These help you judge whether this one is worth its price.
Costly problem zones ahead at your miles come with a Car Hunt Pass or Pro. See plans
Loading the EPA's yearly fuel cost
What about the price? Check the asking price on two listing sites. Buying from a dealer? Run its offer through the offer X ray.
Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.
The full record
Tap to open
What owners complain about
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Seller kit
Questions for the seller, test drive checks and price points
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
Walk up to the seller ready
Questions to ask the seller of a 2003 Ford Mustang, built from this year's owner complaints and recalls. What to feel, hear and look at on the test drive, with boxes to tick at the car. Honest points to raise on price, from the records and never from guesses. Copy the questions to your phone in one tap.
Car Hunt Pass: $15 once for 30 days, a launch price. It never renews. Full refund if you ask within 7 days.
Write your offer
A ready to send offer for the seller, by text or email
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
Send the seller a fair offer
Type the asking price and your own offer for the 2003 Ford Mustang, tick what you found, and get a polite message ready to text or email. Its reasons come from this year's owner complaints, recalls and crash ratings, and never from made up repair prices.
Car Hunt Pass: $15 once for 30 days, a launch price. It never renews. Full refund if you ask within 7 days.
When problems show up
Loading mileage at failure
Will it outlast the loan?
The month of your loan each problem zone lands in
Loading the problem zones
Recalls
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Crash ratings
NHTSA's stars out of five, for each version it tested. Front crash stars only compare cars of about the same size and weight. The tests changed for 2011 models, so these stars do not line up with newer ones.
Loading crash ratings
Fuel economy
The EPA's estimates for each engine and transmission, and its own yearly fuel cost. Yours depends on how you drive and the shape the car is in. Figures for 2007 and older use the EPA's 2008 method, so they may be lower than the original sticker.
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True cost to own
The loan, fuel, insurance and upkeep, a month and over 5 years
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
What it really costs to own
What the 2003 Ford Mustang costs a month and over 5 years: the loan and its interest, fuel worked out from the EPA's figures for the version you pick, and your own insurance, registration and upkeep. A cost a mile, a link that reopens your numbers, and the breakdown copied to your phone in one tap.
Car Hunt Pass: $15 once for 30 days, a launch price. It never renews. Full refund if you ask within 7 days.
Every year of the Mustang
Owner complaints for each model year, this one outlined. Tap a year to open it. The newest 2 are not judged yet. Bars are totals, so older years stand taller; the verdict compares every year at the same age.
Loading every year of this model
Before you buy this one
Built from this year's numbers. Whatever the data says, the car in front of you is the one that counts.
Not every car needs every fix. Run the VIN at NHTSA to see which are still open. Repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand; ask before any work.
Lights
May 11, 2009 · Recall 09E025000
Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 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.
What can happen
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on july 28, 2009. Owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798.
Lights
Apr 7, 2009 · Recall 09E012000
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.
What can happen
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
Lights
Aug 11, 2008 · Recall 08E050000
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."
What can happen
Without the amber side reflex reflectors, the lighting visibility may be affected, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
The fix
K2 motor will notify owners and offer a full refund. The recall began on decemeber 17, 2008. Owners may contact k2 motor at 1-909-839-2992.
Fuel system
Jun 13, 2006 · Recall 06E056000
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.
What can happen
Failure of this connection could lead to fuel spillage and, in the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
The fix
Ufi will notify owners and replace the filters free of charge. The recall began on august 4, 2006. Owners may contact ufi filters USA at 800-230-5876.
Lights
May 24, 2006 · Recall 06E049000
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.
What can happen
Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
The fix
Ck motorsport will notify owners and replace the noncompliant lamps free of charge. The recall began on july 1, 2006. Owners may contact ck motorsport at 1-909-610-7211.
Cruise and speed control
Apr 7, 2006 · Recall 06V108000
On certain mustang cobra passenger vehicles, the rear surface of the accelerator pedal may come into contact with floor carpeting during heavy throttle application. The unique surface profile of the accelerator pedal may catch in the cutout on the floor carpeting behind the accelerator pedal.
What can happen
This could interfere with the pedal's ability to return to an idle position. Unexpected, continued throttle application and/or increased stopping distances may occur which could result in a crash.
The fix
Dealers will install a shield over the cutout in the carpet behind the accelerator pedal. The recall began on april 26, 2006. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Unverified reports, not adjusted for sales. One complaint can name several parts, so shares add up past 100%. Filed Sep 23, 2002 to Jul 16, 2026. 43% name a part that is usually costly to fix.
Owners reported 23 crashes, 6 fires and 17 injuries in these complaints.
Engine69 · 25%Usually costly to fix
Transmission and drivetrain40 · 15%Usually costly to fix
Electrical28 · 10%
What one owner wrote about the engine
The exhaust pipe breaks where the A/C water drips. This is due to poor design of the car. This article describes it better. Https://Ford.oemdtc.com/100/exhaust-leak-cracked-or-separated-right-side-exhaust-pipe-1999-2004-Ford-mustang
Filed Apr 16, 2019NHTSA complaint 111966231 of 18 owner quotes
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
15 more parts, and 18 owner quotes
Every part owners name for the 2003 Ford Mustang, with their own words about what went wrong. Usually costly to fix among them: Body and frame.
Run the VIN at NHTSA to confirm every recall was fixed.
This year has 6 recalls on file. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand. Ask the dealer to confirm before any work is done. Look up a VIN at NHTSA.
Ask the seller for the service records.
Look closely for any work on the engine. It is the part owners complain about most for this year.
Have a mechanic you trust inspect it before you pay.
Ask them to look hard at the engine. It is usually costly to fix.
Look at a vehicle history report.
It can show reported crashes, flood or salvage titles, and mileage that does not add up.
On the test drive, pay attention to the engine.
Start it cold if you can. Listen for knocking or ticking, and watch for warning lights and smoke.
2003 Ford Mustang: problems, recalls, verdict · WhipWorthy
Year verdict
Worthy
1.1× a typical year
About as many owner complaints as a typical year. Still get it inspected.
Confidence: Medium
NHTSA did not answer for 3 years, so the typical year may shift.
NHTSA did not answer for 3 years, so this may change.
How the dial was counted
Year verdict: Typical year: 182 complaints, the median of 8 nearby years. Each counted over its first 8 years from January 2002; this one had 218.
24 Worthy, 4 Maybe, 0 Pass, of 31 years on file, 2 with no answer
Our take: worth a look.Owners filed about as many complaints as in a typical year of this model.
1.2 times the complaints past 100,000 miles of a typical older year of this model at the same age (4), and most are about costly parts. With only 5 in its first 12 years, that is too few to tell a real problem from chance.
WorthyMaybePassNot judgedNHTSA did not answer
Owner complaints per model year for the Ford Mustang, with 2003 highlighted
