2016 Ford Mustang Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Mustang years
- More complaints than other years 8th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 378 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Mustang. That ranks 8th out of 32 Mustang model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (75 complaints, 20%), typically at around 35,000 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 7 fires, 11 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 378owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Ford Mustang problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 75 | 20% | 35,000 | “head gasket” (11%) | $8,700 |
| Electrical System problems | 73 | 19% | 32,000 | “backup camera” (11%) | $570 |
| Unknown or Other | 69 | 18% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention problems | 52 | 14% | 51,000 | “rearview camera” (29%) | — |
| Power Train | 29 | 8% | 5,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 28 | 7% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 27 | 7% | 59,050 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 20 | 5% | 32,650 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 17 | 4% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 15 | 4% | 17,100 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 3% | 7,900 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 3% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 3% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 3% | 8,060 | — | — |
| Wheels | 9 | 2% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 2% | 85,080 | — | — |
| Suspension | 8 | 2% | 31,630 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 7 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 1% | 14,680 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 1% | 54,300 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 31,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 7,431 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 31,115 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Ford Mustang recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:pretensioner
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. Water and road salt may corrode the front seat belt anchor pretensioner cables.
Risk: A corroded cable can break, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining an occupant, and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace both front seat belt anchor pretensioner assemblies, as necessary. In addition, dealers will remove sections of the carpet and underlayment that contact the cables. Dealers will also inspect the A-pillar sealing patches, and as necessary, install A-pillar body plugs, and/or inspect and replace the front outboard seat bolts. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed October 20, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S92. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov September 17, 2025.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Risk: A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driverâs view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera wiring may be loose or damaged, which can result in a blank or distorted image.
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the decklid wiring harness and/or replace the rearview camera, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2022 and June 26, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the 4th Quarter of 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S06.
Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hoses/lines/piping/fittings
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles manufactured February 24, 2015, to August 30, 2016. A hose may separate from the engine oil cooler tube assembly causing an oil leak.
Risk: A sudden loss of engine oil may cause engine failure, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, an oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil cooler tube assembly, free of charge. The recall began on March 23, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S40.
Child seat:tether: connector/clip; seat belts
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Mustang vehicles manufactured September 26, 2015, to October 1, 2015. The front and rear seat belts and child seat tether anchors may have been damaged in shipping from the supplier to the vehicle assembly plant and may not adequately restrain the occupant in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems."
Risk: If the restraint components do not function as intended, the occupants may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front and rear seat belt assemblies and the child seat tether anchors, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C13.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
A new Walmart-brand EverStart Plus 96R, 590 CCA automotive battery was purchased on August 4, 2026, and installed in a 2016 Ford Mustang Convertible. On the evening of September 26, 2026, my family and I drove the Mustang and returned home at approximately 11:00 p.m. The vehicle operated normally…
The contact owned a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the driver's side door independently opened. The failure caused severe wind noise to enter the vehicle, and the door ajar warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where…
On or about June 24, 2026, the CHECK ENGINE light came on. Since I was near the local Ford Dealership, I stopped there. The car was evaluated the next day. I was told the the gas tank assembly and pipe had to be replaced. The repair was almost $4000. My car only as 63,117 miles on it. Before the…
When reaching 60+ mph the passenger door will unlatch and give me the open passenger door notification on the dash. It doesnât shoot up, but rather barely comes open.
Brought the car in for service. The tech called me back and said the engine was blown. Condensation in cylinder 3. This was due to the cylinder walls being engineered to small. Which caused a leak in the coolant jacket. I paid out of pocket nearly $10,000 to have it replaced because the third party…
Other Ford Mustang years
← 2015 Mustang · 2017 Mustang →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mustang | 8 | 5 |
| 2025 Mustang | 18 | 6 |
| 2024 Mustang | 84 | 12 |
| 2023 Mustang | 15 | 6 |
| 2022 Mustang | 50 | 9 |
| 2021 Mustang | 55 | 6 |
| 2020 Mustang | 120 | 8 |
| 2019 Mustang | 150 | 6 |
| 2018 Mustang | 195 | 3 |
| 2017 Mustang | 267 | 6 |
| 2016 | 378 | 5 |
| 2015 Mustang | 438 | 11 |
| 2014 Mustang | 359 | 3 |
| 2013 Mustang | 271 | 5 |
| 2012 Mustang | 469 | 6 |
| 2011 Mustang | 466 | 4 |
| 2010 Mustang | 261 | 5 |
| 2009 Mustang | 181 | 5 |
| 2008 Mustang | 347 | 5 |
| 2007 Mustang | 615 | 5 |
| 2006 Mustang | 424 | 5 |
| 2005 Mustang | 705 | 5 |
| 2004 Mustang | 116 | 1 |
| 2003 Mustang | 145 | 1 |
| 2002 Mustang | 118 | 0 |
| 2001 Mustang | 173 | 1 |
| 2000 Mustang | 311 | 2 |
| 1999 Mustang | 213 | 3 |
| 1998 Mustang | 236 | 4 |
| 1997 Mustang | 176 | 2 |
| 1996 Mustang | 246 | 3 |
| 1995 Mustang | 602 | 5 |
See all Ford Mustang problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Mustang?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 75 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Ford Mustang?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Ford Mustang a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Mustang model years, the 2016 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.