Hello to all I am new here. My son just bought his first car a 2004 mustang base model. He was a bit impatient and bought the first thing he could afford. The car runs fine but has some serious suspension issues in the rear. I could tell immediately the shocks were bad because when pushing on the trunk with little force it bounced as if there were only springs. I also noticed if you push on it from the quarter panel area it moves side to side. I haven't lifted the car yet to look but wanted to see if anyone had this issue before and could enlighten me on what to look for. Thanks in advance

 

Look for leaky shocks. You should see oil spots on the sides or towards the bottom. If you press down on the back or front end and they should have a snappy return. If you have alot of wobble they are likely bad, worn springs will add to this.

Honestly rear shocks for that car are so cheap and easy to fix yourself I wouldn't worry to much if they are bad, just replace them or learn how to. Front end shocks for that car require a lot more know how though.

 

Thank you TechMetalMike. Since the post I replaced the shocks. I noticed damage to the driver side rear. It looks like the tailpipe was hit in and bent over and damaged the shock so that's another thing to add to the list. Also I did some research and apparently there arent any rear sway bars on this year for the v6. Might have to install one of those too.