Ford Mustang Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 176 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the Ford Mustang across 28 model years. The 2015 model year has the most (42). The words owners use most often: “brake switch” (11% of reports).
- 176exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $760typical repair cost reported by owners
- 47%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.
- Brake switch: mentioned in 19 of 176 complaints (11%)
- Turn signal: mentioned in 12 of 176 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the Ford Mustang at $760, and half of them between $550 and $1,500.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2023), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 99 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 176 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Mustang exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Mustang | 5 | 26% | 2,800 |
| 2024 Mustang | 8 | 10% | 11,000 |
| 2020 Mustang | 2 | 2% | 24,400 |
| 2019 Mustang | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2018 Mustang | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2017 Mustang | 1 | 0% | 10,000 |
| 2016 Mustang | 3 | 1% | 31,000 |
| 2015 Mustang | 42 | 10% | 37,000 |
| 2014 Mustang | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2013 Mustang | 2 | 1% | 10,003 |
| 2012 Mustang | 5 | 1% | 63,000 |
| 2011 Mustang | 3 | 1% | 70,000 |
| 2010 Mustang | 3 | 1% | 31,080 |
| 2009 Mustang | 2 | 1% | 40,000 |
| 2008 Mustang | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2007 Mustang | 11 | 2% | 14,000 |
| 2006 Mustang | 7 | 2% | 66,500 |
| 2005 Mustang | 16 | 2% | 78,010 |
| 2004 Mustang | 2 | 2% | 86,563 |
| 2003 Mustang | 5 | 3% | 25,500 |
| 2002 Mustang | 4 | 3% | 87,000 |
| 2001 Mustang | 9 | 5% | 64,000 |
| 2000 Mustang | 14 | 5% | 58,000 |
| 1999 Mustang | 7 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Mustang | 3 | 1% | 113,000 |
| 1997 Mustang | 2 | 1% | — |
| 1996 Mustang | 5 | 2% | 33,067 |
| 1995 Mustang | 11 | 2% | 174,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Exterior lighting
Model years: 2024, 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Mustang, and Mustang GTD vehicles. Water may enter the body control module and cause a loss of communication with the exterior lighting, including the license plate light, side marker, and tail lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: License plate, side marker, and tail lights that fail to illuminate as intended can reduce visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and seal the body seams as necessary. Dealers will also inspect the body control module for corrosion and replace it, if necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 10, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C43.
Exterior lighting:lighting control module
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang Mach E, and Mustang vehicles. The LED Driver Modules may contain a burnt diode, which can cause the low-beam and high-beam headlights, daytime running lights, front position lights, and front turn signals to fail in the affected headlight. On Nautilus vehicles only, this condition may also cause the rear tail light, rear turn signal, and rear position light to fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Exterior lighting failure can reduce visibility for the driver and other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the LED Driver Modules, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C39.
Exterior lighting:back up lights; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Model years: 2012, 2013
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.
The manufacturer marked Safety Recall 25C43 as completed on this VIN. However, the remedy has failed. The vehicle is currently suffering from the exact safety hazard described in NHTSA Campaign 25V546000 (water intrusion, wiring harness corrosion, and total taillight failure). The authorized dealer…
My car has a recall that has to do with the engine possibly shutting off completely while driving normally and there is no remedy or solution for the recall it states in the recall that it may cause an accident. I would like to know what can be done for me because the idea of having to wait for my…
According to the open recalls on this vehicle there are multiple defects outstanding that increase the risk of a crash. The repairs may take 3 months before they are completed. Am I the consumer to drive a known dangerous vehicle while waiting for the repairs? Who is responsible should I be…
The contact owns a 2025 Ford Mustang. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V546000 (Exterior Lighting) and 26V418000 (Visibility); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time…
Break bumper disintegrated, causing the rear bites to stay on and the automatic transmission to be able to switch from Parker to drive causing the vehicle to be able to roll and possibly crash
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Mustangs have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 176 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the Ford Mustang. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Mustang exterior lighting?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the Ford Mustang?
Owners report a typical cost of $760 (half paid between $550 and $1,500), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the Ford Mustang?
The most frequent phrase is “brake switch”, in 19 of 176 complaints, followed by “turn signal” (12).
Other Ford Mustang problems
- Air Bags problems (2,316)
- Power Train problems (1,060)
- Electrical System problems (850)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (762)
- Engine problems (524)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (498)
- Structure problems (481)
- Steering problems (285)
See all Ford Mustang problems.