dollars ea.)

123000 after having all the work done on the car and feeling pretty good about it in general the head gasket blew on a simple drive back from a friend's house.

I have now gotten to the point where I need to decide do I put myself in debt and buy a new car to give myself some relief or does this nightmare continue.

General Comments:

The interior, handling, turning radius and power of this vehicle are it's strong points.

The constant and expensive repairs are not what I like about owning this car at all.

What's next? Timing chain? Hmm won't this be fun?!