OEM Ford coils are expensive and some Thunderbird owners have opted for less costly aftermarket versions.The Thunderbird for Ford was designed to be a sports car and after the first few years of people falling in love with the style and features it kind of morphed into a luxury brand for the Ford Motor Company. COP replacement can be an expensive repair, costing up to $ 800 or more if the work is done at a Ford dealership.

Owners who experience a problem with a single COP are often advised to replace all eight, or at least all four on the side where the failed COP is located. COP problems can occur at any time but are most common in Thunderbirds with between 15,000 and 50,000 miles. Failed COPs may be mistaken for transmission, fuel injector or fuel filter problems. Defective COPs can cause a variety of problems and symptoms including stalling, rough idling, poor or choppy acceleration and loss of power causing the car to go into ‘limp’ mode. These TSBs applied to 2003-2005 Thunderbirds, but not the 2002. Ford issued a number of recalls or TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) to replace faulty COPs at no expense to Thunderbird owners. These COPs can fail for a variety of reason, most of which involve either oil or water, or both, seeping into the spark plug enclosure and causing it to fail. One of the most common complaints/repairs for 2002-2005 T-Birds was the COP or ‘Coil on Plug.’ The COP design is fairly common on many newer cars and trucks and basically it replaces the traditional distributor with individual ‘coils’ that attach to each spark plug. Extended service plans, or ESPs were available when the cars were new, and some 20 Thunderbirds are still eligible for Ford ESPs.

Most 2002-2005 Thunderbirds came with a three-year or 36,000 mile factory warranty. This is too complex an issue to discuss in detail here, but we will explore some of the more common mechanical and electrical problems owners have dealt with. So what are the most common repair issues and how does your ownership experience compare with that of other Thunderbird owners? What are the most common repair and maintenance issues with 2002-2005 Ford Thunderbirds? If you own a 2002-2005 Thunderbird, you’ve probably had to do at least some repairs. 2002-2005 Thunderbird Common Repair Issues.

Ford tbird 2005