Quality of 2005+ Mustangs? (versus 2004)

1965coupe · Feb 5, 2007

I am a bit concerned over the quality of my '04 Convertible- to the point where I would like to sell it.. In all honesty, I cannot see myself driving anything other than a Mustang.

I've looked at the 2005+ Mustangs.. I drove one in October 2004 when they first hit the streets. I am in love with the interior, as well as the exterior, but I also really like the looks of my '04.. I would not be buying a new one just because of looks..

So, here are some questions for ya:
*Has the quality improved over the pre-2005 Mustangs?
*Has the safety improved? (this coming from a convertible owner, lol )

I would appreciate any input you guys/gals have about the new Mustangs.. The little things that break in the '04 drive me nuts..

Thanks in advance.

stang8urimport · Feb 6, 2007

There is no comparison between new and old. The S197s are better in every way then the Fox chassis Mustangs, structurally and safety wise. My 90 has subframes all Saleen suspension, and my S197 feels like it's my 90 with an NHRA roll cage added, it's that stiff.

313Speed · Feb 6, 2007

Huge difference in quality. I had a 03 Cobra. Only thing that was better was the IRS. Ford needs to bring that back as an option at least.

Unbrdld07 · Feb 6, 2007

A friend of mine has an 04, there is no comparison. Wouldn't trade my 05 for 2 of the 04's.

Warlok · Feb 6, 2007

Sweet!

1965coupe said:
I am a bit concerned over the quality of my '04 Convertible- to the point where I would like to sell it.. In all honesty, I cannot see myself driving anything other than a Mustang.

I've looked at the 2005+ Mustangs.. I drove one in October 2004 when they first hit the streets. I am in love with the interior, as well as the exterior, but I also really like the looks of my '04.. I would not be buying a new one just because of looks..

So, here are some questions for ya:
*Has the quality improved over the pre-2005 Mustangs?
*Has the safety improved? (this coming from a convertible owner, lol )

I would appreciate any input you guys/gals have about the new Mustangs.. The little things that break in the '04 drive me nuts..

Thanks in advance.

I have an 07 GT. I bought it 5 months ago and have 10.000 miles on it. Untill they came out with the 05's and the new "old" look, I hated Fords period! I have been a Mopar man all my life, and Im allmost 53 years old.

I had not even once for any reason walked on a Ford Lot. The second I got in my car, I knew I was in love. Trust me, you will be VERY happy with a new GT. Im still not sure about Fords in generall, but I dont care. There is nothing " generall " about the 07 GT.

celticstanger · Feb 6, 2007

Quality is not ideal on the 05+. I can't speak to the 04, but I had an 02 Conv Gt, never had a single problem with it. To date, I've got squeaky dash (common issue), skipping Shaker 500 (common issue) and fuel tank fill problems (common issue, fixed, but still manifests, to some degree).

Now, I don't expect perfection, but the Shaker and fuel tank issues have been around since day 1, and seem to continue to be problems - even when the faulty part has been replaced (numerous threads in here about replaced Shakers skipping and replaced gas tanks still having issues).

Not everyone has these issues, but if you're looking to buy a trouble-free car, this is probably a crap-shoot, at best.

Power4 · Feb 6, 2007

celticstanger said:
Not everyone has these issues, but if you're looking to buy a trouble-free car, this is probably a crap-shoot, at best.

Of course if the man was looking for a trouble-free car then he'd get something like a Camry

The new Mustang is a great car. I haven't had any problems with mine (knock on wood) except for the gas tank thing which has only happened once or twice. I'm sure like any car enthusiast you'd put up with a few quirks to have a car with soul and some serious performance and good looks.

kooldawg6 · Feb 6, 2007

6 months and 11K miles later I still love driving my '06 GT auto so much that my PLANNED D.D.('98 Jetta diesel that gets 45 mpg) has sat for nearly 3 months now!!!!! I have had over the years, '92 LX 5.0 manual, '95 GT auto, '00 GT manual. None of which compare to the S197, be it ride comfort, interior styling, exterior styling, handling, power, etc. The only differences I can see/hear so far is that the S197 is much quieter inside from the exhaust noise standpoint due to location of the mufflers over the Fox bodystyle and the lack of being able to open the trunk from inside the car other than the keyless entry key fob(which I miss).

stanmckinney · Feb 6, 2007

I've owned many, many Mustangs. The new platform is the best ever. Period.

Doc GTO · Feb 7, 2007

The fit and finish of the +05s are better then the -04s but that's how it usually goes as cars progress! The chassis is also much stiffer and better suited to road course driving as well!

celticstanger · Feb 7, 2007

Fun? Check. Good looking? Check. Faster? Check. Quality better than <04? Not in my experience, no.

cowtown · Feb 7, 2007

Quality wise I'd definitely say my 06 is better than any mustang I've been in or owned. It's still an american made car with a few "nuances" but in my recent purchasing history I've had issues even with cars from Japan. My Mazda 3 had a dead fuel pump 3 months in, had to wait a month and a half to get that replaced. The wife's 07 Jetta 2.5L had a weird stumble/CEL problem that I think may have been fuel related but VW couldn't track it down and it was towed in twice. The only car I had literally zero problems with over the term I owned it was my 02 Protege 5 which was a fantastic little car.

MartyMoose · Feb 7, 2007

Checklist

celticstangerFun? Check. Good looking? Check. Faster? Check. Quality better than <04? Not in my experience, no.

This must the condensed version of the checklist? Mine is about three pages long and has a check mark next to each item. Shoot, some have two check marks!!

(hope I used that quotation thingy right.)

1965coupe · Feb 8, 2007

Hey, thanks everyone for all of the great replies!

Chances are I am going to wait for the facelift in '09 (it is '09, right?).. Until then I'll stick with the '04

Thanks again.

351CJ · Feb 9, 2007

Build quality of the last SN-95 Mustangs was hampered by the fact that much of the tooling (dies to stamp unibody sheet metal parts) was totally worn out. The S-197 was supposed to be out 12 - 18 months before it arrived, so it was not planned to stretch the life of the tooling. I've heard some intersting stories of how the body shop workers @ Dearborn had to beat pieces into shape to get them to fit on the 03 & 04 Stangs.

The 2005+ are made with new tooling at one of Ford's best plants (Auto-Alliance, joint assembly plant with Mazda). HTT and other Ford execs fought hard to get the new Stang built at AAI because of that plant's quality reputation.

Marine One · Feb 9, 2007

I didn't own a previous generation Mustang but I did own two from the mid 90s; a 95 GT and a 96 Cobra, both convertibles. They were both very good cars. I've had my 07 GT Convertible since August and it just turned 10,000 miles, and I believe that it is a much better car in many ways. The body is tighter, the interior is better overall, the fit and finish is superior, and the chasis is much more refined than either of the previous cars.

stanmckinney · Feb 9, 2007

I've had 1960s Mustangs (still have a 1966 convertible), 1970s, no 1980s (I don't know why), 1990s and a 2000, 2002 and 2003 (Mach 1) Mustang. My 2005 is without a doubt the best made of the lot. Period. I still love all the others, but the new generation is more solid, powerful and all around better, except maybe for the Shaker 500 and some of the cheap plastic in the interior. My console had a scratch on it, for example, brand new. My 1966 console is in better shape. That's when cars had real metal in them.
Nevertheless, I stand by my statement that the new generation OVERALL is the best ever.

tomustang · Feb 9, 2007

313Speed]Only thing that was better was the IRS. Ford needs to bring that back as an option at least.[/quote] Maximum Motorsports is wrapping that up right now with their R&D department said:
Quality is not ideal on the 05+. I can't speak to the 04, but I had an 02 Conv Gt, never had a single problem with it. To date, I've got squeaky dash (common issue), skipping Shaker 500 (common issue) and fuel tank fill problems (common issue, fixed, but still manifests, to some degree)

That is such a huge pita

stanmckinney said:
I've owned many, many Mustangs. The new platform is the best ever. Period.

Really? Explain.

Doc GTO said:
The fit and finish of the +05s are better then the -04s but that's how it usually goes as cars progress! The chassis is also much stiffer and better suited to road course driving as well!

There's your answer

celticstanger said:
Fun? Check. Good looking? Check. Faster? Check. Quality better than <04? Not in my experience, no.

And it isn't, why? because it's Ford

Yeah I would have to say the 05+ do accel in almost every catagory except quality, they are still on par with the 94-04's and it's a fact, the fit and finish is still bad, things still rattle, bezels don't seat right

They're not many people that complain about the New Edge interior though, the biggest problem was wear the transmission sat, being 2 inches offset

1965coupe said:
Hey, thanks everyone for all of the great replies!

Chances are I am going to wait for the facelift in '09 (it is '09, right?).. Until then I'll stick with the '04

Thanks again.

Good luck choosing

stanmckinney · Feb 10, 2007

The new platform is solid. It does not flex down the road. Most other models all had some give to them and did not feel as solid on the road. Thatr's the best way I can explain it.
Maybe someone could do a road test of cars from each decade? I think that would be a great magazine article.
The new Mustang also has more power than any other Mustang. Today's V-6 outperforms many GTs of the past.

hethj7 · Feb 10, 2007

My 06 is certainly stiffer than my 1990 5.0 (even with subframe connectors) and the 04 GT I've been in. While it is an improvement over previous years, it still doesn't meet my expectations. I have under 8K miles on my 06, and while it is fun to drive, it already rattles, the interior was scratched from the beginning, my paint had swirls in it from the factory, I had a leak along the firewall that allowed my floorboard to get wet in the rain (fixed under warranty), and a few other minor issues p[opped up that have been fixed under warranty. I really just expected more after forking over the cash for a brand new car. The few rattles and body flex I had in my 1990 were much more tolerable, largely because of it's age and the money I had invested in it. I know the Mustang is "cheap" and considered a great value, but "cheap" is relative and for the money I spent on my 06, I expected more.

Quality of 2005+ Mustangs? (versus 2004)

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mine works really well and can take a fair amount

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mine works really well and can take a fair amount

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