Are these panel gaps acceptable

I know there are generally panel alignment issues with our cars, but what are your thoughts on these gaps

On any other car the answer is a resounding no.
However on mustangs it seems normal to have random gaps. My rear bumper is perfect, but my left hand door doesn’t align at the bottom and my trunk lid pops up on the right hinge. It’s not consistent to any specific panel as far as I can see, apart from the front lights. Have you looked closely at each head light and how the fender aligns to them? Compare the two and you will be crying into your hands.

Some gaps can be corrected by a body shop, but they shouldn’t have to be if ford applies any quality control at all. At least it gives you chance to accept the build quality before the rattles start and the air con and oil cooler fail.

I talked my self into believing that Mustangs are hand built by Americans, not by robots. My purchase kept families in work rather than making German robot builders richer. The reason other hand built cars are better quality is the price point affords the likes of Aston Martin time to adjust every panel perfectly and apply consistently thick paint.

:lol:For Mustangs they are.:lol:

I try not to look.

It would make me sad and I don’t want to be sad.

Totally normal. That's the beauty of the Mustang, sort of like humans, not one is completely identical, Ha!

I hate the way these rear bumpers attach, those cheap plastic hooks deform so easy it's crazy !! You can unbolt them and move them around just a hair and then re tighten and maybe get a little better gap but then you run the risk of the hooks warping/breaking , anyways totally normal for these cars and likely only WE notice

My rear bumper fit is exactly the same.
Sad.....

It is disappointing to say the least that Ford has not corrected this problem. When I look at Mustangs on the lot these two spots (rear bumper to fender gap) consistently have problems. By my informal survey I would say a around half have the gap, while some are just fine. If you can get it right half the time, you should be able to get it right all the time. If it's a design problem, redesign the part. Somehow Toyota manages to have consistent panel gaps even on the crappiest Yaris.

Mine is the same too.

Mike K. said:

I hate the way these rear bumpers attach, those cheap plastic hooks deform so easy it's crazy !! You can unbolt them and move them around just a hair and then re tighten and maybe get a little better gap but then you run the risk of the hooks warping/breaking , anyways totally normal for these cars and likely only WE notice ��

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Yea - I already broke one hook

:shrug: Looks fine to me

I just checked mine (Dec 2017 build), no such uneven gap. Nice and well spaced 1/16" all along the bumper and into the fender, both sides.

Lol same here

Rock&Roll said:

I try not to look.

It would make me sad and I don’t want to be sad.

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Hell the promo stuff for the 18 I saw on MotorTrend this weekend they still can't get the hood to fit right at the front where it meets the fascia. 4 GD years of this crap. Yes, the fit and finish is pretty shoddy on these cars.

Mustangs have had these gaps from the factory since 1964. I had a foxbody repainted one time after an accident and when i got it back it was straighter than when it was new! If its within margin i am not concerned with gaps from the factory, and more concerned with door dings in the parking lots.