FORD Mustang Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls β NHTSA Data
Comparing used FORD Mustang options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017β2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact FORD Mustang you plan to buy.
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the FORD Mustang has 1,012 owner complaints and 61 safety recalls across model years 2017β2026. The most reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 2017 drew the most complaints; 2026 drew the fewest.
- Make
- FORD
- Model
- Mustang
- Model years analyzed
- 2017β2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 1,012
- Safety recall campaigns
- 61
- Crash-related complaints
- 70
- Fire-related complaints
- 14
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2017 (255 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2026 (1 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Reliability signal
- Poor
FORD Mustang: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used β lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record β lower risk starting points.
β NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
PoorThe FORD MUSTANG has 1,012 NHTSA complaints and 61 recalls on record. 70 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 1,012 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 61 federal recall campaigns
- 70 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
π NHTSA Safety Recalls
61 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
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Safety Recall
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Safety Recall
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017β2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
π§ Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 1,012 NHTSA complaints.
π NHTSA Complaint Reports
1,012 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The 2026 Ford Mustang was off and rolled away out of the driveway colliding with tree, The incident was caught on my Ring Camera, the electrical system vehicle had acting strangely and kept giving warning the trunk was open and had to go open and close it multiple times. once i parked the vehicle at my house the car rolled away, according to Ford manual the vehicle is equipped this is a failure to the involves a critical safety system (Automatic Return to Park) that is explicitly designed to prevent exactly what happened, you should treat this as a serious safety defect. As of May 2026, Ford has already issued a major recall (Recall 25C69) for rollaway risks in other 2026 models like the Mustang Mach-E and Maverick due to a software fault in the "Integrated Park Module." While your gasoline Mustang (EcoBoost) was not explicitly named in that specific recall, it uses similar electronic shifting logic.
The vehicle experienced a sudden steering malfunction involving the electronic steering gear. While backing out of a parking structure, the steering wheel suddenly jerked and locked instead of naturally correcting, resulting in collision with a pillar. There were no warning lights, steering fault messages, or prior symptoms before the incident. Restarting the vehicle did not resolve the issue. The dealership confirmed the issue and documented βloss of communication with steering gear,β βinternal steering gear failure,β and βno signs of damage causing failure.β The steering gear is being replaced under warranty. The failure created a safety risk because steering response suddenly changed without warning. I am concerned the incident could have resulted in a more serious crash had it occurred at higher speed or during active traffic instead of inside a parking structure. Multiple tow attempts through Ford Roadside Assistance reportedly struggled to move the vehicle afterward due to the steering issue. The failed steering gear component is currently being replaced by the dealership.
I purchase the car in December 2025. Lights were working fine then. Recently I noticed an issue on the right taillights. 2 of the 3 lights were working fine, then later in the day 1 of 3 were working. Until finally none on the right side worked. When pressing the car brakes, using the turn signals to enable the taillights to indicate a right turn, unlocking/locking the vehicle, the taillights on the right side do not function. I took a look at the lights up close without removing anything and saw like if there is moisture/water in the taillights. I have read that other vehicles of 2025 same model have had similar issues. I currently have it at my dealer that my Ford app recommended.
The Main screen in the car completely went black all of the sudden with no prior warnings or signs to show cause of the outage. The duration of time was over 5 minutes and it was only the center screen not the screen behind the steering wheel it stayed on.The car mostly runs off of the center touch screen with all the braking, lane keeping, powered windows, airbags, gps etc to not have any control over any functions due to the screen outage is a big concern. It has not happened again but just this one time. I also have noticed if I put the vehicle in lane keeping control it starts to leak fluid on my feet inside the vehicle.
I was driving around 35mph, when I switched the DRIVE MODE to CUSTOM, the car went into neutral, and started to coast for a few hundred yards. I then switched it back to the standard drive mode, and it went back into gear. I proceeded on without further incident.
While driving to mass on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, 2025, my wife and I heard a loud pop. Our first question was "What was that?" as we looked at each other. Then I realize the rear window had suddenly shattered starting on the right side, and was slowly falling apart. As this was only about a mile from my home, we immediately drove home. I contacted SafeLite Auto Glass to schedule an appointment to have the glass replaced thru my insurance company. There was no warning this was about to happen, and neither one of us noticed anyone or anything near us as we were driving. As I currently have the car covered due to the forecast of snow, I will upload a picture when I take the cover off to take it to have repaired.
The contact leased a 2025 Ford Mustang from Avis Car Rental. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on a cliffside highway around a curve, the rear passengerβs side window unexpectedly lowered and slammed down, causing a loud noise and allowing wind to enter the vehicle. The contact thought something had crashed into the vehicle. The contact pulled over and inspected the vehicl,e but found that there was no impact to the vehicle. Avis Car Rental was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V546000 (Exterior Lighting). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
See attached document for complaint.
VIN: [XXX] Recall data refreshed on Aug 09,2025 0 Unrepaired Recalls associated with this VIN Transmission main control valve body replacement Recall incomplete INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Pirelli p zero rs sizes 305/30/19 and 315/30/19 . These tires are track tires, no Tread. Unsafe when the road is wet. Ford should not have put these on a car for street use. Totally unacceptable and unsafe for use in other than hot and dry roads
When shutting the door of my New Mustang the back safety glass exploded. If I had people or my dogs in that seat it could have potentially caused injuries to the occupants. Additionally in front seats due to flying glass I received pieces of glass in my arm from glass on the center arm rest.If this event happened while driving it could have caused a distraction that led to accident. There was no warning this was going to happen. Ford was alerted and after 1 month denied the replacement of the glass.
Steering u-joint sticks and prevents steering wheel from turning without a catch/hitch . Not evident at lower speeds but is prevalent at speeds 50 and above. The photos attached show the part and one picture shows a YouTube video showing the EXACT problem. The video title is shown in picture: Dangerous Steering Problem And it is very scary at the higher speeds when it sticks and you have to exert force to move it to right or left. Trying to stay in a lane is a problem!! Electronic steering was checked by dealer last year and they found nothing as they probably didnβt test drive it at the higher speeds; has continued till today and after a road trip yesterday I went online and found this information!
The contact owns a . The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000(FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure while driving up a hill the vehicle did not properly accelerate when pressing the accelerator pedal. The failure mileage was 27,000.
Other cars for the same year model have a recall for the issue Iβm having. 24S44 Is the ford recall code. Power steering is boosted and can oscillate side side. Iβve seen other mustangs with this recall have the same issue get repaired. Mine has the exact same issue. I didnβt notice it was an issue until I had an alignment. The alignment from factory was so bad the inside of the
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine shuddered as if it was starving from fuel. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence, and the vehicle was parked in the garage. The contact had stopped driving the vehicle due to safety concerns. Β The dealer and several other unknown dealers were contacted but were unable to advise when the parts would be available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,102.
Vehicle still does not have a remedy after nearly a year preventing use.
The vehicle is a 2022 Ford Mustang EcoBoost. While driving in traffic, the engine suddenly stalled and shut off without warning. This created an immediate safety risk as the vehicle lost power in the middle of active traffic flow, requiring me to quickly maneuver to avoid blocking traffic and potential collision. The issue appears consistent with a fuel delivery or fuel pressure failure, as the engine restarted immediately after the stall. Prior to this incident, the vehicle had shown intermittent warning signs including check engine light activation and suspected misfire-related alerts. The problem has not yet been fully reproduced or confirmed by a dealer as a root cause, although the vehicle has been presented for service and was found to have no active recall tied to the VIN according to the dealership. No formal inspection or diagnosis confirming the exact failed component has been completed yet. No police, insurance representatives, or manufacturer inspectors have examined the vehicle at this time. Warning lamps (check engine light) and possible misfire-related symptoms were present prior to the failure. These symptoms appeared intermittently over the weeks leading up to the stall, particularly after periods of low fuel operation. Based on the symptoms and behavior, the incident closely matches known fuel system issues reported in similar Ford Mustang EcoBoost vehicles, including those associated with fuel pressure loss leading to engine stall while driving. The suspected system involved is the low-pressure fuel delivery system (fuel pump or related components), which is available for inspection upon request.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: XXX (Fuel System, Gasoline). While driving approximately 5-10 MPH, the vehicle stalled while accelerating from a stop on two occasions. The message to "Shift to Neutral and Restart" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted and informed about a diagnostic test. The contact called another local dealer, Raceway Ford of Darlington [XXX] ); and was informed that the parts were on back order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that a fix was not available. The manufacturer declined to provide a loaner vehicle and informed the contact to continue driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 45,066. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was blank or distorted. The contact attempted to update the software to reboot the system; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, and the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,244.
I scheduled my appointment to get the recalls taken care of and the car went into "protective mode" as soon as the call was made. I took it into the shop and now I have to pay for the diagnostic to turn my adaptive cruise control back on. The cruise control is a subset of the recall issue and I am being charge. It is at Metro Ford in Tupelo, Mississippi. I called the Ford recall center for help, but they put me off and said I should get a call from someone next week. I am paying for the diagnostic and repair because I have to and I need my car, but Ford is running a recall scam.
Showing 20 of 1,012 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact FORD Mustang
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
π Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is β but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The FORD Mustang has 1,012 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The FORD Mustang has 61 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 70 of the FORD Mustang's 1,012 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions β a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable β simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all FORD Mustang vehicles on the road β not any specific car. Two FORD Mustang vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage β NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The FORD Mustang has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
Buyers Also Compare
How does the FORD Mustang stack up? Compare complaint history with similar vehicles.
π Check a FORD Mustang by State
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used FORD Mustang.