Ford Mustang

Where it stands out against its peers

• Power train: more complaints than 94% of 2012 cars — 38% of its 469 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 12%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• AIR BAGS — 147 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• POWER TRAIN — 140 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• STRUCTURE — 18 owners reported this
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 17 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
• STEERING — 13 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
• SUSPENSION — 12 owners reported this
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 11 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

11% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• Do not drive

  15V319000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 10, 2016. Even if interim repairs were performed under safety recall 14V-802, owners must bring their vehicles in for the final remedy. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S21. Note: This recall supersedes safety recall 14V-802.

• Do not drive

  17V024000

  An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

• Do not drive

  18V046000

  An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

• Do not drive

  19V001000

  An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.

• 12V190000

  IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT GO INTO REVERSE OR WHEN THE DRIVER PUSHES THE SHIFT LEVER IN THE REVERSE “R” POSITION AND THE VEHICLE’S TRANSMISSION DOES GO IN REVERSE, THE “R” MAY NOT ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD OF THE F-150, EXPEDITION, OR NAVIGATOR MODELS AND/OR THE BACKUP LAMP ON THE REAR OF THE F-150, EXPEDITION, NAVIGATOR, OR MUSTANG VEHICLES MAY NOT ILLUMINATE. THESE CONDITIONS INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR A PEDESTRIAN BEING STRUCK DUE TO THE VEHICLE’S NOT SIGNALING IT IS IN REVERSE.

  FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE TRS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

• 14V649000

  If the tension sensor misclassifies the front passenger, improper passenger air bag deployment may occur, increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a vehicle crash.

  Ford has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger safety belt buckle, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14C08.

• 14V774000

  A partially seated fuel pressure sensor could cause a fuel odor or a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire in the presence of an ignition source.

  Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel jumper line, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S27.

• 15V339000

  If the vehicle experiences a fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source it can, increase the risk of a vehicle fire. Reduced parking brake function could potentially result in unexpected vehicle movement, which may increase the risk of injury.

  Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank shield, add thermal patches to the fuel tank and parking brake cable, and add thermal wraps to the fuel vapor lines. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on July 9, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S19.

35 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

• Rearview Camera FMVSS 111 Noncompliance

  Recall query, opened August 2021, still open.

• Door Latch Failures

  Recall query, opened December 2019, closed February 2022.

• Door Latch Failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened January 2016, closed October 2016.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened February 2015, still open.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2014, closed March 2015.

• Inability to shift gears on acceleration

  Preliminary evaluation, opened August 2011, closed December 2011.

• Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit

  Audit query, opened November 2010, closed December 2015.

• Tire valve cracking

  Preliminary evaluation, opened October 2008, closed April 2009.

• Spark plug ejection from cylinder head

  Defect petition, opened September 2005, closed January 2006.

• Accelerator pedal interference

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2005, closed April 2006.

• Accelerator pedal interference

  Preliminary evaluation, opened July 2005, closed September 2005.

• Fires in the center console

  Preliminary evaluation, opened May 1999, closed July 1999.

• Front brake hose

  Preliminary evaluation, opened January 1999, closed June 1999.

• Outer hood panel detachment

  Engineering analysis, opened September 1997, closed October 1997.

• Outer hood panel detachment

  Preliminary evaluation, opened March 1997, closed September 1997.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Ford filed 18 bulletins about the 2026 Mustang.

• Electrical system: 7
• Power train: 4
• Fuel/propulsion system: 2
• Vehicle speed control: 2
• Lane departure: 1
• Structure: 1
• Visibility/wiper: 1

• Some 2025-2026 Mustang vehicles equipped with a 5.0L or 2.3L engine and built on 15-Aug-2025 and through 01-Dec-2025 may exhibit various drivability symptoms and/or have diagnostic trouble codes… · August 2026
• Some 2024-2026 Mustang vehicles built on or before 23-Apr-2026 may exhibit a sagging headliner appearance at the door openings which show the raw headliner edge untucked from the door glass run. An… · August 2026
• Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as intended with a "Check Charging System" message in the… · July 2026
• Some 2025-2026 Bronco/Bronco Sport/Corsair/F-150/F-Super Duty/Maverick/Mustang/Mustang Mach-E/Ranger vehicles may exhibit a no audio/sound condition. This may be due to the software in the audio… · July 2026
• Some 2021-2026 Ford vehicles may exhibit inoperative heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel and/or front/rear defrost features after a remote start is performed through the Ford mobile… · July 2026
• Certain 2025-2026 Model Year F-150, 2026 Model Year Mustang, Navigator, and 2026-2027 Model Year Expedition Vehicles Accelerator Pedal Inspection and Replacement · July 2026
• Some 2025-2026 Mustang vehicles built on 01-Jun-2025 and through 25-Apr-2026 may exhibit a chirp and/or rattle noise from the left side of the instrument panel. This may be due to the heating,… · June 2026
• This bulletin supersedes 26-2112. Reason For Update: add 2026 model year vehicles, update LV fluid XT-10-QLVC and CXT-10-LV6 description to add "Transfer Case Fluid 4WD Only", and update Step 4 to… · June 2026

10 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.