30th Jan 2011, 09:27

I don't believe there is any easy way to disable this feature, as it now a mandatory option on all cars. Since it is integrated into the computer system, it will be hard to disable it. It's not like you can cut the wire to the light or anything that simple.

It is annoying to me as well, as you can't even switch to winter wheels without dropping almost $400 extra for sensors to match your car. This also makes it very difficult to sell a winter wheel package after you sell or trade your car, as you are narrowed down to a specific brand if you intend on recouping some of your sensor cost. I hate mandatory things like this that just let people become more complacent about maintaining their cars. If you get into a routine of checking basics like tire pressure once a month, you'd be fine without some computer chiming in all the time. Even with the TPMS, I still am in the habit of at least visually checking the tires when I get in the car. Old habits die hard I guess.

30th Jan 2011, 12:11

This is a very good habit to keep. My wife's car doesn't have tire monitors and she routinely does a visual check every time she drives.

4th Feb 2011, 18:47

If drivers would take responsibility for their own safety, we could be saving thousands of dollars on our car purchases. People refusing to use seat belts resulted in the requirements for very expensive air bags. People being too lazy to look at their tires before driving add hundreds of dollars to new cars for tire sensors. Factor in back-up sensors for people too stupid to use a rear view mirror and automatic parallel parking features for drivers too inept to learn how to park, and you have added enough to double the price of a car.

23rd Jun 2011, 18:16

Wow! Time flies. This vehicle is coming up on its 4th birthday. Everything is absolutely flawless except the ridiculous and annoying low tire sensors (the "low tire pressure" warning has to be reset every time you start the car), and the impossible to read shift position indicator. Other than those two minor annoyances, the car is perfect. No mechanical issues, no issues of any kind. Just solid, reliable service.

I'm still very pleased with the 4.0. Power is more than adequate, and I don't miss my V-8 at all. With part of the money we saved on the 6, we bought a used Fusion that has proven to also be a very solid and reliable car. The interior quality and overall build quality on the Fusion are just a tad better than on the Mustang, but both are awesome cars. I'd certainly recommend either.

9th Jan 2012, 11:40

Heading into it's 5th year, the Pony is great. Zero repairs thus far, but not surprised. None of our Fords ever require any repairs before 200,000 miles or so.

The biggest (and only) complaint is the idiotic tire monitors, which always show a "low tire warning". I've gotten used to just turning it off each time I start the car, but it is a major nuisance. I begged the dealer to disable the system, but they refused. They can get the tire pressures equalized, but they only stay that way for about two days. I'd remove the monitors, but the light would still stay lit all the time. I really resent having to pay $700 extra for a system that does nothing but annoy me.

The other complaint is the impossible-to-read shift indicator. My wife drives the car in 3rd gear half the time because you can't see the indicator to tell it's in "drive". Very annoying.

10th Jan 2012, 09:13

It needs zero repairs, yet your TPMS is failing, so you just contradicted yourself. Just because you live with it, doesn't mean it didn't break. I can only imagine the list of things that you have let go on your other cars that you didn't count as broken.

Sorry, but no car goes 200,000 miles without needing something. I see these claims all the time. "Yeah, I went 200,000 miles and it needed no repairs. However, my AC needs charging, the radio doesn't work, the rear window won't go down, etc., etc..." Amusing really. There are always things you can still drive a car with even after they fail. Heck, I did it all the time with old cars. But they still failed none-the-less.

I too have a Ford, and the TPMS has only gone off once. I was 10 pounds low in one tire. Other than that, it has never lit up. Now I have snow tires on it and no monitors. The good thing so far is that the monitors only go off after a longer distance. I run around town and they don't seem to pick up the fact the sensors are home in my garage on my regular rims. My wife had it go off once when she took it to work 20 miles away, but then it reset after the car was shut off.

I agree it is a stupid mandatory option. The dealer cannot deactivate it as it is against federal law. I skipped the sensors on my snows because they were a ridiculous $312 for the set. It gets tiring having to buy cars built for the stupidest person because they can't check their tires. 90% of the safety equipment on cars is designed for idiots that can't do their own maintenance or learn how to drive properly.

13th Jul 2012, 13:00

Well, here's a five-year update on the Pony. Thus far absolutely nothing has been required in the way of repairs. I didn't expect any. Amazingly the cheap factory battery is still good, though long out of warranty.

I generally get over 100,000 miles out of brake pads, so nowhere near needing a brake job.

My only gripe continues to be the idiotic "low tire" light, which comes on every few months. Thank God my other car is a 2006 and does not have the stupid things!!

9th Jul 2013, 16:12

Original reviewer: After six years, not a single problem. Zero repairs. My only gripes continue to be the overly-sensitive tire pressure monitors and the very hard to read shift indicator. The car looks, runs and feels exactly like it did the day I bought it. I am ecstatically happy that I did not buy an import.

18th Jun 2014, 00:43

As my Pony's seventh birthday approaches, I thought an update was in order. In a word... FLAWLESS. Everything is original, including the factory battery. Not a single problem of any kind. I have never regretted getting rid of my 12-mile-per-gallon high performance V-8. I don't race, there's nowhere I can use that much power, and my 4.0 is proving much more reliable. Everywhere I go, people comment on the beautiful color and custom touches. No one ever even noticed my boring plain-Jane V-8. I have no intention of ever owning another V-8 anything.