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#BS-2002-FORMUS-44992002 Ford Mustang
Based on reports from 159 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 159 complaints, 25 crashes, 9 fires, and 6 recalls.
Top reported problems
paint peeling
10 complaints β’ Severity 7.2/10
spark plugs ejected from cylinders
3 complaints β’ Severity 8/10
wont shift out of gear
1 complaints β’ Severity 8/10
Preview: What's in your full report
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
12 owners reported air bags:frontal issues β failures commonly reported around 45K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0β30K miles (27 reports) β’ Median: 45K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Air Bags:frontal (12 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2002 Ford Mustang: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Air Bags:frontal Issues
Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Mustang, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 45,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 45K-mile mark.
Speed Control Issues
Speed Control complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Mustang, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Mustang, with 9 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Mustang, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Ford Mustang. Recent trend: decreasing.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (6 recalls)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS MAY NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE INTERFACE, EVEN THOUGH THE PERSON MAKING THE CONNECTION MAY BELIEVE THAT THE QUICK CONNECTOR IS FULLY ATTACHED.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
+ 1 more recall in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Ford Mustang is the 2010 β worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is body / paint.
2002 Ford Mustang vs. Class Average (Subcompact Cars)
This vehicle
159
Class avg
141
Complaint volume is roughly in line with other subcompact cars vehicles from 2002.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 159 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Ford Mustang Model Years
2002 Ford Mustang: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Ford Mustang?
Is the 2002 Ford Mustang reliable?
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Does the 2002 Ford Mustang have any recalls?
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Whatβs in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
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Get the Full 2002 Ford Mustang Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 159 owner reports. Know before you buy.