Ford Mustang Problems by Year
NHTSA has 8,212 owner complaints and 71 safety recalls on file for the Ford Mustang, across 32 model years (1995–2026). The 2005 model year has the most complaints (705). The most reported problem area overall is air bags.
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Ford Mustang years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Mustang year: 1995, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2015. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2005 Mustang: 705 complaints, 5 recalls
- 2007 Mustang: 615 complaints, 5 recalls
- 1995 Mustang: 602 complaints, 5 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2026 Mustang: 8 complaints, 5 recalls
- 2023 Mustang: 15 complaints, 6 recalls
- 2025 Mustang: 18 complaints, 6 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Ford Mustang problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 2,316 | 30 | 323 |
| Power Train problems | 1,060 | 32 | 47 |
| Electrical System problems | 849 | 32 | 23 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 762 | 28 | 11 |
| Engine problems | 524 | 32 | 12 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 498 | 32 | 95 |
| Structure problems | 481 | 29 | 30 |
| Steering problems | 285 | 31 | 49 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 277 | 25 | 6 |
| Suspension problems | 261 | 29 | 24 |
| Seat Belts problems | 240 | 27 | 41 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 239 | 25 | 36 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 222 | 27 | 5 |
| Service Brakes problems | 208 | 29 | 49 |
| Back Over Prevention problems | 197 | 10 | 4 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 176 | 28 | 4 |
| Parking Brake problems | 143 | 14 | 38 |
| Tires problems | 143 | 27 | 13 |
| Latches/locks/linkages problems | 131 | 16 | 1 |
| Seats problems | 128 | 25 | 20 |
| Visibility problems | 123 | 27 | 3 |
| Wheels | 89 | 27 | 14 |
| Equipment | 81 | 21 | 4 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 59 | 13 | 4 |
| Visibility/wiper | 51 | 19 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 27 | 10 | 8 |
| Fuel System, Other | 21 | 10 | 1 |
| Lane Departure | 14 | 7 | 3 |
| Traction Control System | 11 | 5 | 5 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Child Seat | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| None | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Ford Mustang problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2019: engine (52)
- 2018: engine (58)
- 2017: back over prevention (64)
- 2016: engine (75) · electrical system (73) · back over prevention (52)
- 2015: electrical system (67) · engine (51)
- 2014: air bags (245)
- 2013: air bags (145)
- 2012: power train (177) · air bags (158)
- 2011: power train (200) · air bags (125)
- 2010: air bags (179)
- 2009: air bags (135)
- 2008: air bags (240)
- 2007: air bags (348) · structure (51)
- 2006: air bags (228)
- 2005: air bags (235) · electrical system (225) · fuel system, gasoline (68) · structure (56) · vehicle speed control (54)
- 1996: engine and engine cooling (82)
- 1995: engine and engine cooling (339) · power train (57)
All Ford Mustang model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mustang | 8 | 5 | 5★ | Engine | |
| 2025 Mustang | 18 | 6 | 5★ | Exterior Lighting | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Mustang | 84 | 12 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Mustang | 15 | 6 | — | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 Mustang | 50 | 9 | 5★ | Fuel System, Gasoline | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 Mustang | 55 | 6 | 5★ | Fuel System, Gasoline | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2020 Mustang | 120 | 8 | 5★ | Electrical System | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2019 Mustang | 150 | 6 | 5★ | Engine | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2018 Mustang | 195 | 3 | 5★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2017 Mustang | 267 | 6 | 5★ | Back Over Prevention | More complaints than other years |
| 2016 Mustang | 378 | 5 | 5★ | Engine | More complaints than other years |
| 2015 Mustang | 438 | 11 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2014 Mustang | 359 | 3 | 4★ | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2013 Mustang | 271 | 5 | 4★ | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2012 Mustang | 469 | 6 | 4★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2011 Mustang | 466 | 4 | — | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2010 Mustang | 261 | 5 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2009 Mustang | 181 | 5 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 Mustang | 347 | 5 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2007 Mustang | 615 | 5 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Mustang | 424 | 5 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2005 Mustang | 705 | 5 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Mustang | 116 | 1 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2003 Mustang | 145 | 1 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2002 Mustang | 118 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2001 Mustang | 173 | 1 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2000 Mustang | 311 | 2 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 1999 Mustang | 213 | 3 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1998 Mustang | 236 | 4 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1997 Mustang | 176 | 2 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1996 Mustang | 246 | 3 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1995 Mustang | 602 | 5 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far more complaints than other years |
More from Ford: all Ford models · Ford VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Mustang years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 1995 (602), 2005 (705), 2007 (615), 2011 (466), 2012 (469), 2015 (438) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Mustang year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Ford Mustang?
Air Bags, with 2,316 complaints across 30 model years.
How many recalls does the Ford Mustang have?
71 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.