This is a follow up post to my problem of having a musty smell in my car, it seems that many people are having similar problems with leaking. The exact leaking that is causing my musty smell is also causing many electrical problems with others. I wrote this new post to hopefully reach a wider audience. Everyone should be checking there cars for this problem before it gets out of hand. Like mentioned below your exterior carpet does not have to be wet. Mostpeople feel it under the carpet in the padding (look below at Hyproman's directions)

This is definately a serious problem... When I searched another Forum i came up with these examples:

-Mot250 wrote: found I have a leak today after a heavy rain. Probably coming in around the same area, above the interior fuse box behind the passenger side kick panel. I'll have a closer look as soon as I can. The only electrical glitch was a weird tail light thing. The passenger side center light in the tail light came on and would not turn off. Bright as though braking or signaling. Car off and all light switches off and that light would stay lit. I had to disconnect tha pigtail to keep it from staying lit all day while at work.
If it persists before I can get it checked out, I'll pull the entire assembly and yank that bulb when I get home

-Torch Vert wrote:I went through dealer hell with a similar problem. (same symptoms, electrical system going "berserk" after heavy rain) I found there was water sneaking in above the fuse panel in the passenger side kickpanel. Five trips to the dealership.

-Mark wrote: After a heavy down pour the track re opened but had some standing water in places. It was NOT over 1 inch in depth and it was only lightly raining when my instructor and I did 5 SLOW laps with 15 other cars. The electrical system went biserk and ONLY with my car: The gas gauge showed empty (it was full) oil pressure showed zero, park brake light was on, traction light was on, windows would not come back up, but engine ran normal, no turn signals, no clock on radio

-Wjbiv wrote: Next week my GT will go in for the second time for a severe rain leak into the passenger-side foot-wells. We've had two unseasonably heavy rains in the past couple weeks, and each of them has caused a flood in both the front and rear passenger side foot-wells. This flooding is odd, in that little sign of leaking is visible on the surface of the carpet. The water seems to be coming in from below and saturating the padding beneath the carpetting. In the first trip to service they indicated that they resealed with windshield, cowl, and heater core after discovering some leaking there. If true, I must have additional leaks, 'cause with the last rains it all happened again, just as bad as before.There appears to be something going on in the outboard sidewall in the front foot-well. Behind the plastic trim panel things get noticably wet, especially around the rubber gromet sealing the cabling coming in from the passenger door. Is it possible that water is finding its way inside that area of the body/fender and flowing in through the various bolt-holes and other openings?

67 and 05 ragtops wrote: I have the same water issues. I have even had the door locks and head lights do a freek out when they got wet.

AirForceGeorge- Had electrical problems with tailight

-Hyproman wrote On the passenger-side, there is a square door just to the front of the car door, a few inches up from the floor carpetting. Pull of the door, and you will see a black box, and some wiring/conduits. Reach inside this cavity, and down until you find the carpetting ends. Reach UNDER the carpetting, and you will find the spongey stuff that's laid out under the carpetting. Follow this spongey material (and the metal frame) down to where the frame levels out on the floor.
When I do this, the sponge at the end of my fingers is pretty saturated, even a day or two after a rain storm. I have been to 2 different dealers with no good fixes. I am very interested to see how many other people have this problem, and just don't know it. I've found that this stuff can be wet, even if the carpetting doesn't appear wet.

-I felt my problem on the left(driver) side. I pulled the carpetting back, i had to bend it under the clutch and I ran my hand down to the exact same point and the padding was soaked! No wonder my car smells like mildew.

Thanks to all of those that answered my other post and helped me diagnose my exact problem! Since this is obviously a problem. How can we get Ford to recognize it? My car more than likely has damage that is going to require them to pull out the carpetting, fix the leaks, clean and disinfect any mold that is present and I hope replace the carpet and underpadding. I dont think that they will want to do this but I feel like it is the only thing that will get rid of the mildew smell properly. Since this is a problem that can cause electrical malfunction, rust, corrosion, potentially hazardous mold and mildew spores among other things I beleive something has to be done soon. Are ther any consumer advocacy groups that can deal with these things? What sort of things can we do? Should I get a lawyer and what could they do if anything.

For people interested my original post is under http://www.mustangforums.com/m_2002646/tm.htm

thanks for the heads up....although i have no leaks or musty smell
yet, i will watch closely now

any pics on where the water is coming from?

Were all of these problems on only verts?

Very curious to know more about this problem. Is it a recall? Are they only on verts?

It's not a recall or a TSB it's just a handful of anecdotal evidence.

Have you taken it to the dealer and shown them the soaked padding and problems?

I've had no problems, my car lives outside 24/7 and we get monsoonish rains here in maryland. The only time water gets in is when I'm washing (spraying up against the windows), and even then, it's a drop or two.

Remember, most people only go online to bitch. It's a very small percentage of us who come on to talk about how much we love our cars. It sucks your having these problems, but I don't think it's the norm.

*edit* I just reached under the smart junction box as mentioned, and it is very slightly moist there. I wouldn't call it saturated, but it's been dumping rain the last three days. I've noticed no smells. I'd guess this is from driving - wheels flinging water up against there, I know there are holes. I've had no problems yet, but will watch this thread closely.

My car is not a vert and it has the aformentioned problem. As far as only coming online to bi*ch- I love my car and was lucky to be able to afford one when they came out! My musty smell is definately a detractor. Every time i step into my car it stinks. Unfortunately Stratjkt you also see a problem now. Think about this, if there is water in any part of your interior that is sitting there, no matter how much it will definatley eventually cause a problem. My musty smell dwarfs in comparison to those that have electrical problems. Water causes rust, corrosion, mildew and mold wich also causes damage. All of these things should not be in the interior of a new car. Imagine what that same water will do in 5 years. Unless enough of us complain and call Ford i dont think there will be any recalls or TSB's. Our cars are great in fact I wouldnt want any other, but I want to have it awhile. I can see the water causing much more damage than any of us can anticipate in the future. If Stratkt found the same problem I wonder how many others dont even realize it yet.

i am at work and i dont know if i have any leaks but my car had some electrical issues too..

my gas tank had like 80 miles till Empty but suddenly it beeped and i looks it was saying 13 miles till empty..and gauge was on E. i didnt pay attention to oil gauge but it happened before too.. i had 1/4 tank of gas and i started to car after work, it showed 1 mile till Empty.. this is what is going on with my car.. i should take it to dealer or i should check that fuse box area..

Doodad, I think the gas tank issue is a seperate issue. In fact here is the link for the TSB http://www.mustangforums.com/recalls-and-tsbs/make_FORD/model_MUSTANG/year_2005/id_18697/TSB.htm Most of the people that are having leaking issues with electrical problems seem to be with the taillights. Im not sure what is near the fuse box and why it affects the taillights but this seems to be the running theme. You never know though what water damage can affect, water can get in somewhere and then move anywhere else. Thats why this problem can be so harmful.

ok i clicked on the link but what is that? is that some kind of forum or thats it?

is that a big issue?

by the way, i forgot to mention.. i really appriciate your great write up..

I'll take it back to the dealer on saturday. They'll either be able to fix it, or if I have to, I'll pull out the lemon law. Originally I didn't think I had the problem when I posted, then I checked. I just don't edit my messages by deleting what I've said, I only add to it.

I still stand by what I said, just because you find some forum with 10 posts, and all of them "mustangs have such and such a proble," doesn't mean that 100% of the cars do. I'd be interestd for some more people to reach down the junction box and check, though.

We'll see what happens, they'll pull the floor apart and we'll see how wet it is. Like I said, it felt slightly moist - as in cold and clammy. It's also a metal surface and the temperature chagned about 30 degrees yesterday and today. Could be condensation, could be nothing at all (I imagined it). I haven't noticed any smell nor had any problems, but then I've been keeping the car clean and febreezed, so I don't know.

Maybe it's in my head, but I have a dash rattle and just noticed my rear bumper cover is seperating. None of this is appropriate for any new car, whether a 12k kia or a 20k+ mustang.

At any rate, I payed a good amount extra for "super duper ultra mega warranty", so I'm going to get my moneys worth.

ORIGINAL: doodad

ok i clicked on the link but what is that? is that some kind of forum or thats it?

is that a big issue?

by the way, i forgot to mention.. i really appriciate your great write up..


Sorry I didnt specify that is a link to the TSB section of this website. Just follow the TSB icon at the top of the page it will take you exactly to where I showed you. Im not sure if it is a big issue or not, or even if they have a fix for it yet. Maybe someone else can help or do a search for gas gauge or gas tsb and see what you come up with.

ORIGINAL: stratjakt

I'll take it back to the dealer on saturday. They'll either be able to fix it, or if I have to, I'll pull out the lemon law. Originally I didn't think I had the problem when I posted, then I checked. I just don't edit my messages by deleting what I've said, I only add to it.

I still stand by what I said, just because you find some forum with 10 posts, and all of them "mustangs have such and such a proble," doesn't mean that 100% of the cars do. I'd be interestd for some more people to reach down the junction box and check, though.

We'll see what happens, they'll pull the floor apart and we'll see how wet it is. Like I said, it felt slightly moist - as in cold and clammy. It's also a metal surface and the temperature chagned about 30 degrees yesterday and today. Could be condensation, could be nothing at all (I imagined it). I haven't noticed any smell nor had any problems, but then I've been keeping the car clean and febreezed, so I don't know.

Maybe it's in my head, but I have a dash rattle and just noticed my rear bumper cover is seperating. None of this is appropriate for any new car, whether a 12k kia or a 20k+ mustang.

At any rate, I payed a good amount extra for "super duper ultra mega warranty", so I'm going to get my moneys worth.



I agree with you, I dont really think that all of the cars have a problem. Im just surprised at how many i found with a simple fast search. I really didnt take that much time to research it and came up with more than I thought. I also wonder how many people if checked have the same problem. Since the exterior carpetting doesnt get wet I think most people will not notice. Mine on the left was definately not just moist, I would really have to say it was very wet (the car also had not been driven for 3 days so i dont think it was from the wheel well) It would also be weird that all of us are feeling just condensation. Maybe your febreeze has helped you not notice a smell. My car is an 05, it could also be that it took awhile for my mildew smell to be apparent and most others it hasnt yet. Of course I wish this was a thread about how sweet my CAi is working and all I sais was mute....but unfortunately it isnt. I hope your car is just imagined or some simple condensation! As far as the lemon law, will it apply to this? How will you confront them with it? Im curious about what leverage I have.

Well, the technical wizards at Ford have my car now, so I'll update with whatever they find.

I talked to the service manager for a bit, he thought that since we had such a windy rainy day on friday, and since it's fall, and the car was outside, and I had all kinds of pine needles and whirly-coptor seedy dealers on the roof and hood, that he thinks some junk might have gotten washed down and plugged up one of the drains.

So I'll keep you all up to date, while it's there they're fixing a couple other small issues, and it's time for it's 15,000 mile handjob.

But some strange dude has my poor defenseless car.

It seems they figured out the problem with the 07s. I wash my black GT allmost every day. I have ran in hard rain and for long trips in the rain and never once has water come inside the car. It still smells like a new pair of boots inside. No kind of electrical problems have come up at all. I just hope it stays that way, is there some difference between the 05s and 07s that could be the reason the 07s dont leak? I did have to go in to have the TSB done on the clutch packs in the rear end.

ORIGINAL: stratjakt

Well, the technical wizards at Ford have my car now, so I'll update with whatever they find.

I talked to the service manager for a bit, he thought that since we had such a windy rainy day on friday, and since it's fall, and the car was outside, and I had all kinds of pine needles and whirly-coptor seedy dealers on the roof and hood, that he thinks some junk might have gotten washed down and plugged up one of the drains.

So I'll keep you all up to date, while it's there they're fixing a couple other small issues, and it's time for it's 15,000 mile handjob.

But some strange dude has my poor defenseless car.


I have to wait until Monday to turn my car in. It seems that only on Mondays does my Ford dealer have who they call... "the man who works on leaks". Im not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. Of course this week looks like its gonna be warm and sunny. So im sure by the time next week comes around my car will have no noticeable wet spots...Ill probably just run it under a hose for an hour before i take it in! stratjkt how did you get such a fast response? My Ford is incredibly busy on Mondays.

Koons ford in annapolis, you need to book months in advance. Bob Davidson in baltimore, always seem to be free.

He told me they usually book appointmaents with "mr leak man" ahead of time, so he might not get to it until wednesday at the worst, but there's other stuff I'm having them look at, so if the king of leaks cant see it tomorrow, it can spend the day in the body shop getting my rear bumper cover re-set and a few chips touched up.

The weather warmed up though, and the rattle went away, but if they can hear it they can fix that too.

The more I think about it, the more I think the fall debris-clog thing makes sense. It's rained a few times, hard, on this car, and I've washed the everloving crap out of it, and I never noticed the smell the car has now. Or maybe it's my brain playing tricks on me, thanks to your thread.

Maybe I need to start covering it in the fall. I just hope it's something simple like a clogged drain, and not something worse and unfixable.

So from what i gather this only happens on 05-06's? Thank you for your post, Warlok. Can anyone else confirm this?

What about contacting Ford? I am a potential customer and wouldnt mind putting some effort in telling Ford that they could sell me a car, if the changes are made. I mean, they already have your money, but not mine. :D

Im not sure exactly wich cars are affected. My car is an 05 and I think hypro's is a 06. Hopefully the 07's dont have the problem. My car took a while to develop it however. I called Ford and they want me to go the dealership route first and see how they handle it but they claim that they have never heard of the problem wich I think is a bunch of b*ll****. Hopefully they will acknowledge it soon and fix it!

If the problem is a plugged drain, where is it??? If it is easy to get to then it is something to keep an eye on-or if it is in a difficult then add the inspection to your regular service schedule.

I have been reading this thread hoping the problem does not involve the '07's. I am ordering my Vista Blue GT next week.....

I have a problem with wet floor, but it is on the driver side. Every tike it is wet out the floor gets soaked. I have not taken it in yet but will soon.

Wow, Ford called and it's fixed already, knock on wood.

He told me on the phone it was a floor seam, and the moisture was from tire spray being kicked up.

So, it's cleaned and disinfected and ready to pick up.

In my case I never noticed moisture or wetness in the car, the carpet was bone dry. So what they said makes sense, it being misted from teh bottom like that.

At this point, it just seems like a fluke. Good thing rasguedo posted this thread, i would have never thought to reach in the fuse panel and feel the padding.

ORIGINAL: stratjakt

Wow, Ford called and it's fixed already, knock on wood.

He told me on the phone it was a floor seam, and the moisture was from tire spray being kicked up.

So, it's cleaned and disinfected and ready to pick up.

In my case I never noticed moisture or wetness in the car, the carpet was bone dry. So what they said makes sense, it being misted from teh bottom like that.

At this point, it just seems like a fluke. Good thing rasguedo posted this thread, i would have never thought to reach in the fuse panel and feel the padding.


Thats good to hear! I hope my repair goes as easy. Did they actually tell you they disinfected it? My Ford seems alittle bit lazy so I may have to request this be done. I think my problem may be the clog since it seems to happen even if I dont drive my car and I too have a whole lot of tree s#it that gets all over the hood and roof. If it is a clog Im also wondering where it is cause I have to park under this tree and the problem will just keep on happening. Ill ask the "leak guy" when I take my car in.

ORIGINAL: stratjakt

I'll take it back to the dealer on saturday. They'll either be able to fix it, or if I have to, I'll pull out the lemon law.


Don't do this... take it back let them screw with it and try to repair it 3x. Make _SURE_ that you get everything they do in writing. This is the most important part, the documentation. It must show:
1. What you reported as the problem.
2. What they did to try and fix it.

Make sure that the "What you reported as the problem" matches up on each one. Preferably word for word. Keep all papers they hand you. If they don't want to give you something insist on getting it written up and offer to stay there until they get it done. Legally they have to give you some paperwork.

Once they haven't fixed it, get a lemon lawyer and let him pull out the lemon law. If you try to do this yourself, they'll act all knowlegeable at the dealer and tell you "This isn't bad enough to fall under lemon laws ... yadda yadda yadda". It's all BS and none of them know what they are talking about when it comes to the law ; ) If they did, they wouldn't be working at a car dealership ;)They'll tell you x,y,z and try to manipulate you. It's all BS; don't listen, they are trained by Ford what to say when people start talking Lemon laws. In fact, don't put yourself into the position of needing to see the song and dance at all. They count on you not knowing crap about the real law, because they know nothing about it. Luckily we have lemon lawyers for this.

The lawyer works every time.... let him do the talking. Attorneys are allowed to sue them for not only the repairs, but their fees as well, so it won't cost you a dime. This is provided for by the Magnuson-Moss Act and is a part of the federal consumer protection law called the "Uniform Commercial Code" and the UCC applies in every state. There are also some states which have laws with this provision. Ensure that your attorney will be suing Ford for his fees up front in case he's trying to pull one on you as well.

Now go to http://www.consumeraffairs.com/lemon_law/ and read the Lemon Law How-To so you know what your rights are, what you are up against, and what you need to do. It involves taking a lot of notes on every conversation you have with the dealer, and stamping them with a time and date. Dealership people are trained con artists. The best way to fight this is with knowledge.

I have some carpeting to check...

Edit: It felt a little damp. Coupled with the fact that my windows fog up slightly inside every time I get in, even though it's not cold out... I think my car has this issue.

-Viz

My dealer subbed it out to "Water Doctors", so part of their schtick is to fix any water damage as well as find the leaks. So I got the story through the tech from the water doctors guy. I reached in and checked, and I can smell some disinfectant. The techs exact words were "anti-fungal treatment"

I guess I'll find out next time it rains if it's fixed or not. At this point I have no reason to doubt them, though.

They did my oil change and tire rotation while they were at it, and didn't charge me a dime. Sweet. I'm going to try and find some warranty work to do every 5000 miles.

ORIGINAL: viza

ORIGINAL: stratjakt

I'll take it back to the dealer on saturday. They'll either be able to fix it, or if I have to, I'll pull out the lemon law.


Don't do this... take it back let them screw with it and try to repair it 3x. Make _SURE_ that you get everything they do in writing. This is the most important part, the documentation. It must show:
1. What you reported as the problem.
2. What they did to try and fix it.

Make sure that the "What you reported as the problem" matches up on each one. Preferably word for word. Keep all papers they hand you. If they don't want to give you something insist on getting it written up and offer to stay there until they get it done. Legally they have to give you some paperwork.

Once they haven't fixed it, get a lemon lawyer and let him pull out the lemon law. If you try to do this yourself, they'll act all knowlegeable at the dealer and tell you "This isn't bad enough to fall under lemon laws ... yadda yadda yadda". It's all BS and none of them know what they are talking about when it comes to the law ; ) If they did, they wouldn't be working at a car dealership ;)They'll tell you x,y,z and try to manipulate you. It's all BS; don't listen, they are trained by Ford what to say when people start talking Lemon laws. In fact, don't put yourself into the position of needing to see the song and dance at all. They count on you not knowing crap about the real law, because they know nothing about it. Luckily we have lemon lawyers for this.

The lawyer works every time.... let him do the talking. Attorneys are allowed to sue them for not only the repairs, but their fees as well, so it won't cost you a dime. This is provided for by the Magnuson-Moss Act and is a part of the federal consumer protection law called the "Uniform Commercial Code" and the UCC applies in every state. There are also some states which have laws with this provision. Ensure that your attorney will be suing Ford for his fees up front in case he's trying to pull one on you as well.

Now go to http://www.consumeraffairs.com/lemon_law/ and read the Lemon Law How-To so you know what your rights are, what you are up against, and what you need to do. It involves taking a lot of notes on every conversation you have with the dealer, and stamping them with a time and date. Dealership people are trained con artists. The best way to fight this is with knowledge.

I have some carpeting to check...

-Viz


Thanks for the advice! When you say in writing do you mean the electronic write up they give you regarding the problem or do you mean to get a hand written write up seperately. Also do you think that the first time they looked at it and "found no problem" that i found counts as #1? Probably not huh.

FORD RECALL: Allthough it doesnt say Mustangs... check this out it is a little bit interesting with our present problems:

From the Washington Post:

The recall involves 139,537 2005 model-year Five Hundred and Montego sedans and 2005-2006 model-year
Freestar minivans because the side door latches may let in water, NHTSA said on its Web site on Tuesday

Hmmmm... Let in water....... Interesting tidbit could be nothing related to our problem but it does make you think.

The complete link to the article is http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101000880.html

Excellent recap of this issue, rasguedo. Thanks to you and all those that are providing technical, legal, and moral support! :)

My additions:

1. I have this problem in my '06, so it's at least a problem with '05-'06s.
2. My vehicle is a coupe, not a convertible.
3. What I have witnessed is way more than condensation. I am talking about being able to compress the padding underneath the carpetting with my hands and feel water start to wring out of it after raining for a few hours.
4. The reason (I believe) for the electical problems with taillights, etc, is that the black box in that service panel, the "Smart Box", is getting wet. This box controls pretty much anything electrical that needs any sort of logic (excluding stuff that the PCM does for the engine). Please correct me if I'm wrong about this, as I don't know first hand that this is true, but I remember someone posting this info. Personally, I have had a single tail light bulb stay on (bright, like braking) for extended periods of time, and my cruise control and rear defroster were both malfunctioning within this same time period (over the course of 2-3 days). I've never had any engine trouble of any kind beyond the fuel pump hesitation issue.

Yes, people do complain a lot more than praise a good thing, and I am sure there are those out there that are calling foul every time one of these threads pops up on the list, however, I don't think that a brand new car should have any of these problems within the first year:

* Rear end whining -- clutch packs
* Dash rattling -- comes and goes...usually present with passengers [:@]
* Hesitation on the highway -- crappy fuel pump design
* Loose "stuff" that causes the exhaust to make funny noises.
* Electrical problems
* Water leaks

Combine that with general dealership incompetence and unwillingness to investigate, and it's just very discouraging. I love my car, but I could do without some of the problems, at least for a year or so. I bought a new car to NOT have to deal with crap like this [&:]

As a small side note, I seem to remember someone posting a thread on why the windows seem to have condensation on them, etc. I notice this as well (the back window seems to always have a little bit of condensation near the rear defroster element), and it makes perfect sense that a leak would cause it.

Now that I think of it I did notice a lot of condensation first. Then the smell.

damn im getting worried this will happen with my car now...guess i just have to start checking that box when it actually starts to rain here

Very interested in keeping up with this issue as well. Rainy season is soon approaching, so I'll check as well.

Thanks

[BUMP]

Has anyone yet to identify a discernable reason why water accumulates below the carpet pad ???

Please do if you know / or have found out. I am probably like many others who would like to know what needs to be done if anything.

I have an '06 V6 Coupe and have noticed water in the carpet below that little panel near the passenger side floorboard on two occassions.

The first time was some months ago during an exceptionally heavy rain; someone drove along side me in slightly deep water and completely drenched my car with their splashing for about 20 feet of driving or so (they were total idiots - I couldn't even see)). After that, I noticed the dark, wetness in the carpet directly below the panel and a little had run towards the passenger seat along where the carpet almost meets the door, etc. I thought this was a fluke though since the amount of splashing I received was truly extraordinary. I never gave it another thought until....

The only other time was actually just a couple of days ago after driving through some puddles after a heavy rain. The two instances tend to make me think that the water is getting in from either the side or from below???

I have driven through plenty of rain, washed my car numerous times with pressure wands and even driven through touch-free car washes all with no "noticeable" leaks. I never have checked inside/behind the panel though. I've just checked for obvious, dark wet spots just below the panel on the outside.


I'd really like to see a TSB come out for this rather than to start taking the car in for "experimentation" and hit or miss repeat visits. It would seem there is a common design flaw that once identified would lead to an easier fix for everyone?

I have not had any elecrical problems and I leave my windows open and park in a garage every night so maybe it dries out readily and that is why I haven't noticed musty smells yet either. But..... this will eventually lead to some problem or another.

Can someone post a pic? Thanks.

Had a little spare time [8D]

The panel is obvious and the area I circled is approximately where I visibly saw and felt soaked carpeting on the two occassions I posted about a couple of posts above.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/celenztah/2006%20Mustang/leak.jpg

Yikes.[:-]

Check out this link. Someone is complaining about the exact same issue. Seems like at Ford these days, quality is not job 1! Damn body frame to cowl assembly issues...

MSN Leaky 'Stang (http://autos.msn.com/research/userreviews/reviewlist.aspx?modelid=11288&src=VIP)

28 Thousand dollar petri dish .... grows mold GREAT"

2005 Ford Mustang V6 Premium Convertible
09/12/2006
By: An MSN Autos Consumer
Owned: Less than 1 year
Review ID: #498260
4.7 Overall Rating

1 Styling
8 Performance
8 Interior
1 Quality
5 Recommendation



Pros:
Styling is great. Even for a 6 this car sounds like a muscle car and accelerates like one. Extremely fun to drive. Interior is comfortable.


Cons:
It's not the car that I dislike. What I do happen to dislike however is the response that I have gotten from Ford. It obviously had the leak prior to me buying it. Guess that sales person that told me the sticker had gotten damp because the window was left open ... lied. It is now obvious to me that it was because the car was leaking from day one. IF YOU REALLY WANT ONE ... BUY ONE ... BUT DO NOT BUY A CONVERTIBLE WITHOUT GOING THOUGH THE CAR WASH MULTIPLE TIMES AND LOOKING FOR PREVIOUS WATER DAMAGE. This car holds water like a sponge.


Overall Review:
My Mustang has turned into a 28,000 dollar petri dish and is growing mold. The entire car smells of mildew and mold is growing all over the wiring harness, under the dashboard on the passenger side and behind the passenger side kick panel. There is such a bad leak coming in on the passenger side that the electrical system is failing. Radio works great in Park and Neutral, just don't put it in drive or it shuts off. The leak is not from the convertible top. It's from poor assembly of the fire wall to the A frame on the passenger side. I'm sure in a couple of years the car should be pretty well rusted from the inside out as it has already started to rust between the floor panels, passenger side A pillar and fire wall. Ford's current response .... We'll get you a new carpet, but we won't supply a new carpet pad. As for their response to the rust and bad assembly, too bad ... it's not our problem. Pretty good response for a 6 month old car.

Jesus christ...EVERYONE'S a FLIPPIN EXPERT!!!

If you go into the dealer and act like this guy you're bound to get NOWHERE!!

Magnuson-Moss has to do with the use of fair trade practices and aftermarket parts useage and nothing to do with the dealer taking your car apart to find a water leak. And it's just a part of the UCC and doesnt have anything to do with recovering legal expenses in a law suit as this guy states in his post....

ORIGINAL: viza

"...are allowed to sue them for not only the repairs, but their fees as well, so it won't cost you a dime. This is provided for by the Magnuson-Moss Act and is a part of the federal consumer protection law called the "Uniform Commercial Code"


Running off to get a lawyer and yelling "lemon law, lemon law" will get you nowhere. Check the lemon laws of your state because they ALL VARY. Every day I work with attorneys and people who think attorneys will get stuff done for them. Half the attorneys out there are idiots anyway (of course there are still some good ones). And the Lemon Law is a long drawn out process...you dont simply find a water leak and yell "lemon law" and threaten a lawsuit and POOF- a new mustang appears! Think about it, some jerk comes in yelling at you at your job threatening suit and such, are you going to go out of your way to help them out? Hell no!

And like someone else posted, it sounds like a group of mostly isolated incidents. Given this thread I will check my car out more closely tonight when I go home, but I've never noticed an issue. However, people on these forums are only a small percentage of overall mustang owners and there's a lot of people here with issues meaning that within the big picture there's a boatload of people out there with these problems. What's worse, most people have no idea.

The key is for a large number of people to take their cars back to dealers and contact Ford corporate to ensure they are aware of the problem. A few dozen people calling from all parts of the country will certainly start to raise an eyebrow. Additionally, if Ford looks into it, it may be a simple fix like redoing a seal or weatherstripping. However if ford does nothing and it gets worse, a lot of people may be looking at premature rusing issues, moly pads and carpeting and seats...that is MUCH more expensive.

So before you jump to conclusions and think you're going to sue Ford and get a new Mustang, take a deep breath and take 1 step at time.
ORIGINAL: viza


Don't do this... take it back let them screw with it and try to repair it 3x. Make _SURE_ that you get everything they do in writing. This is the most important part, the documentation. It must show:
1. What you reported as the problem.
2. What they did to try and fix it.

Make sure that the "What you reported as the problem" matches up on each one. Preferably word for word. Keep all papers they hand you. If they don't want to give you something insist on getting it written up and offer to stay there until they get it done. Legally they have to give you some paperwork.

Once they haven't fixed it, get a lemon lawyer and let him pull out the lemon law. If you try to do this yourself, they'll act all knowlegeable at the dealer and tell you "This isn't bad enough to fall under lemon laws ... yadda yadda yadda". It's all BS and none of them know what they are talking about when it comes to the law ; ) If they did, they wouldn't be working at a car dealership ;)They'll tell you x,y,z and try to manipulate you. It's all BS; don't listen, they are trained by Ford what to say when people start talking Lemon laws. In fact, don't put yourself into the position of needing to see the song and dance at all. They count on you not knowing crap about the real law, because they know nothing about it. Luckily we have lemon lawyers for this.

The lawyer works every time.... let him do the talking. Attorneys are allowed to sue them for not only the repairs, but their fees as well, so it won't cost you a dime. This is provided for by the Magnuson-Moss Act and is a part of the federal consumer protection law called the "Uniform Commercial Code" and the UCC applies in every state. There are also some states which have laws with this provision. Ensure that your attorney will be suing Ford for his fees up front in case he's trying to pull one on you as well.

Now go to http://www.consumeraffairs.com/lemon_law/ and read the Lemon Law How-To so you know what your rights are, what you are up against, and what you need to do. It involves taking a lot of notes on every conversation you have with the dealer, and stamping them with a time and date. Dealership people are trained con artists. The best way to fight this is with knowledge.

I have some carpeting to check...

Edit: It felt a little damp. Coupled with the fact that my windows fog up slightly inside every time I get in, even though it's not cold out... I think my car has this issue.

-Viz

Here's another post from a guy on our own forum that has had a leak...but nobody responded in his original post. The evidence of a systemic issue keeps growing...

More Leaks... (http://www.mustangforums.com/m_469204/tm.htm)

I checked mine and lo and behold I too had wet padding on the right side. In the shop as I type.

As a Ford employee for FCSD I have access to the FMCDealer.com message boards and none of the dealer techs have brought up this water entry issue. If the dealers are not aware of the problem then Ford will not be aware of the problem. For those having this issue, please get your cars into the dealers so that they can begin the process of finding a solution.

Contrary to what many of you believe, Ford DOES care about it's customers and wants to fix the 'known issues'. Ford cannot fix what it does not know about. I am going to check my carpeting tonight and if I have a problem I'll be calling my dealer to make an appointment.

BTW, the only issue being discussed on the tech message board regarding the S197 is the noise made at the RH front wheel when going over a small bump in the road.

ORIGINAL: 4wheelkillr

And like someone else posted, it sounds like a group of mostly isolated incidents. Given this thread I will check my car out more closely tonight when I go home, but I've never noticed an issue. However, people on these forums are only a small percentage of overall mustang owners and there's a lot of people here with issues meaning that within the big picture there's a boatload of people out there with these problems. What's worse, most people have no idea.



That's really the point. Hopefully the leak issue is nothing but isolated incidents. That is all the more reason why somone - presumably Ford - should be able to figure it out and tell us what to check for on our vehicles.

This information is really helpful. I have an 06 GT, garaged most of the time but did drive in the rain for the first time yesterday. I will keep checking after rain and washing for leaks.

After reading the comments on this thread, I am beginning to think that my wife's 03 Lincoln Aviator (built on a Ford Explorer chasis) may have similar issues rather than the BS the dealer continues to feed me over and over about the musty smell coming from the a/c unit. We bought the vehicle brand new and have on 22,000 miles on it. About a year after we purchased that vehicle we started noticing a constant musty smell, to the point of being sickening at times. The Lincoln dealership insists that the problem is moisture build up in the a/c unit vents and the only way to resolve it is to turn on the heat to clear up the smell.

Thanks again for this thread.

hmm...i have never noticed a problem in my car, but then again i have black interior and i'm a smoker, so it's kinda hard to notice. will check today, though. i do believe i know where the water is coming from.

i suspect the water is coming from near the wheel-well, on the inside of the engine compartment. if you look on the passenger side of the engine compartment, in the very back by the dash, there is an air filter right there, and if it gets wet water will drip down into that passenger smartbox and soak the carpet. if you don't believe me squirt some water at that filter in the back of the engine compartment on the passenger side and then check inside...lo and behold, there is water. now i know that's not what is supposed to happen, obviously the air filter should not be connected to the smartbox, but it seems to be the case. also i have yet to check this out but if you get TONS of water in the cowl (right by the wiper blades) in those "holes" the smartbox can get wet, too, since that also links to the air filter (according to a friend but i personally have not confirmed this).

As I mentioned above, I do NOT want to be part of the "experimentation stage" that helps bring about a TSB. This could involve multiple trial and error trips to the dealership, renting cars and/or borrowing my fiance's car and taking her to and from work, etc., etc. Too much hassle after what I've already dealt with in terms of TSB fixing at dealerships. No... I will call Ford Customer Care Center (or whatever the hoo it is called) and at least report it though. And since the issue with my car is at least somewhat rare (but there none the less), I think I can afford to wait around until a systematic fix is discovered and the knowledge thereof is spread to dealerships.

If Ford Corp gets enough calls, sheez.. and DOES care enough..... surely Ford can handle assigning a few techs to research the issue with water hoses, high pressure hoses or what have you and a few production line cars, showroom cars or used cars on lots.

Again, I will call, but sorry... an issue like this truly should not exist just like the very dangerous hesitation after a long cruise upon acceleration issue that I had to have fixed at much inconvenience to myself... outside of calling, I will wait as long as I can to avoid the "multiple guinea pig" trips to the dealership.


ORIGINAL: bascho

As a Ford employee for FCSD I have access to the FMCDealer.com message boards and none of the dealer techs have brought up this water entry issue. If the dealers are not aware of the problem then Ford will not be aware of the problem. For those having this issue, please get your cars into the dealers so that they can begin the process of finding a solution.

Contrary to what many of you believe, Ford DOES care about it's customers and wants to fix the 'known issues'. Ford cannot fix what it does not know about. I am going to check my carpeting tonight and if I have a problem I'll be calling my dealer to make an appointment.

BTW, the only issue being discussed on the tech message board regarding the S197 is the noise made at the RH front wheel when going over a small bump in the road.



Thought???? Admin or Mod of this site email a link to this and any other leak related thread to Ford Corp?

Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center
P.O.Box 6248
Dearborn, Michigan 48126
1-800-392-3673(FORD)
TDD for the hearing impaired:1-800-232-5952
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM local time

Felt around near the passenger side panel and all is dry....
-
Here is a pic of the passenger side firewall area, the black
boot is where water drains down from the windsheild wiper
hole(s) in the cowl. The hole shown in the pic is some crazy
shiz....not sure why Ford would allow water to drain into
that area of the body.....

http://www.users.qwest.net/~cookpaging/leak1.jpg

ORIGINAL: hammeron

Felt around near the passenger side panel and all is dry....
-
Here is a pic of the passenger side firewall area, the black
boot is where water drains down from the windsheild wiper
hole(s) in the cowl. The hole shown in the pic is some crazy
shiz....not sure why Ford would allow water to drain into
that area of the body.....

http://www.users.qwest.net/~cookpaging/leak1.jpg


Woah! Looks pluggable in a do-it-yourself kind of way though. Should NOT be there though!

I'm going to keep watching this and a couple other threads in here on the issue. Maybe some of the more mechanically inquisitive will investigate (like this photo) or sniff out some basically simple fixes so we don't have to leave our cars overnight or for days on end with the dealsership.

Thanks for that pic!

how can you reach into the pads from the picture encircled?

Damn! Any owners out there who don't have this problem? [:-]

ORIGINAL: bascho

BTW, the only issue being discussed on the tech message board regarding the S197 is the noise made at the RH front wheel when going over a small bump in the road.


I might be able to save you some time here.

I had the same issue and thought.........holy sh** what was that sound........man sounded like the right front (passenger side) wheel or shock was going to fall off anytime.

It wasnt until I took off the front sway bar that I noticed, on the drivers side, when loosening the sway bar nut on the front strut that it felt like it had been torqued, it was difficult to break loose.
But on the passenger side when I went to undo the sway bar nut from the strut it felt as though the nut had not been torqued. This nut was too easy to remove. The sway bar is just flopping around on the passenger side of the car.

Ever since I've removed the sway bar I have not heard the clunking sound. I have installed the BMR front sway delete kit and installed the dual strut tower brace bars.

Thanks for jumping in...........always good to hear from someone that works for Ford.








local://upfiles/29830/6440D552249E421288313E1CFD84A915.jpg

ORIGINAL: sst06vert

how can you reach into the pads from the picture encircled?


If you are referring to my photo with the white circle, I believe folks are referring to opening that little panel above my drawn circle and reaching in through it and down. I've never done this myself though since my water has wound up visible and detectable by feel on the outside of the panel in my carpet.

EDIT: I'm willing to bet though that there's been times that my padding was wet within that panel area from leaks that just didn't produce enough water to soak through to the outside visible area.

ORIGINAL: GT John


I might be able to save you some time here.

I had the same issue and thought.........holy sh** what was that sound........man sounded like the right front (passenger side) wheel or shock was going to fall off anytime.

It wasnt until I took off the front sway bar that I noticed, on the drivers side, when loosening the sway bar nut on the front strut that it felt like it had been torqued, it was difficult to break loose.
But on the passenger side when I went to undo the sway bar nut from the strut it felt as though the nut had not been torqued. This nut was too easy to remove. The sway bar is just flopping around on the passenger side of the car.

Ever since I've removed the sway bar I have not heard the clunking sound. I have installed the BMR front sway delete kit and installed the dual strut tower brace bars.

Thanks for jumping in...........always good to hear from someone that works for Ford.



Thanks for the info.....I'll post that up on the board for the techs.

Glad to help.....I'm not only a Ford employee....I'm a customer. Most people think Ford is run by robots.......but we are people just like you and we all drive a Ford just like you. No one likes to have problems with their car.......us included. But Ford testing the cars we have at the assy plant may not yield a fix to something that is happening out in the field. What if a plug that was installed on the line is falling out after 6 months of driving.......that condition can not be corrected by testing the brand new Mustangs on the lot.

I know some of you don't want to be test dummies for a possible TSB or recall......but if everyone felt like that then nothing will be done.

BTW, I pulled off the passenger side kick panel and pulled up the carpeting.......mine was completely dry. I have a 2006 GT Coupe. My car is garage kept......but sits outside my office all day during the work week. It's been raining most of the week so if I had a problem my carpet/pad should have been damp. Have not driven through any large puddles recently (I usually try to avoid those anyway).

ORIGINAL: celenztah

ORIGINAL: sst06vert

how can you reach into the pads from the picture encircled?


If you are referring to my photo with the white circle, I believe folks are referring to opening that little panel above my drawn circle and reaching in through it and down. I've never done this myself though since my water has wound up visible and detectable by feel on the outside of the panel in my carpet.

EDIT: I'm willing to bet though that there's been times that my padding was wet within that panel area from leaks that just didn't produce enough water to soak through to the outside visible area.



Thank You for the pic and response

I just checked mine and its completely dry, never leaked. However I never drive my car in the rain, but it does sit outside when it rains.

I'm cross posting this reply from another post because they're both the same basic subject. I tore apart the car today, and I'm hopeful I may have sealed the water leak. I removed the passenger side inner wheel well behind the tire. There is a pair of grommets there where a big wiring harness and the antenna come through the firewall (see the picture). Yesterday, I laid inside the car while the wife sprayed water on the right side of the car and it looked like water was coming in there. So today I spread clear silicone around the grommets, waited for it to cure and sprayed water on it again. So far, no water inside.

I'm curious though, how many people have noticed this problem only when parking their car facing uphill. I think it would lend some credence to my theory if it didn't happen when the car was parked facing downhill, as the water would run away from the grommet on the firewall.

Also, if anyone else decides to try this method, let me know if it works for you too.

local://upfiles/48028/EE8E00213FDB48F28132280D4083FB51.jpg

Thanks for the photos. When i asked a ford dealer last weekend if they ever heard of this problem they said they didnt. Perhaps this is something no one noticed for 2 year?!

Bump for a quick update. After a night of steady rain the interior is still dry. So, fingers crossed, I think I got it.

Have a three week old '07 GT vert, checked pretty thoroughly, can't find a leak anywhere in my car, including the trunk (complaint on another thread). My car sits outside 24/7, and it's been raining perpetually for the past few days. Also ran through some pretty deep puddles the last couple of drives... not a drop inside.

Perhaps it's been "fixed" in '07. Or I'm lucky. Or it's too soon to tell...

ORIGINAL: hammeron

Felt around near the passenger side panel and all is dry....
-
Here is a pic of the passenger side firewall area, the black
boot is where water drains down from the windsheild wiper
hole(s) in the cowl. The hole shown in the pic is some crazy
shiz....not sure why Ford would allow water to drain into
that area of the body.....

http://www.users.qwest.net/~cookpaging/leak1.jpg


this has GOT to be what my friend is talking about with the cowl. if you pour a bunch of water down it looks like it would drain into that black thing, but i bet that could be where the problem is that causes leaking. also that hole sure has to be a contributor...

secondly, i am going to get a pic of that air filter to show you guys how THAT leaks right into the smartbox.

ORIGINAL: MdnytRider

I'm curious though, how many people have noticed this problem only when parking their car facing uphill. I think it would lend some credence to my theory if it didn't happen when the car was parked facing downhill, as the water would run away from the grommet on the firewall.

Also, if anyone else decides to try this method, let me know if it works for you too.

local://upfiles/48028/EE8E00213FDB48F28132280D4083FB51.jpg

About a month after I bought my mustang I was getting ready to leave work and I heard a gurgle from the passenger side and actually saw some water come out of the hole in that passenger side kick panel. It wasn't a lot, maybe a cup full.

Earlier this week I left my mustang out overnight (parked uphill in my driveway) and we got a pretty substantial rain storm. The next day I got in the car to go to work and I had over an inch of standing water in the passenger front and back seat the drivers side seemed unaffected. I drove it to the dealership, water sloshing around and all and the service manager didn't seemed surprised at all and scheduled an appt to have the windshield resealed. I talked to the service manager for a bit and he admitted that he has seen this issue with a lot of S197's.

Update: servicemanager called said my car was ready but could not duplicate leak and found no evidence of water. He replied " You get info off the net about a problem and if one person has it ,Everyone thinks they have the same problem" I replied if it wasnt for the forums I NEVER would know about it besides it was wet after the rain we had. What an ass. I'll wait till it rains then take it straight to them. to be continued..............

ORIGINAL: afterburner

Update: servicemanager called said my car was ready but could not duplicate leak and found no evidence of water. He replied " You get info off the net about a problem and if one person has it ,Everyone thinks they have the same problem" I replied if it wasnt for the forums I NEVER would know about it besides it was wet after the rain we had. What an ass. I'll wait till it rains then take it straight to them. to be continued..............



Just an FYI.....don't ever tell any service writer that you read about a problem on a forum.....that goes for any auto companies dealer channel. They will immediately attribute your visit to 'forum frenzy' and your car will get no real attention. This is not a Ford dealer thing either.......this is an every dealer thing.

Next time just tell them the details of the issues you have first-hand experience with......"the passenger side carpet is damp....and no, I did not leave the window open."

ORIGINAL: bascho


ORIGINAL: afterburner

Update: servicemanager called said my car was ready but could not duplicate leak and found no evidence of water. He replied " You get info off the net about a problem and if one person has it ,Everyone thinks they have the same problem" I replied if it wasnt for the forums I NEVER would know about it besides it was wet after the rain we had. What an ass. I'll wait till it rains then take it straight to them. to be continued..............



Just an FYI.....don't ever tell any service writer that you read about a problem on a forum.....that goes for any auto companies dealer channel. They will immediately attribute your visit to 'forum frenzy' and your car will get no real attention. This is not a Ford dealer thing either.......this is an every dealer thing.

Next time just tell them the details of the issues you have first-hand experience with......"the passenger side carpet is damp....and no, I did not leave the window open."



"....can you ever really trust another human being?.....the answer Greg is no, you cannot."

Hello everyone. I was extremely surprised at how many 05 & 06 Mustang owners have this problem. I also have this problem, which I discovered after parking my car facing uphill. I usually have it parked in the garage. Recently after a hard rain, I opened the passenger car door and discovered a serious puddle of water. I will park facing downhill like MdnytRider to test the theory. I will be taking it in to the Ford dealership this week. I called and they stated they only work on leaks on Mondays. I will let you guys know what happens. Thank you all for posting.


ORIGINAL: MdnytRider

I'm cross posting this reply from another post because they're both the same basic subject. I tore apart the car today, and I'm hopeful I may have sealed the water leak. I removed the passenger side inner wheel well behind the tire. There is a pair of grommets there where a big wiring harness and the antenna come through the firewall (see the picture). Yesterday, I laid inside the car while the wife sprayed water on the right side of the car and it looked like water was coming in there. So today I spread clear silicone around the grommets, waited for it to cure and sprayed water on it again. So far, no water inside.

I'm curious though, how many people have noticed this problem only when parking their car facing uphill. I think it would lend some credence to my theory if it didn't happen when the car was parked facing downhill, as the water would run away from the grommet on the firewall.

Also, if anyone else decides to try this method, let me know if it works for you too.

local://upfiles/48028/EE8E00213FDB48F28132280D4083FB51.jpg

put me down as one with the leak after reading this i went out and check. and found water ( it has been raining alot here in houston) so i took in to the dealership they say they fixed it. well see

later
Jon

Hi, living in upstate NY I got very worried when I read this thread. However, after thorough examinations, I have found that I have been lucky.

My '05 pony has no water or moisture in it, after searching where you described. I did however find the hole where water can enter. I have driven the car in extreme rain, through several thunderstorms both on and off the highway. Not a good place to be in such conditions, but I remember praising myself for being inside in a dry car! Lucky thing is that I parked downhill after these events, and even though my parking space is sort of flat, the car tilts slightly forward and towards the passenger side when parked. Any water will then actually not drain into that hole. As far as I can remember I have never actually parked my car facing uphill.

The hole itself looks like something that has been prepared for a mount of something. Maybe it is meant to be used on different models, or with some extra equipment? Hard to tell why it is there, but it seems easy enough to close. Some plastic cork will probably do. I don't have any other warranty except standard factory warranty since my car was not bought from a dealership, but from a body shop.

local://upfiles/52206/8A19B3BB9EB54607B0FE074FC9F1EC4C.jpg

ORIGINAL: hammeron

Felt around near the passenger side panel and all is dry....
-
Here is a pic of the passenger side firewall area, the black
boot is where water drains down from the windsheild wiper
hole(s) in the cowl. The hole shown in the pic is some crazy
shiz....not sure why Ford would allow water to drain into
that area of the body.....

http://www.users.qwest.net/~cookpaging/leak1.jpg

I have a 2007 Mustang GT Coupe. I took a look at my car in the area shown in your photo and the passenger compartment carpet. How did you take that photo? I could barely see that area from the topside let alone get a camera down there.

Anyway, my carpet is dry. That said, it is always garaged and it has only been in the rain a couple times and its only been washed 3 times so far. The hole in the trunk (from the other thread) was covered by the round tape-like piece.

I will be closely watching my car and this thread for further developements.

ORIGINAL: wingman75
I have a 2007 Mustang GT Coupe. I took a look at my car in the area shown in your photo and the passenger compartment carpet. How did you take that photo? I could barely see that area from the topside let alone get a camera down there.


When you open your hood, follow the draining from the windshield and into the cowl. The water is transported down through the marked rubber boots in hammeron's picture. (the yellow) The same design is on both sides, so I don't really see why water would only leak into the passenger side. I took my own pictures by holding my camera phone down into and between the chassis and the engine. However, once you understand where they are, they are easily seen from head height. On my 4.0 V6, it is actually easier to see it on the drivers side. Not sure how that would be on your GT, wingman.

I went to Loew today to get some plastic screws and rubber fittings that I will try to put in there tomorrow. Will post pictures and details about how that went. If not successful, I will use some automotive screws and perhaps some silicone to glue them there. I do have a question on the heat in that area, I'm not sure on how much heat that area is exposed to. Any thoughts on that?

Are we also 100% sure that this is where the water enters? I am not sure I am willing to "tare apart" the interior to find out where that hole leads on the other side. I'd love to hear from someone that actually tried to stick a wire or something through that hole to see if it really comes into the interior/cabin(?).

Those of you who had this fixed at a dealership, did they plug those holes and/or did they do something on the inside?

Thanks!

Quick update: I've been holding off on this as it's only rained once or twice, and as luck would have it, my car was in a garage the first time, but...it appears to be "fixed"....

The dealership says it was a "clogged drain"...Ugh, ok...so this means the stupid thing is going to clog up every X months, and I am going to have to deal with this over and over again?? Here's the tech notes:

"VERIFIED CONCERN FOUND PASS SIDE FRONT OF CARPET WET
REMOVED BOTH FRONT SEATS REAR SEAT REMOVED TRIM FOR ACCESS
REMOVED CONSOLE
REMOVED CARPET
WATER TEST FOUND DRAIN CLOGGED
REPAIR DRAIN HOLE TO ALLOW CONSTANT FLOW REASSEMBLE RETEST OK"

About the only thing I really haven't tried is driving in wet weather, but the car was outside one day when it downpoured for a good half hour or so, and the padding under the carpet was dry. I'm really not happy that it wasn't more like "plugged gaping hole in frame"...at least then I could believe it was a one time problem. This sounds like a crappy design with no long term solution.

One other thing. I asked the service manager (who asked the tech) if there was any preventative maintenance, etc, that I could do to avoid this problem. They both said nothing special; just make sure the space between hood and windshield is kept clean. I also asked if I could see where the rain was, and if I could possibly be able to get at it to clean it. They said no, not very easily.

I don't park under trees, and half the time (when at work), I'm parked in a garage, so...I'm not sure how much cleaner I can keep this area. [&:]. Oh well, I get to make another trip in soon, as the lever to the driver's seat recliner (the one to get in the back seats) snapped off in my hand this weekend, and there seems to be a new dash rattle now that they've monkeyed with that...much swearing ensues [:@]

Hey, found this thread from another site. My car is an early 05 GT coupe. I had notice last spring a musty smell and the windows would fog a lot after a big rain, I never really looked into it until this week after a big rain. Checked the floor board and it was soaked.

One note my driveway is on a hill and I normally park it up hill (rained all thursday night) and noticed the floor being wet on the pass side friday afternoon.

I plugged the hole on the firewall that hammeron posted a pict of and will cauk around the wire gromet in the wheel well later today and see if it does it again.

HEY all i have a 07 GT and live in new jersey itsmonsoon season here now, just took the car out for a spin in a big down pour with high winds then pealed back the passenger side carpet, no wetness at all, left the car out in heavy downfall, again,no issuies, if it means anything i parked the car on level grounds

Just a FYI for some of you.. the Water Doctor... some are good and some are .. I won't even go there..

just look out.. as I have seen it too many times... (a so called water leak fix ) yeah right...!!!


R

Welper, I had another leak episode (wet carpet visible and touchable in the passenger side just below that little panel) after driving through some very heavy rain with a fair amount of splashing through semi-high water spots on the road.

As much as I appreciate the various photos and descriptions of the various possible leak spots to plug and as much as I cringe at another trip to the dealer (and have complained about doing so in this thread)..... I feel I am not skilled enough to start troubleshooting and plugging holes in those various places myself.

So.... In about a week or two, I'll take the 'stang to the dealership for a fix. I won't discuss any of this forum, but rather just the issue and let them find it.


I'll update here once I've gone through with it. :(

I have owned my '06 GT coupe since mid-August. The build date, I believe, is March '06.
I have driven in rain on a few occasions, as recent as Friday, and have not had any wetness at all on the
passenger side floor. However, I have not taken the panel off on the passenger side and felt for any
water inside.

Brad

I just ran out and checked my '06 V6. We've had a couple of rainstorms since I've purchased it, and it goes through the heavy hosing of a local automated car wash every week or so. No sign of leakage on mine. Fingers are crossed, and will remain so because it's only a matter of time before the heavy No. Cal. rains start.

Be honest.. have you called yet...????

the ONLY way we are going to get this fixed is to call Ford and complain..

I called and mine doesn't leak..!!!! might be because it lives in the garage and sees little to no rain.. :)

but if there is a problem.. and it sounds like we have one.. then I want mine fixed.. don't you..?????


Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center
P.O.Box 6248
Dearborn, Michigan 48126
1-800-392-3673(FORD)
TDD for the hearing impaired:1-800-232-5952
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM local time

PLEASE CALL...!!!!

thanks in advance for the couple of minutes it will take you.. all it took me..


Rex

Well, guess what...all that work to unclog a drain may have helped when the car isn't moving, but I took a trip this weekend in the rain, and sadly the carpet was wet after driving. On Tuesday/Wednesday it rained overnight (car in parking lot, level ground), and in the morning the carpet was wet [&:] Back to the dealership next week, and I gotta remember to call!!!![sm=bustedsign.gif]

ORIGINAL: GT John


ORIGINAL: bascho

BTW, the only issue being discussed on the tech message board regarding the S197 is the noise made at the RH front wheel when going over a small bump in the road.


I might be able to save you some time here.

I had the same issue and thought.........holy sh** what was that sound........man sounded like the right front (passenger side) wheel or shock was going to fall off anytime.

It wasnt until I took off the front sway bar that I noticed, on the drivers side, when loosening the sway bar nut on the front strut that it felt like it had been torqued, it was difficult to break loose.
But on the passenger side when I went to undo the sway bar nut from the strut it felt as though the nut had not been torqued. This nut was too easy to remove. The sway bar is just flopping around on the passenger side of the car.

Ever since I've removed the sway bar I have not heard the clunking sound. I have installed the BMR front sway delete kit and installed the dual strut tower brace bars.

Thanks for jumping in...........always good to hear from someone that works for Ford.


local://upfiles/29830/6440D552249E421288313E1CFD84A915.jpg



I know this thread is primarily about leaks, but after reading this particular post in it, I have to ask....

Regarding the top quote "only issue being discussed on the tech message board regarding the S197 is the noise made at the RH front wheel "......where is that thread? Can you please post a link to it so I can see what it's all about? I hear a noise in my front wheel too, and always over small bumps, so I've wondered what it is and THIS POST is the first time I've EVER seen anything about it on this forum. WOULD LOVE TO READ MORE, so please, someone post a link to the thread. I've searched and can't find anything.

Thanks,
Nick

ORIGINAL: Silencer06



I know this thread is primarily about leaks, but after reading this particular post in it, I have to ask....

Regarding the top quote "only issue being discussed on the tech message board regarding the S197 is the noise made at the RH front wheel "......where is that thread? Can you please post a link to it so I can see what it's all about? I hear a noise in my front wheel too, and always over small bumps, so I've wondered what it is and THIS POST is the first time I've EVER seen anything about it on this forum. WOULD LOVE TO READ MORE, so please, someone post a link to the thread. I've searched and can't find anything.

Thanks,
Nick



The post on the message board I was referring to is a FMCDealer.com message board. Only Ford dealership employees and FCSD employees have access. I'll check the boards again today and see what other topics have come up and if anyone's got a solution to the noise at the RH front wheel.

[bump]

Why doesn't the administrator make this thread a "sticky" so that it stays on top?

I do not have any leaks with my 07 GT vert - but it certainly seems like a solvable problem or a design issue for that matter. [My vehicle is a garage queen / good weather driver only.]

Someone needs to get an exact answer as to why these vehicles allow water inside the passenger cabinet and post it here for everyone else's benefit. I suspect many others have this problem and do not know about it. It may even result in a TSB.

Thanks for the help.

Update to the noise at the front wheels. TSB 05-9-11 Strut Bearing.

ORIGINAL: FST 05

Hey, found this thread from another site. My car is an early 05 GT coupe. I had notice last spring a musty smell and the windows would fog a lot after a big rain, I never really looked into it until this week after a big rain. Checked the floor board and it was soaked.

One note my driveway is on a hill and I normally park it up hill (rained all thursday night) and noticed the floor being wet on the pass side friday afternoon.

I plugged the hole on the firewall that hammeron posted a pict of and will cauk around the wire gromet in the wheel well later today and see if it does it again.


Update, we had some bad storms today and first heavy rain since I plugged the above with body sealer. I had to drive through some deep puddles and a few roads with around a couple of inches running across them today. While the floor board was wet it is a ton better than before. Going to check the cabin filter area tomorrow. when I replaced the filter a few weeks ago the cover that goes over the firewall did not sit right, the rubber seal is not flush with the windshield.

Great.

I'll be checking.

a couple days ago i went through some heavy rain for the first time and luckily i did not feel any wetness on the passenger side. Hopefully i just dont have the problem but i will be cghecking every time

[bump]

This thread was started nearly 6 weeks ago. Has anyone yet found out the specific reason why the cabinet floor gets wet?

How about some of the members who have had their dealers working on their cars in this regard?

My car is a fair weather driver only, so I don't know if I have the problem. But I am very interested in understanding it better. Thanks.

I called my dealership to make an appointment with the same person I dealt with on a couple of other issues. I mentioned the leak. It's been 2 weeks and no call back. I am now too busy to do anything about it until just after the new year. I will post back here with what happens in my case with the dealership. I totally want this leak thing fixed. "Maybe" my dealership will figure it out or has already dealt with it as they are a very busy, high volume dealership in Houston.

I will be calling Ford about this, but after I have seen the dealership in order to better describe to Ford my whole experience.

This needs to be a sticky...for now. Until the problem gets TSBed.

+1
ORIGINAL: Juntech

This needs to be a sticky...for now. Until the problem gets TSBed.

Hi. New to the forums here but found this after searching because of a horrible smell in my '06 GT. After reading the posts checked the passenger floor and sure enough under the carpet was wet. Took it to the dealer and just got it back last week. It was raining on the trip home about an hours drive and rained for 2 days after. The car appears to have stayed dry. Not much on tech terms but here's what they found , leak found around body seam on ps front under wiper cowl. Resealed seam and put cowl and wipers back on. Not sure if this helps anyone out but its worth a look. Also had the dash rattle and TSB06-4-1 seems to have fixed that as well. Car is stored for the winter now but will report back if the problem reoccurs. Good luck all!

ORIGINAL: bajalady
Hi. New to the forums here but found this after searching because of a horrible smell in my '06 GT. After reading the posts checked the passenger floor and sure enough under the carpet was wet. Took it to the dealer and just got it back last week. It was raining on the trip home about an hours drive and rained for 2 days after. The car appears to have stayed dry. Not much on tech terms but here's what they found , leak found around body seam on ps front under wiper cowl. Resealed seam and put cowl and wipers back on. Not sure if this helps anyone out but its worth a look. Also had the dash rattle and TSB06-4-1 seems to have fixed that as well. Car is stored for the winter now but will report back if the problem reoccurs. Good luck all!

Sheri welcome to the forum. Did they tell you what was rattling specifically. And what is TSB06-4-1 ? I don't recall that number TSB.

Hi again. TSB06-4-1 is the exhaust hanger by transmission. They installed clamps to stop it from vibrating. I guess it would vibrate and transmit throught the console. Seems to have fixed it so far.

ORIGINAL: bajalady
Hi again. TSB06-4-1 is the exhaust hanger by transmission. They installed clamps to stop it from vibrating. I guess it would vibrate and transmit throught the console. Seems to have fixed it so far.

Thanks Sherie, I passed your info on to the thread dealing with the rattle problem. One person had a muffler shop do the same fix to his car.

Thanks again your input is appreciated.

Well I just checked my car this morning after the three day downpour here in NC and sure enough I found a nice puddle on the passenger side. I guess I'll have to call the dealership Monday and see what they say. I had a Jeep that leaked forever and I was really excited to have a new car that was nice and tigh with no smell. SO much for that idea.

Chalk up another '07 coupe with a big puddle on the passenger side floor. The car is about a month old with about 2700 miles. After reading this thread, I have occasionally checked for a leak. I have driven several times in downpours with no issue. However, for the last 2 days the car sat in torrential rain and then I washed it today. I don't know if sitting in the rain caused the puddle or if washing the car did. Whichever, there was puddle of water on the pasenger side floor and I could feel that it was wet right up to under the kickpanel.

I made an appointment at the dealership for Tues. Let's see what happens.

Did we ever get a definitive answer to where it is leaking?

This looks like the closest we've come to nailing it
down. Now if someone could take a picture of this exact
location and the seam that was sealed, we'll be in business.
-
-
-

ORIGINAL: bajalady

Hi. New to the forums here but found this after searching because of a horrible smell in my '06 GT. After reading the posts checked the passenger floor and sure enough under the carpet was wet. Took it to the dealer and just got it back last week. It was raining on the trip home about an hours drive and rained for 2 days after. The car appears to have stayed dry. Not much on tech terms but here's what they found , leak found around body seam on ps front under wiper cowl. Resealed seam and put cowl and wipers back on. Not sure if this helps anyone out but its worth a look. Also had the dash rattle and TSB06-4-1 seems to have fixed that as well. Car is stored for the winter now but will report back if the problem reoccurs. Good luck all!

had a light rain last night and the car was parked on a hill with the front facing downhill. Checked for water and it was dry, then drove 30 miles to work in a light rain on the interstate and when I got to work I checked the floor again and it was wet up under the kickpannel, guess those area's I put body sealer on did nothing.

Just in case everyone missed it, another owner posted in the V6 section about their leak. Click on the link below. This issue seems to be very common.

Another Leak (http://www.mustangforums.com/m_2277057/tm.htm)

wow, this is a little scary for a new car. I just ran out an checked my car, no wetness (had just washed the car today). I'll be watching closely though as its going to rain pretty good friday here in new jersey.

I had a similar water problem which would show up when the car was parked in heavy rain. The "leak guy" said it was from a clogged a cowl drain on the passenger side. After reading these posts I'm not so sure. We had a heavy rain here over the weekend and my '06 is wet again.

On another note, I had a rattle in the dash too, but my service rep said that is a known issue and they have a fix kit for it. Seems the clips that hold the dash covers in place loosen up over time. They replaced the clips and the rattle stopped.

ORIGINAL: MdnytRider

Ok, I'm hopeful I may have sealed the water leak. I removed the passenger side inner wheel well behind the tire. There is a pair of grommets there where a big wiring harness and the antenna come through the firewall (see the picture). Yesterday, I laid inside the car while the wife sprayed water on the right side of the car and it looked like water was coming in there. So today I spread clear silicone around the grommets, waited for it to cure and sprayed water on it again. So far, no water inside.

I'm curious though, how many people have noticed this problem only when parking their car facing uphill. I think it would lend some credence to my theory if it didn't happen when the car was parked facing downhill, as the water would run away from the grommet on the firewall.

Also, if anyone else decides to try this method, let me know if it works for you too.





local://upfiles/48028/D4415FF5258A490FB43B89831CA2BB86.jpg


I just got my car back from the dealership for this issue (and a rattle in the center console which indeed they fixed by stuffing insulation into the console.... love not having that rattle now!).

I will post up the exact words from my service printout, but they did indeed refer to the grommet in the firewall as being "misaligned". They either re-alligned it or installed a new one correctly. They did say that thay saw water entering there during testing - not a lot, but then I am sure they did not test it for very long. I have not had an opportunity to put it to the test myself, but I will comment when I do and if it stopped the leak. I feel reasonably confident though that this is the place where the water gets into the passenger side inside and I was happy to see that they actually found an issue that some of you have found on your own. Much better than saying that they could not replicate it or that it was from a clogged drain plug or something.

I also took my own photo of the area where the water appears in the passenger floor area. The service guys really liked that rather than thinking I was a nut. They said they wished more people would bring photos of issues of this nature so that they can see for themselves just where to start troubleshooting.

I've been following this thread for a week or so, and we've had at least 2-3 hard days rain in SC and I haven't found any moisture in the padding near the kick plate on the passenger side. I plan to keep checking, but I wanted to chime in as one of those with "No problems so far". I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping this is not an issue for everyone with s197 body style.

Also its worth noting that there aren't any hills in the "lowcountry" so even when I wash or it rains, my car is pretty much flat/level always.

2007 GT Coupe

I don't know if this is the problem but I keep seeing the bunch of wires coming through the rubber gromet on a downward angle. I know from my years in construction that when electricians or cable guys or phone co. run wires into a house they put a drip loop in wire so water can't run down the side of the wire. Has anyone tried to hang the bunch of wires higher inside the car so water can't flow in. May not be enough slack. Just a thought. I'll be checking mine tomorrow!

And - as promised - here is the quote from my service receipt pertaining to the warrantly leak work I just had done Nov. 29th:

WIRING HARNESS BOOT MISALLIGNED AT BULK HEAD ALLOWING WATER INTRUSION UNDER HEAVY RAIN RE-SEAT BOOT DRY FLOOR AND CARPETING AND RETEST OK

Welper, that's it folks. I still have not tested it for myself. I am fairly busy much of the time and so I may not run water on it for hours..... but I very interested in test driving it through some puddles and heavy rain. If it does rain next when I am at home, I will go move the car from the garage out into the rain on the same slight incline that produced water in the carpet before. Once again, I'll post the results as soon as I know. For right now, I am only "hoping" that was really the fix. Fingers crossed!

thanks rasguedo...i will be checking this shortly!

Here are a couple of pics showing the wiring harness in question...

http://www.users.qwest.net/~cookpaging/Firewall1.JPG

and a close up

http://www.users.qwest.net/~cookpaging/Firewall2.JPG

I haven't decided yet, if I'm going to add silicone sealer in this area or not....




ORIGINAL: celenztah

And - as promised - here is the quote from my service receipt pertaining to the warrantly leak work I just had done Nov. 29th:

WIRING HARNESS BOOT MISALLIGNED AT BULK HEAD ALLOWING WATER INTRUSION UNDER HEAVY RAIN RE-SEAT BOOT DRY FLOOR AND CARPETING AND RETEST OK

Welper, that's it folks. I still have not tested it for myself. I am fairly busy much of the time and so I may not run water on it for hours..... but I very interested in test driving it through some puddles and heavy rain. If it does rain next when I am at home, I will go move the car from the garage out into the rain on the same slight incline that produced water in the carpet before. Once again, I'll post the results as soon as I know. For right now, I am only "hoping" that was really the fix. Fingers crossed!



local://upfiles/37808/E5CA36AE6B3B4CE7944C085E6C316C87.jpg

local://upfiles/37808/B2C89ED3DF8A4F53BA257E8300C9734E.jpg

12/10/2006

First steady rain conditions since my dealership's leak "fix" of re-alligning the wiring harness boot and here are the official results:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/celenztah/2006%20Mustang/leakwet.jpg

I was in a moderate, steady rain long enough to eat breakfast and shop at Sam's. No major puddles, no parking on an incline even.

Needless to say I am PO'd! I'm going to show up at the dealership at 7am tomorrow morning and rent a car. They had better be prepared to pay for this car rental considering my service rep clearly stated last time "I am NOT going to let your car leave here with a leak in it".

This is really a hassle and is making me sick. I've gone from love this car to disappointed with this car to love this car to disappointed to love and now back to disappointed. If the leak gets fixed, I'll love it again provided nothing else rears its ugly head. I've had it long enough to work out most the kinks (including the fuel pump TSB), so maybe this is the last of the BS??? Please?????!!!!

Hang in there, the leak problem should get resolved
eventually....

Here is another promising fix to the leak issue....



quote:

ORIGINAL: bajalady

Hi. New to the forums here but found this after searching because of a horrible smell in my '06 GT. After reading the posts checked the passenger floor and sure enough under the carpet was wet. Took it to the dealer and just got it back last week. It was raining on the trip home about an hours drive and rained for 2 days after. The car appears to have stayed dry. Not much on tech terms but here's what they found , leak found around body seam on ps front under wiper cowl. Resealed seam and put cowl and wipers back on. Not sure if this helps anyone out but its worth a look. Also had the dash rattle and TSB06-4-1 seems to have fixed that as well. Car is stored for the winter now but will report back if the problem reoccurs. Good luck all!

OMG i just bought a mustang and it's leaking on the first day!

J/k...no mustang YET. :(




why isnt this a sticky?

I'm a little late in reading up on this thread, but from what I've read, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
As far as I know, I haven't noticed any leaks and there's no musty smell which may indicate so.
Actually, its still has the new car smell.
Who knows, it may just suddenly happen on a rainy day.
Well see.
I'm knocking on wood that it doesn't.

ok ive noticed the mildew smell and the water also enters the car from the slot between window sill and the body of the car, because when i open the door, it usually gushes out....from the door sill.......

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e221/edgespeeder04/wherewindowmeetsdoor.jpg


http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e221/edgespeeder04/wherethewateraccumulateswhenthedoor.jpg


but since i park on a hill upright, i was wondering if the mildew water would be in the same place or further down by the seats because i just wanted to see if i can find it today, after it stops raining

Most of what I've been reading is that those of you with the water issue are waiting for rainy days, doesn't this happen when you wash it? Let's say just by pouring water into the cowl area and then checking?

For me, I have only seen the water after the car was exposed to rain for a length of time (at least certainly longer than the typical car wash duration). Washing my car has never produced visible water in my floorboard, but I will admit that I never checked just under the plastic area for moisture, I always noticed my water visually protruding beyond the plastic kickplating into the carpet.

ORIGINAL: praztek

Most of what I've been reading is that those of you with the water issue are waiting for rainy days, doesn't this happen when you wash it? Let's say just by pouring water into the cowl area and then checking?




I can reproduce the problem by washing it. There's not enough water to bleed through the carpet, but the under-matting is definitely wet afterwards.

I don't know which of these threads is most followed.. LOL. The other is linked from the S197 INFO section above. But, here is my latest INFO that I posted to the other thread:

Here are the results from my 2nd visit to the same dealership for the leak issue that did not get fixed with the 1st visit (noted a few posts above):

A QCP C/S WATER LEAKING FROM RIGHT FRONT UNDER DASH
CAUSE: 14498 77 WATER TEST VEHICLE NECESSARY TO REPLACE PASS FRT DOOR OPENING WEATHERSTRIP (20708) FOR COLLAP SED SEAL AT MIRROR MOUNTING MOUNTING LOCATION

20708A WEATHERSTRIP - FRONT DOOR OPENING - REPLACE
69000A DOOR AND WINDOW - WIND NOISE/WATER LEAKS - DIAGNOSIS
1 4R3Z*6320708*AA WEATHERSTRIP ASY - DOOR OPENIN

14498 77 WATER TEST VEHICLE NECESSARY TO REPLACE PASS FRT DOOR OPENING WEATHERSTRIP (20708) FOR COLLAP SED SEAL AT MIRROR MOUNTING LOCATION R AND RT FRT DOOR TRIM PANEL TO ACCESS ADJUST DOOR GLASS UP FOR MISALLIGNMENT DRY CARPETING AND RETEST NO FURTHER LEAKS FOUND AT PASS KICKPANEL AREA AT THIS TIME



I drove the car home from the dealership in a relatively strong rain, but for only about 20 minutes. I also hit every puddle I could find. There only the tiniest bit of dampness if I stuck my finger just under the where the carpet meets the kickpanel. I think that that moisture may have just been left over from when they dried out my carpet after testing, etc. I need to have the car in the rain for a couple of hours or so .... and a couple of times or so to truly conclude that this particular service visit actually fixed the leak. I'll post back here when that happens.


So far, so good.... but inconclusive until further reality testing provided by mother nature.

As a consolation, Ford did pay for my rental car this time.

Replacing the door weatherstrip is simply not going to fix it either, unfortunately.

Hi guys! I've been following this thread with interest since my 2003 vert had a leak problem during heavy rain and I've discovered some things that may apply, in general anyway even though my car is different. In my case water was accumulating in the floor pan behind the passenger seat and mostly in the middle and near the transmission hump. Only in heavy rain.
Nothing else was wet, which was weird because it appeared that someone had poured a large glass of water right in the middle of the carpet. IOW there was no path of wet carpet leading to the puddle. Strange.
The vert top was not leaking BTW but that was wjere I looked first, of course [8D]

After a little trouble shooting I found the problem. The water was actually coming in at the cowl/passenger side where the door meets the windshield. This is normal. The water is supposed to run THROUGH the rocker panels, or the frame of the car and then exit out the back through drip holes. By pulling up the trim covers over the rocker panels I could look through the holes and see the water running along in there kind of like a little river!

However, the water never made it to the drip hole because of a crack in the sealant that is smeared over the welds where the floor pans are welded onto the frame. The water would run right out of the seam and into the rear floor pan.

I smeared silicon rubber all over the seams and it has been fine ever since.

I don't know if Ford has changed the type of sealant that they used on my car to a different type but I can say that the problem is, the sealant, which looks like peanut butter, is rock hard not flexible and will crack.

They also seem stingy on it's use and I could see gaps where they missed spots so I smeared them with silicon as well.

Two things come to mind:

1. The source of the leak may be nowhere near where it puddles.
2. Check every weld and make certain if there is supposed to be sealant on top of it, their is enough of it and it has not cracked.

Just some advice from an 03 owner that feels your pain.
Leaks suck and are as difficult to fix as intermittants.

Ok.

I've had my car for about 6 months now and hadn't had any problems until now.
I was feeling the carpet, still dry.
I pull the right kick panel, stick my finger between the carpet and floor it feels moist.
I rip the carpet back from underneath the glove box and the foam layer under the carpet is just soaked.

Im rooting around under the hood, and looking at the firewall dead on, to the right of the battery underneath the cowl is a sort of ledge, and there is a rubber gasket underneath. Quite big, maybe 1/2" by 3 ". Its wet. VERY wet.
I pull it out and next thing you know, i have about a cup full of water comming out ! Enough to drop all over the cat, then pool on the garage floor.
Its like all the water comes in from the wiper area and just pools there.

I dont have my camera handy so i can't take any pictures, but does anyone have the same thing?

Just found this on another forum::
Topic: Interior water leak (ksmach1 -- 20th December 2006 - 06:26 PM) ............................................
I'm not sure were to post this so I'll start here. I own a 2007 GT500 and only had it for three weeks now. Just this past Sunday, I was washing the car and found water on the passenger side floor. Further investigation, I found that behind the kick panel was also wet. Beware that their is some kind of electrical module that is located behind the kick panel. I took the car back to the dealer and at first they could not duplicate the leak. During a few hours of testing, they moved the car to were the car was sitting at a different angle and than the water began run onto both passenger and driver side floors. Here is my take, the plastic panel that sits over the firewall that covers the windshield wiper linkage is the problem. This panel is attached to the firewall by pins that slide into insert cups installed in the fire wall. The insert cups have some sort of seal but I'm thinking that the seal is not able to hold up to any kind of water build up. Also, it just so happens that one of these inserts is located above the passenger and drivers side kick panels. <_< So what is the dealer doing, so far they reported their findings to Ford tech support and while their waiting on a response, they pulled my carpets up to dry everything out. If I am right about these insert seals not doing the job, this problem may not just be a GT500 thing. At this point I welcome any insight, suggestions, or if you had this same problem with your 05 to 07 mustang. As I get more info from the dealer, I'll post their findings and Fords master plan to make this right. Outside of this problem, the GT500 is an AWESOME PONY!!!

ORIGINAL: TinPony

Just found this on another forum:


This is really starting to scare me. Please tell us, what forum did you find this at?

This is starting to scare me a little bit to now....so far I have had no leaks but HAVE noticed what seem to be wet spots on the passenger side floor. I never really thought twice about it. It's currently pooring rain here in sunny Florida, but first thing tomorow morning i am going to go check it out and rip out that carpet behind the glove box and see if I have the same problems......I hope no though I have a bunch of aftermarket electrical crap for my stereo system up there :(

Thanks for all the great info though !!!

Wingman75:: www.shelbyautos.com (http://www.shelbyautos.com) go to the public forum from the main page

ORIGINAL: BHRS

If the problem is a plugged drain, where is it??? If it is easy to get to then it is something to keep an eye on-or if it is in a difficult then add the inspection to your regular service schedule.

I have been reading this thread hoping the problem does not involve the '07's. I am ordering my Vista Blue GT next week.....


"I am not originally from Texas or a Ford owner, but I got here as fast as I could!!!"

Welcome to both worlds partner! :)

ORIGINAL: TinPony

Wingman75::Â* Â* www.shelbyautos.com (http://www.shelbyautos.com)Â*Â* go to the public forum from the main page

Thanks for the link. This is so irresponsible of Ford. I figured they would have fixed this on the 2007s since they knew about it for 2 years. But now it looks like they didn't since 07s are starting to report cowl leaks with flooded floors and wet electricals. It may take a major uprising and public exposure to get anything done. We need to take the bull by the horns and show we mean business. Someone needs to step up and lead a revolt, a campaign to get something done. This is just what Ford needs right now, more negative publicity.

It seems to me trying to enlist the support of Carroll Shelby himself would be a good strategy. I don't think he wants his name associated with a product with an increasingly destructive problem. The more cars they build the worse the problem becomes. Since the electricals are at risk I think that a prospective safety issue is also a possibility. The government agency dealing with safety issues could be employed.

Possibly Ford is letting this ride till the next model change-over. This would not be good for us or those still contemplaiting buying an S197 in one of its derivatives. Its one thing to have a problem and see a fix being applied and quite another for Ford to keep owners in the dark.

I know we have some Ford insiders on MF. How about getting some info on this issue? I just want to know that something is being done about it and that its not going to be covered up and forgotten.

We need a leader(s) to