Keep or ditch my S550 Mustang

[StealthStang]

Its been a pretty rough year and a half owning this car. Bought my 2016 Mustang Ecoboost Performance Premium from new. Have done less than 10000km (6000 Miles) on it so far since its given so many problems, its been the worst new car ive ever owned by quite a distance (at the moment i really regret buying it). Its spent almost two months total time in the dealership so far, largely due to ineptitude...but if the car hadn't had so many problems maybe it wouldn't have to go to the dealership so much. Its still there as i type this.

Problems:

1. Day-time running lights failed on the first day. Entire front bumper had to come off to fix.
2. Aircon unit failed during the first summer it had to deal with, dashboard had to come off, new HVAC unit fitted. Big job, took lots of time to fix.
3. Oil leak from the timing chain cover...oil leak after 5000 miles on a new car ?! Thats ridiculous IMO.

Then all the nonsense regarding the active noise cancellation and sound symposer that i cant seem to full disable in order to get a decent sounding sound system in the car (which ive posted about on the forums before). Dealership threatens to void warranty if the ECU is touched.

Ive been told the following by other owners: the timing chain cover leak will ALWAYS come back since its not got a gasket, and the sealant can only hold for a limited time under the constant heat and pressure.
Same goes for the aircon, its prone to the evaporator core failing if parked out in the sun, its a design problem that cant be permanently fixed (not in pre facelifts at least).
Then the turbo lines are also prone to oil leaks. As well as the engine block being pretty weak and cracking easily on stage 1 tunes.

Im currently planning to take a big hit on resale and sell the car because i foresee more problems on this car, build quality appears to be shoddy, its just not build to last long, i generally keep my cars more than 5 years. This car has already had more problems in two years than cars ive owned for 7+ years.
Basically looking to get a Porsche cayman 718, Lexus RC350F or Nissan 370z as a replacement purely based on reliability research.

My mind isnt made up yet but its close, is its worth keeping the Mustang after all these issues ? Am i going to keep having problems like this like some guys say ?

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[scrubber3]

Ditch it. Get the Lexus.

 

[GDDYP]

If you have to ask and have several paragraphs of issues con, and not a single word pro, I'd say the answer is pretty obvious.

 

[Maggneto]

Where are you getting this information about the AC failing if parked in the sun, and engine block being weak, Facebook? Mine is garaged and the AC Evaporated failed. It was replaced under warranty. The part is defective and has nothing to do with the sun? WTF do you get your information about the engine block, what a load of crap. ECU tunes are blowing engines period. Don't ECU tune your engine and you won't need to worry about blowing the engine.

The Shaker pro system sounds just fine to me.

The timing chain cover can't be fixed? Not sure about that one but it sounds like a load of manure.

Do you think Porsche or Nissan will not have problems? Good luck getting the manufacturer to honor the warranty when you ECU tune and blow a Porsche engine .

 

[azelmo]

Its been a pretty rough year and a half owning this car. Bought my 2016 Mustang Ecoboost Performance Premium from new. Have done less than 10000km (6000 Miles) on it so far since its given so many problems, its been the worst new car ive ever owned by quite a distance (at the moment i really regret buying it). Its spent almost two months total time in the dealership so far, largely due to ineptitude...but if the car hadn't had so many problems maybe it wouldn't have to go to the dealership so much. Its still there as i type this.

Problems:

1. Day-time running lights failed on the first day. Entire front bumper had to come off to fix.
2. Aircon unit failed during the first summer it had to deal with, dashboard had to come off, new HVAC unit fitted. Big job, took lots of time to fix.
3. Oil leak from the timing chain cover...oil leak after 5000 miles on a new car ?! Thats ridiculous IMO.

Then all the nonsense regarding the active noise cancellation and sound symposer that i cant seem to full disable in order to get a decent sounding sound system in the car (which ive posted about on the forums before). Dealership threatens to void warranty if the ECU is touched.

Ive been told the following by other owners: the timing chain cover leak will ALWAYS come back since its not got a gasket, and the sealant can only hold for a limited time under the constant heat and pressure.
Same goes for the aircon, its prone to the evaporator core failing if parked out in the sun, its a design problem that cant be permanently fixed (not in pre facelifts at least).
Then the turbo lines are also prone to oil leaks. As well as the engine block being pretty weak and cracking easily on stage 1 tunes.

Im currently planning to take a big hit on resale and sell the car because i foresee more problems on this car, build quality appears to be shoddy, its just not build to last long, i generally keep my cars more than 5 years. This car has already had more problems in two years than cars ive owned for 7+ years.
Basically looking to get a Porsche cayman 718, Lexus RC350F or Nissan 370z as a replacement purely based on reliability research.

My mind isnt made up yet but its close, is its worth keeping the Mustang after all these issues ? Am i going to keep having problems like this like some guys say ?

Ditch it.
Cayman is nice but get an older one, before they switched to Turbo 4, it sounds like crap now. However, I’ve owned a Porsche before and “there is no substitute”.
I don’t know much about Lexus but it’s probably pricey for what it is.
370z, I’ve had a couple of these, engines are Bullitt proof but are lacking badly in power. Love the looks though, handles decent, but old technology inside. They’ve been using the same nav system for ever. Definitely cheaper than the others though.

Good luck in your search

 

[Nagare]

Cayman for sure

 

[StealthStang]

Where are you getting this information about the AC failing if parked in the sun, and engine block being weak, Facebook? Mine is garaged and the AC Evaporated failed. It was replaced under warranty. The part is defective and has nothing to do with the sun? WTF do you get your information about the engine block, what a load of crap. ECU tunes are blowing engines period. Don't ECU tune your engine and you won't need to worry about blowing the engine.

These cars have factory tunes, Rousch & Ford. Ford even shorten the powertrain warranty if you add it. Hence why i say i dont see these engines lasting.
Theres plenty threads about cracked blocks. I also have a Volvo with a factory polestar tune and they didnt shorten the warranty. Why are Ford shortening it the engine is supposedly strong ?

The Shaker pro system sounds just fine to me.

The problem is adding in aftermarket sound, such as subwoofers and amps, like mine has. Simply disconnecting the rear roof mic doesnt remove all the fake engine noise thats played on the speakers, you have to remove it via an ECU flash which sometimes doesnt work and can brick the ECU if you change the wrong code.

The timing chain cover can't be fixed? Not sure about that one but it sounds like a load of manure.

It can be fixed, its just that it will be always prone to leaking since its not sealed with a gasket. Just a type of silicon sealant.

Do you think Porsche or Nissan will not have problems? Good luck getting the manufacturer to honor the warranty when you ECU tune and blow a Porsche engine .

I did a lot of research and problems on those cars are pretty rare, I even know people that own them. Sure they could have problems but Ive already had a bunch of problems on my car before i even did 10 000KM on it. Do you think its going to be more reliable in future ?

 

[StealthStang]

Ditch it.
Cayman is nice but get an older one, before they switched to Turbo 4, it sounds like crap now. However, I’ve owned a Porsche before and “there is no substitute”.
I don’t know much about Lexus but it’s probably pricey for what it is.
370z, I’ve had a couple of these, engines are Bullitt proof but are lacking badly in power. Love the looks though, handles decent, but old technology inside. They’ve been using the same nav system for ever. Definitely cheaper than the others though.

Good luck in your search

I agree with you points, the one thing being i still thing the FastBack Mustang is a better looking car than all of those, but its reliability and build quality seem to be a couple notches lower. Also the Mustang is a lot more common where I am than the above cars, which means the dealers are overloaded dealing with the problems of so many cars, and hence the service is bad.

The Porsche is the most expensive its going to cost me double the current trade value i get from my eco, but if its reliable and will last a long time then its worth it. I only can get the Boxer Turbo 4, since i want to buy new. I dont think it sounds bad, remember im coming from and Ecoboost so engine sound was never a big deal to me.
The Lexus is slightly cheaper but they offer good discounts though its the slowest of the bunch, slower than my Eco even.
The 370z is the cheapest, the interior IS dated compared to the Porsche and the Lexus, but its on par with the Ford. Engine lacks outright grunt but theres lots of tuning options and as you say, the engine appears to be bullet proof based on owner accounts.

 

[martinjlm]

Sucks that you're having so many problems. I see that you are in South Africa? Some countries require local processing of imported products. I doubt if South Africa is one of them, since there is not a domestic car industry in S.A., but if there is a need to do some final processing, that could easily be the root of your problems. Sounds like basic assembly problems. If the car at to be partially dis-assembled then re-assembled I would suggest that there is where your problems lie.

With regard to your other vehicle considerations, if it were my coin my pecking order would be

1. Cayman
2. Lexus
3. Go back and look at the Cayman and Lexus again

Good luck with resolving this issue.

 

[StealthStang]

As far as I know, the car comes untouched from the US. With the engine being assembled in Cleveland USA.

The problems Ive had affect all Ford Mustangs (aircon, DRLs) and the Mustang ecoboost (oil leaks) from the factory. Ive been told the issues are fairly common and can reoccur, at least that's what ive been told.

Why do you not like the Nissan 370Z ? It has more power than the Lexus and is cheaper ? Engine is also said to be very reliable.

 

[66Bronc1]

Once you start thinking about it, you are doomed. If you are that distraught about it and are posting about it, it's time to move on and get something else. Life is too short. I ditched my 2017 Camaro for my new GT. It was giving me tranny trouble since day 1, I just got tired of it. As much as I love the Camaro and my GF is a devoted Chevy fan, I got the car that test drove the best, the one that I liked the looks, driving feel and the sound. You should do the same.

 

[Zinc03svt]

We do some people need so many other people’s opinions? Lol. Make a decision on your own merits and personal experience. This is a first world decision btw.

 

[Zelek]

So you're going from a sub 30k car to a 60k+ car? Why didn't you start out with a GT?

 

[Maggneto]

Ford shortens the warranty when you add an ECU tune and that is proof that the engines will not last? That makes about as much sense as the AC Evaporator fails because it sits in the sun. When you ECU tune an engine it adds more stress to an engine and therefore shortens the lifespan. Adding an ECU tune increases stress on the powertrain correct? More stress, less life shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

I have been a member of 2 Ecoboost forums since 2015/2016 and have read many Ecoboom threads and 90% of all threads have 1 thing in common, an ECU tune or some other modifications done by the owner. There are reports of stock, un-molested engines failing but that should not be a shock to anyone. Look at the issues and repairs section of any forum and you will find powertrain issues. The question is, how prevalent are reports of stock, un-molested engine failures? For the 2.3 they are few and far between.

I am also a previous Porsche owner and I can tell you those cars are not cheap to maintain and they will break just like every other car. I am a huge Porsche fan but decided against owner another due to the expense of maintaining the car. Nissan isn't even on the radar for me. The Lexus is probably the best overall car of the group and would be my choice. Keep in mind that the Porsche and Lexus are 20k+ more expensive than the EB Premium.

The 2.3 engine doesn't seem to be a problem in the Explorer, or MKC, or in the Mustang when left un-molested. The Ranger is going to get the 2.3 as well and possibly the Bronco?

Mechanically my engine and powertrain have been flawless after 3 years and there are plenty of 2.3 engines that are hitting 50, 60, 70k+ miles without issue. Having said that, other items have needed attention like the AC evaporator(replaced), squeaking PP brakes(TSB), Door latch recall, and body panel alignment issues fixed by the dealership.

I understand your concern about the Mustang overall, but the AC failing because it sits in the sun, weak block, and a timing chain cover that can't be fixed theories are nonsense. With all of the faulty items in my rearview mirror I do expect a more reliable car going forward. I am however going to get the extended warranty just in case for an additional 3 years for an additional $700.00 just in case.

 

[jenksdrummer]

Do you think Porsche or Nissan will not have problems? Good luck getting the manufacturer to honor the warranty when you ECU tune and blow a Porsche engine .

My 2010 Nissan Frontier, basically of that 2nd generation Frontier, has a known issue with the transmission cooler being integrated with the radiator; where the failure is cross-contamination and the transmission failing as a result, right around the 50K miles mark.

End result is that Nissan would replace the radiator/trans-cooler, but wouldn't touch the transmission. Resulting in about a 5K bill to the owner. It took a class action lawsuit before Nissan would 'graciously' extend the warranty to cover the transmission if it failed due to the issue; but even then only until the warranty section that includes the radiator expired; so if you didn't have the issue during that time, it was expected that you would.

Nutshell, I sold my truck at 48K and got a Tundra. Great truck. Rode like shit. 2 years later I got a Sequoia. Rode better but the payment sucked hard. Sold it and have the Mustang GT now; it's cheaper and more fun. Considering I've flipped vehicles at the 2-3 year mark, I'll have a good idea if I plan to keep it or trade it off. By then, it'll be 40-60% paid off, so, there's that too.

To all that, warranties (IMO) are bullshit these days. They are literally nothing more than an insurance plan and we all love our insurances, right?

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