I got my '05 mustang back in late december. I love it. One of the things my parents were looking for in a car for me was ABS and traction control. The dealership said the car we bought had both, I have the papers that say it does........though I've realized it doesn't have either.

Has anyone here had problems that don't have ABS, do most people here have ABS? I'm just wondering cause it was a big deal to me before we bought the car, though I have not had any real problems without it. I always thought you should buy a car with ABS and TC though, and I was curious as to what people here thought.

 

I thought every 2005 Mustang has both? Mine was built very early in 2005 and it has both ..

 

It was a $775 option in 2005.

It should be fairly obvious if you have it or not. I cannot swear by this, but you should be able to switch your key on and see if the computer tests the ABS function. It is not just a light test. If you see ABS light up and go off...you should be GTG.

One of the many experts here may know if it is keyed in the VIN...not sure.

I do know that after taking a week-long protective driving course...I will NEVER own a car without TC or ABS. There is just no comparison. We ran the same course several times with the same car and the instructor can turn the ABS on and off. The difference is unbelievable.

MAYBE it is possible to get through the course faster without...but even the pro drivers could not get their lap times faster without. But this course was to train for reactions and often we ran blind under a hood and then were handed the car at 60+ with less than 1 second of "eye time". ABS is worth that little $775 over and over.

TCS in the snow isn't bad either!

 

It was optional on the V6. ABS is nice in an emergency situation.
However if you allow enough following distance and learn to modulate brakes correctly you can certainly survive without it.
As a matter of fact its safer if you 'lose' a car while corning. 'Both feet in' works much better without ABS.
Of course teenagers should not experience that on public roadways... ahem.
Lack of ABS also makes it easier to stop at low speeds in the snow where you can build a 'wedge' in front of the front tires.

The TC is really not that effective. If you lose traction in a corner it will not cut in until the car is well sideways.
In my opinion well past a the point you would have been out of it in an accidental slide.
If you are using power intentionally to hold the rear in correct orientation the sudden cut-in of TC can precipitate a spin.
Again not something you should be doing on the street unless you are a law enforcement officer or fleeing from eminent harm.

It really would be nice if drivers ed would teach something useful like spin control, both feet in, proper threshold braking, recovery from brake lock-up, and modulation. But considering how few even teach basic manual trans operation thats likely a forlorn hope.

 

kinda makes me wonder why the mustang dosent have Stability Control Assist like the charger and other cars that compare to the mustang, i dont like it personally, it takes the fun out of driving, but i suppose if you look at it from a safety aspect.

 

Yeah, my concern is more that there's no ABS, I didn't want to buy a car without it.

To whoever mentioned looking for the 'abs' light when starting the car, your right, if a car has ABS, it will flash on and then off. I've checked, mine doesn't. The good thing is that (for some reason) they dealership swapped tires off my car, and switched them with brand new tires from a GT before we drove off the lot.

I'm going to the ford dealership wednesday with my dad to get the first maintaince done (oil change, tires rotated, ect) and will bring it up the situation with the manager. We probably would not have bought the car if we knew it didnt have ABS and TC, as I said, we thought it did since it was advertised.

Thanks

 

How was it advertised? If you have something in writing telling you that it had ABS, then I think you have some grounds to go after the dealer about it. If you were just told be the salesman that it did, then its a he said/she said situation.

 

I have the advertisment you would normally see in the window, detailing the vehicle information. You know, things like VIN #, mileage, list of features. The list clearly advertizes the ABS and TC (which is why we never questioned or checked...), among other things like the shaker 500, leather, ect. It all matches.

I don't know if I should make a big deal of it or not, you know? It's a concern to me though, so i'll just mention it and see where it goes from there. I'm not expecting anything from it though.

 

I think most dealers assume ALL cars have ABS nowadays ... actually its surprising that base V6 mustangs don't. Just look behind your radiator on the driver side. if you don't see a junction box full of brake lines ... then you don't have ABS. No ABS on my car. I think the first 2 years of the Pony Package included ABS brakes as well ..

 

If you have that spec sheet...and it has the VIN on it, you indeed have a very compelling argument.

I would go in there and be polite, but insist you see the general manager and explain what you want done. At a minimum, they should be able to get you out of that car and into another with ABS and not shaft you in the process.

I agree...if a detailed spec sheet was there...you have a decent leg to stand on. If they are a stand up dealer, it may not be a problem at all.