Ford Mustang Parking Brake Problems
Owners have filed 143 complaints with NHTSA about parking brake problems on the Ford Mustang across 14 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (26). The words owners use most often: “emergency brake” (40% of reports).
- 143parking brake complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 38mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 18%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.
- Emergency brake: mentioned in 57 of 143 complaints (40%)
- Causing roll: mentioned in 9 of 143 complaints (6%)
- Rear brakes: mentioned in 8 of 143 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do parking brake problems happen?
Based on 38 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 143 complaints, 38 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Ford Mustang parking brake complaints by model year
| Model year | Parking Brake complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Mustang | 1 | 0% | 11,800 |
| 2010 Mustang | 1 | 0% | 25,000 |
| 2007 Mustang | 4 | 1% | 28,000 |
| 2006 Mustang | 7 | 2% | 31,000 |
| 2005 Mustang | 22 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2004 Mustang | 2 | 2% | 47,213 |
| 2003 Mustang | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2001 Mustang | 4 | 2% | 40,000 |
| 2000 Mustang | 26 | 8% | 17,000 |
| 1999 Mustang | 21 | 10% | — |
| 1998 Mustang | 17 | 7% | — |
| 1997 Mustang | 15 | 9% | — |
| 1996 Mustang | 7 | 3% | 44,017 |
| 1995 Mustang | 15 | 2% | 100 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Parking brake:conventional
Model years: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. If a vehicle is parked with the parking brake not fully applied and not in first gear, as directed in the owner guide, and the self adjustment pawl subsequently skips one or two teeth, the vehicle could move on some grades.
Risk: This could result in unintended vehicle movement and a vehicle crash without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will modify the parking brake control and install a plate or over-bracket to the control to lock the self adjust mechanism in position following adjustment.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford mustang. After refueling the vehicle, a fuel leak was discovered underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who discovered that a rubber washer in the fuel system was faulty and needed to be replaced. The washer was replaced and the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 ford mustang. While the vehicle was parked on an incline with the emergency brake engaged, the vehicle rolled away in reverse into a ditch and crashed into a retaining wall. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle…
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 ford mustang. The contact stated that the parking brake failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown part needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The details of the repairs were unknown. The manufacturer was not notified of…
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford mustang. The contact stated that all of the gauges on the instrument panel stopped working and water was leaking under the passengers side floor board. The parking brake also became stuck and the cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where…
The parking brake will not work therefore i can not get my vehicle inspected. It goes up and down, no cables are broken visibly, but if you pull the brake it does not stop the car. It is as though the brakes are seized. Clearly i am not the only one with this exact problem, and i almost ran over my…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Mustangs have parking brake problems?
No. NHTSA has 143 owner complaints about parking brake 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 parking brake?
Yes: 1 safety recall list parking brake. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about parking brake problems on the Ford Mustang?
The most frequent phrase is “emergency brake”, in 57 of 143 complaints, followed by “causing roll” (9).
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.