2012 Ford Mustang Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 177 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Mustang, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 12,250 miles. The words owners use most often: “manual transmission” (15% of reports).
- 177power train complaints
- 12,250median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Manual transmission: mentioned in 27 of 177 complaints (15%)
- 2ND gear: mentioned in 27 of 177 complaints (15%)
- Shifting 1ST: mentioned in 11 of 177 complaints (6%)
- First second: mentioned in 11 of 177 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 160 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 177 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Ford Mustang power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mustang | 1 | 13% | — |
| 2025 Mustang | 2 | 11% | 14,000 |
| 2024 Mustang | 10 | 12% | — |
| 2023 Mustang | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2022 Mustang | 4 | 8% | — |
| 2021 Mustang | 9 | 16% | — |
| 2020 Mustang | 25 | 21% | 13,462 |
| 2019 Mustang | 28 | 19% | 17,000 |
| 2018 Mustang | 46 | 24% | 10,000 |
| 2017 Mustang | 22 | 8% | 36,625 |
| 2016 Mustang | 29 | 8% | 5,500 |
| 2015 Mustang | 42 | 10% | 12,000 |
| 2014 Mustang | 30 | 8% | 19,460 |
| 2013 Mustang | 48 | 18% | 57,000 |
| 2012 Mustang | 177 | 38% | 12,250 |
| 2011 Mustang | 200 | 43% | 4,900 |
| 2010 Mustang | 13 | 5% | 16,500 |
| 2009 Mustang | 7 | 4% | 20,000 |
| 2008 Mustang | 30 | 9% | 10,250 |
| 2007 Mustang | 35 | 6% | 16,000 |
| 2006 Mustang | 32 | 8% | 39,500 |
| 2005 Mustang | 25 | 4% | 7,500 |
| 2004 Mustang | 9 | 8% | 16,400 |
| 2003 Mustang | 15 | 10% | 7,928 |
| 2002 Mustang | 7 | 6% | 21,000 |
| 2001 Mustang | 16 | 9% | 10,588 |
| 2000 Mustang | 40 | 13% | 79,000 |
| 1999 Mustang | 25 | 12% | 25,000 |
| 1998 Mustang | 21 | 9% | — |
| 1997 Mustang | 29 | 16% | — |
| 1996 Mustang | 25 | 10% | — |
| 1995 Mustang | 57 | 9% | 95,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
Exterior lighting:back up lights; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 ford f-150, 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator, and 2012-2013 mustang vehicles, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard nos. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" and 108 âlamps, reflective devices and associated equipment.â these vehicles may have a transmission range sensor (trs) that was calibrated out of specification for reverse gear.
Risk: If this condition exists, the transmission may not go into reverse or when the driver pushes the shift lever in the reverse ârâ position and the vehicleâs transmission does go in reverse, the ârâ 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 vehicleâs not signaling it is in reverse.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Transmission seems to lose power while driving, the car will barely pull itself but the rpms increase if I accelerate. This has happened several times while driving and occasionally there are dash lights lighting and speedometer/gas gauge doesnât work but that doesnât happen every time. When it…
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started stalling. The contact pulled over to the side of the road; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission range sensor…
Recently started having erratic shifting issues. Will downshift randomly out of nowhere while driving. Sometimes will just be stuck in 1st gear and wonât go anywhere until I pull over and shut off/start up again. Dangerous because I never know when it will do it. Might seem like everything is…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford Mustangs have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 177 owner complaints about power train for the 2012 Ford Mustang (38% of the 469 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Mustang power train?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 12,250 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Mustang?
The most frequent phrase is “manual transmission”, in 27 of 177 complaints, followed by “2nd gear” (27).
Other 2012 Ford Mustang problems
- Air Bags problems (158)
See all 2012 Ford Mustang problems or power train problems across all Mustang years.