2001 Ford Mustang GT review from North America

My mustang got keyed all the way down the passenger side the third week I had the car. (I know, not Fords fault)

Emergency break didn't work; a recall fixed this.

There is a plastic cover over the seat belt where it attaches to the car. This cover continuously pops off. The seat belts won't stay in the holster on the driver/passenger seats. Why are they there?

Engine spark knocked for first three months and would get worse upon acceleration.

The clutch started making a strange vibration noise going into the fourth month.

Further more, the designated Ford dealership I took it to repaired it three times in a row and it still made the noise. I finally took it to a Lincoln/Mercury dealer and they fixed it. It has been several months since they fixed the clutch and now the noise is back. ARrrrrgg!

Head gaskets blew at 19000 miles.

2nd gear seems to grind easily; does not catch well.

I finally received the most help after taking the lemon to the Lincoln/Mercury dealership. They finally convinced Ford to give me an extended warranty. Which I will really need now because my car's clutch is acting up again.

There are still other issues I have with the performance of the engine and transmission in the car. The engine still seems to spark-knock upon acceleration and the clutch does not catch gears well. Especially 2nd gear, I have to let the clutch out slowly or else it will grind.

The only positive thing I can say about the car is that overall it does perform well. The steering is very responsive and the handling is pretty swift. Acceleration is nice when the gears don't grind. The tires have lasted me a full 2 years too. That's pretty good for a Z rated tire.

I have heard rumors that the clutch grinding is common in all GTs built in 2001. Rumor has it many mustangs came from the factory with a bent shift fork. Though there have been no recent service bulletins that apply to this, I have been hearing the same complaint from other mustang owners.