TOP FIVE 02-05 T-Bird Problems (1 Viewer)

[biddle]

the Dealer sadly reported that replacement Air Bags were not available and he could do nothing except be paid for the diagnostic work. I contacted Ford Motor Company and they ignored me. I contacted the National Highway Safety Commission and they said there were not enough complaints and they would not take action. In other words, “Screw You”, your safety and survival in the event of a crash does not matter to Ford or the Government who has pushed restraining system down our throats for 40 years. I stopped driving the car and started to look for help and a solution. Service replacement Air Bags were definitely not available and a critical national recall was underway for faulty Air Bags by all car manufactures and only salvaged Air Bags could be purchased from auto salvage yards. Not a good situation and the opportunities to sell or trade-in a vehicle without mandatory air bags were not good. Thank God, information on the Internet and from my independent Mechanic revealed that the Clock Spring; locate in the Steering wheel, often caused incorrect warning signals. Again, service parts where hard to find but at a premium price, I acquired the part and my mechanic installed it. Problem solved and more testimony to the corrupt practices of new car dealers.

If you are worried about "your safety and survival" why are you driving a car that was likely built 14 years ago? Many advancements have been made in auto safety and performance since 2000's. Do you also expect Ford to produce and sell new OEM parts for a 1962 Ford Thunderbird? You need to realize that you are driving a VERY OLD used car. Also, It did not sell well when new, so there are few third-party parts vendors that make parts for the car.

 

[Black T]

I bought a beautiful, show-room clean 2003 Thunderbird Deluxe Hardtop/Convertible with the 3.9 liter Jaguar engine in August of 2019. Only 56,000 miles on her. Purchased from a Ford dealership - the previous owner collected cars and traded her and a Corvette in to purchase an SUV. She was on the market less than 48 hrs., and 5 people were trying to buy her, but I called and put a deposit down. No time to do research on her - just had to hope and pray she was a good car. After putting 350 miles on her, that darn engine light and wrench lit-up on the dash, and she went into "limp home" mode. ONLY 25 mph. Good thing I was near home. Took her to my ace mechanics here at a classic car dealership. The original owner never did the recommended "recalls" on the COPS. All 8 were original from 2003. 2 had gone bad. I spent close to $1,000.00 and replaced all 8 of them. After another 200 miles - same darn thing - "limp home" mode and that damned wrench symbol. (I've learned to HATE that darn wrench!!!). The codes were indicating COPS again. Couldn't be - just replaced them all. They called Ford and were told to check the ECM - the main computer. It had malfuctioned, (due to the COPS?). Ford no longer makes the ECM's for the 2002-2005 T-Birds. I didn't want a re-built one. We sent the old one off for repair. They called and said it was completely "fried" and couldn't be re-built. We finally found a brand new one, after weeks of searching, (She's been in the shop since April 14th), we found a brand new ECM out west somewhere with a lifetime warranty. They "flashed" it, and are sending it here to be programmed and installed. Then the car has to finish the programming itself. This will cost $1,655.00. After that, she has to be driven and tested to make sure the Throttle Module wasn't damaged. If it was, that's another $850.00 that I don't have. (I pray THAT isn't damaged.) When everything is said and done - I hope the problems are cured. She is a beautiful car - but I don't trust her, right now. I will rent a car for out-of-town trips until she gains my trust for anything but short, close-to-home driving. I love the T-Bird and want to keep her, but darn she's costing me a LOT of money! I am NOT a rich person. I retire in 2 years. She's supposed to be my retirement car. I've done a lot of reading about the "Little 'Birds, and IF I HAD KNOWN about the problems they had - I would NOT have bought her. Expensive lesson learned. I hope she can be repaired - and run like she is supposed to - RELIABLY! I have never had the kind of problem with any of my T-Birds that I've had with this one. Thank goodness I didn't trade my 1995 T-Bird LX!!!! She's 25 years old, but running great! Never had any problems with her, besides routine maintenance. I drive her to my second job and back. 20 miles per week. At that rate, she'll theoretically last the rest my lifetime....... But, that 2003 has been a NIGHTMARE!!!!!

I could have written your post about my '03! Bought her from a used car dealer with 61,000 miles, and the owner had a pile of repair documents and receipts which I had no idea about when I purchased it.

An absolutely beautiful black bird, in very clean showroom condition. She ran great when I test drove her in city and freeway conditions for 30 minutes. No issues, so I made an offer the dealer accepted and took her home.

No problems for the first 7 000 miles
Then at 68,000, the dreaded wrench light took her into limp mode. Spent about $2,000 to replace various sensors and connectors related to an intermittent PCM. Ran great for a few hundred miles, then the PCM connector failed.

Ford dealer let it set for three months and couldn't find a PCM or connector. They jury-rigged it and got it running again, but said the PCM would probably fail, which it did within a month. More $$$ doen the drain!

So I took it to a top-notch transmission shop. The owner, a master mechanic, was able to locate a remanufactured PCM and reprogrammed it to the bird's VIN.

It's been running great since that time, and now has 74,000 miles. But like you. I'm very squeamish about going on long trips! So she stays close to home, driven once or twice a week, to local car shows and events, and stays garaged otherwise.

Whenever I'm in the garage, I can't help but marvel at her sexy, gleaming black figure, just a drop-dead gorgeous Bird! But in ths back of my mind, I wonder...will she leave ME "drop-dead" on the side of the road next time we go for a ride?!?

 

[Frankie the Fink]

My 19000 mile '02 ran great when I bought it two years ago, but the previous owner had "hot-wired" the instrument cluster to make the dash lights work ALL the time as the FEM was bad. I corrected the instrument cluster wiring and replaced the dash bulbs with LEDs and replaced the FEM. The only other issue (31,000 miles now) was a $29 A/C sensor in the driver's footwell that the Ford dealer mis-diagnosed and told me it would be $1500 to repair the A/C. The paint on the trunk is a bit faded but the car is garaged when not in use so I'm leaving that alone. Other than that its a sexy, fun driver. In retrospect I prob would have bought an '03-'05 and avoided some of the pitfalls of the '02 unique parts.

FEM (Front Electronics Module) seens to be a common enough failure, usually affecting lighting, windows and sometimes power steering, not a huge deal to get fixed but it takes some finagling to R&R the units and then some "down time" while they are off for repair. Others have mentoned the rubber protective boots for suspension members deteriorate uncommonly fast; other than that its the usual problems 20 year old cars can encounter.