2005 Ford Mustang 4.6 V8 with 3 valves per cylinder from North America

Summary:

I nicknamed it the beast, looks great and is fast, but loves gas stations!

Faults:

Interior vinyl door covering on this Premium Mustang keeps falling off; Mustangs are notorious for this, there is about a 90% chance yours will fall off if it hasn't already; you glue them back on and 4 months later they need to be re-glued.

Tach failed, kind of hard to get out of dash.

Mechanically the car is very reliable; only routine maintenance.

It's a gas hog; only gets 14 miles per gallon in the city.

General Comments:

Great looking, in my opinion this retro model is the best looking Mustang ever. I like the wheels as well, and the Premium leather seats look fabulous and are super comfortable. The color changing instrument panel is neat, but the instrument panel is too deeply recessed; it's hard to read the speedometer during the day!!!

Not anywhere near enough leg room, I am 6ยด3, I have the steering wheel all the way up and the seat all the way back and down, and my legs barely fit under wheel; I cannot drive the 5 speed manual for there is so little leg clearance my thigh hits the steering wheel, thus I bought the Automatic!!! OK head room with the top up. Passenger seat is strictly manual operation and does not lower. Rear seats are for five year olds or maybe your pooch.

Door panel storage space is so narrow I can barely get my sunglasses wedged in. Instrument panel looks kind of cheap; it is all plastic and I have the premium interior package!

Seat belts are way back; I have to open the door to grasp them!!!

Nice roar from the exhaust and engine with the V8 GT. Fast, but not anywhere near as fast as the dual overhead cam 5.0.

Handles OK but car feels heavy; this is my 3rd Mustang, and this one must be 700 pounds heavier than first generation Mustangs! Very stiff suspension; if you hit a pothole your fillings almost fall out; good thing the car doesn't bottom out.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st April, 2021

2005 Ford Mustang GT 4.6 from North America

Summary:

Love the style & performance, and my local dealership is awesome!

Faults:

Bump/squeak in front end -- resolved by dealer.

Rattle in dash -- resolved by dealer.

Battery failure (5 times) -- resolved by dealer -- 5th MotorCraft lasted 4 years.

Shaker radio CD problems -- resolved by dealer with a replacement radio.

Common issue without a correction -- seat backs won't return to their former position after entering/exiting the rear seat, & the magnetic clip to hold the seatbelt won't stay clipped -- not a TSB kind of issue.

General Comments:

This Mustang was the 905th serialized unit in the new S197 body style, & was a "dealer promotional" on the showroom floor. Was told the 1st 1000 went to specific dealerships to promote the "new retro" Mustang. The issues were resolved in a timely way by the dealer each time. Very positive dealer experience.

I love the performance & appearance of the Raven Black Clearcoat with red leather interior. Only issue I have now is that both red pleather door panel inserts are peeling away from their backing, which seems to be a common problem over time, whether garaged or not. The foam backing has deteriorated, allowing the insert to peel away.

Since it is one of the 1st 1000 built & I have all all paperwork including buildsheets from the factory (just asked & the factory emailed them as attachments) & window sticker, I've tried to keep mileage down. I also love the "My Color" dash lights & info readout that shows exact MPG as it changes, miles to empty, & mileage on one screen, which helps control the urge for speed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th June, 2013

2nd Mar 2014, 03:24

I have the same door panel problem. I used 3M spray glue, but it still fails when the foam it's sprayed on fails again... Never had a problem till it sat outside without a garage last summer. It's back in a garage every day now that I work nights, but it is still an issue; every month I'm gluing one door back down.

21st Oct 2021, 15:46

I've used the 3M spray glue attempting to re-secure a car headliner. Their product does not work very well, if at all. Incidentally, I work with many types of adhesives and glues as a model plane builder.

23rd Oct 2021, 16:23

If you are attempting to replace the headliner without removing all the deteriorated foam backing, it does not matter what adhesive you use, it will fail. Why do people think they can just spray some adhesive onto crumbling foam and expect it to stay in place?