2004 Ford Mustang Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the accelerator pedal catching on floor carpeting at full throttle, especially in the SVT Cobra variants, typically at very low mileage. A smaller share of complaints cover airbags that did not deploy in a collision, a transmission that grinds or is hard to shift, and suspension or axle noises and handling concerns.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Accelerator pedal sticking on floor carpet

   Mentioned in 30 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the accelerator pedal catching in the cutout or edge of the floor carpet, usually during heavy throttle, so the engine stays at high rpm after the driver lifts off. Owners say they freed the pedal by pulling it up, shifting to neutral to hit the rev limiter, or shutting off the ignition, and some cut or glued the carpet themselves as a workaround. Several say a dealer told them this was a known issue on these cars or had no specific fix, and one owner reports a recall notice that did not resolve the catch. Mostly reported below about 15,000 miles, frequently during hard acceleration such as merging or passing.

   Recall 06V108000

   What to check: Ask whether the carpet behind the pedal was trimmed or reattached, and check pedal travel by hand with the engine off. A recall addresses contact between the pedal and floor carpeting, so confirm any related recall work was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was proceeding through intersection on a left hand turn lane driving in the wrong gear for the speed at which I was going(20 MPH), I down shifted into second gear and the gas pedal was stuck to the floor for a half a block heading towards the next intersection that had a red light for me. I couldn't stop the car so I turned the key off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10141209, filed 2005-10, 2,360 miles

   “While driving my 04 mach 1, the gas pedal got stuck under the carpet twice. The first time the car reached an estimated speed of around 125 MPH before I shut it down and pulled over. The second time I knew what happened and reached down and lifted the pedal up to free it. These are pretty dangerous situations. I'm going to take it to the dealer and see what they say.”

   NHTSA complaint #10128602, filed 2005-07, 17,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in a collision

   • 8 complaints (7%)
   • median 25,500 mi at 2.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2016

   Owners describe front impacts where the airbags stayed in the steering wheel and dash, including a rollover and a 40 mph frontal crash. In one case the front bags deployed at very low speed with no impact, and the dealer reportedly told the owner it would not be covered. Most say the dealer never diagnosed the cause or that no explanation was given. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 11,000 to 80,000 miles, in a mix of frontal and low-speed incidents.

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag warning lamp has ever been on and whether the system has been scanned for stored codes; a pre-purchase inspection can check for prior collision repair.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My daughter was driving my 2004 Ford Mustang , when light turned green upon acceleration the gas pedal stuck( because of carpet) causing her to loose control of the car as she was making a left turn on wet pavement . She hit another vehicle totaling the car and she was also hurt when her face hit steering wheel because airbag did not deploy.”

   NHTSA complaint #10140244, filed 2005-10, 11,000 miles

   “I had a deer accident on my way to work & wrecked my 2004 Ford Mustang convertible & the airbags did not deploy & I took the entire force of the accident. I flipped end over end & rolled it once or twice & hit the right front bumper on a concrete slap & flipped back on the wheels & destroyed the front end & completely totaled the car! I have severe head trama, whiplash, injured back, neck & shoulders & am in physical therapy 3x's a week & lots of pain & inflamation rx's. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10126419, filed 2005-06, 12,500 miles
3. 3
   Suspension

   Suspension and axle noise, pulling or rear-end step-out

   • 13 complaints (11%)
   • median 15,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2011

   Complaints describe a metallic popping from the passenger floor area that a technician confirmed on a test drive, steering pull to one side at speed, and a corroded rear axle housing found during routine maintenance. One owner reports the rear end fishtailing and spinning on a wet low-speed exit ramp, and another reports axles shifting with the wheels locking up. Reported from under 1,000 miles up to roughly 100,000 miles, with several cases early in ownership.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Listen for clunks or popping over uneven pavement during a test drive, check the rear axle housing for rust, and confirm tire condition and alignment before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “A few days prior my car made a squealing noise when I stopped. On dec 25, 2006 I was traveling down a residential street when my axles shift and my car tires locked up, it was approximately 1/8 mile from my home. The steering wheel was shifted approximately 90 degrees.”

   NHTSA complaint #10177142, filed 2006-12, 17,800 miles

   “September 18, 2011: while exiting an interstate, I began to go around the cloverleaf of my exit, less than 15 MPH, and the back end of my Mustang very quickly fishtailed spinning me all the way around. I ended up facing the people behind me, who fortunately were going as slowly as I was. Fortunately I was able to stop just short of hitting a concrete barrier wall. There was a very light rain, and the roads were wet. I have all new tires. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10426002, filed 2011-09, 95,000 miles

Buying note. Check the carpet and pedal area closely and confirm any related recall work was done, since that is by far the most frequently reported concern on this model year. A cold test drive through low-speed turns and a manual shift through the gears will also show whether the axle or transmission symptoms described in the complaints are present.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.