Ford Mustang Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 498 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the Ford Mustang across 32 model years. The 2005 model year has the most (54). The words owners use most often: “throttle body” (11% of reports).
- 498vehicle speed control complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 95mention a crash
- 38mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $1,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 44%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.
- Throttle body: mentioned in 55 of 498 complaints (11%)
- Pedal stuck: mentioned in 32 of 498 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical vehicle speed control repair on the Ford Mustang at $1,000, and half of them between $810 and $1,200.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2016), 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 vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 325 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 498 complaints, 95 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 38 an injury.
Ford Mustang vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mustang | 2 | 25% | 2,500 |
| 2025 Mustang | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2024 Mustang | 4 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Mustang | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2022 Mustang | 3 | 6% | 3,200 |
| 2021 Mustang | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2020 Mustang | 4 | 3% | 7,370 |
| 2019 Mustang | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2018 Mustang | 1 | 1% | 27,000 |
| 2017 Mustang | 3 | 1% | 21,249 |
| 2016 Mustang | 10 | 3% | 8,060 |
| 2015 Mustang | 14 | 3% | 37,500 |
| 2014 Mustang | 10 | 3% | 7,596 |
| 2013 Mustang | 19 | 7% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Mustang | 35 | 7% | 31,000 |
| 2011 Mustang | 39 | 8% | 43,000 |
| 2010 Mustang | 10 | 4% | 59,151 |
| 2009 Mustang | 22 | 12% | 45,000 |
| 2008 Mustang | 19 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2007 Mustang | 43 | 7% | 54,799 |
| 2006 Mustang | 35 | 8% | 43,450 |
| 2005 Mustang | 54 | 8% | 28,984 |
| 2004 Mustang | 33 | 28% | 8,200 |
| 2003 Mustang | 16 | 11% | 14,000 |
| 2002 Mustang | 15 | 13% | 31,500 |
| 2001 Mustang | 13 | 8% | 50,000 |
| 2000 Mustang | 19 | 6% | 57,000 |
| 1999 Mustang | 25 | 12% | 134,000 |
| 1998 Mustang | 18 | 8% | 83,420 |
| 1997 Mustang | 5 | 3% | — |
| 1996 Mustang | 10 | 4% | — |
| 1995 Mustang | 13 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Model years: 2003, 2004
Problem: On certain mustang cobra passenger vehicles, the rear surface of the accelerator pedal may come into contact with floor carpeting during heavy throttle application. The unique surface profile of the accelerator pedal may catch in the cutout on the floor carpeting behind the accelerator pedal.
Risk: This could interfere with the pedal's ability to return to an idle position. Unexpected, continued throttle application and/or increased stopping distances may occur which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a shield over the cutout in the carpet behind the accelerator pedal. The recall began on april 26, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Vehicle speed control
Model years: 1998, 1999
Problem: Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from may 29, 1996 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from january 5, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 mustangs equipped with 3.8l, 4.6l 2-valve or 4-valve engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1999 f250/f350/f450/f550 (over 8,500 lbs.) trucks equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; and 1999 f-53 stripped chassis equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999. A cruise control cable can interfere with the speed control servo pulley and not allow the throttle to return to idle when disengaging the cruise control.
Risk: If the cruise control is used and this condition is present, a stuck throttle could result, which could potentially result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Vehicle Information: 2022 Ford Mustang Date of Incident: XXX Description of Safety Defect & Crash: On XXX, this vehicle suffered a catastrophic concurrent failure of the electronic throttle control and steering systems, resulting in a violent injury crash. Prior to the incident, the vehicle was…
2024 Ford Mustang has shown severe defects since September of 2025. Vehicle has been in and out of shop every month since first incident of vehicle going completely dead without cause or warning. Vehicle has since produced escalating engine misfires, loss of acceleration while driving on highway…
The contact owns a 2026 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH and pulling out of the driveway, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle quickly accelerated. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and opened the case. The failure mileage was 2,500.
My Mustang prevented me out of nowhere from going over 80, no warning or driver assistance system were active when the incident happened, this car is brand new only 4k miles when it happened, i pulled over to gas station and restarted it, it didnt fix the issue until i let it sit for 20 mins near…
I was driving around 35mph, when I switched the DRIVE MODE to CUSTOM, the car went into neutral, and started to coast for a few hundred yards. I then switched it back to the standard drive mode, and it went back into gear. I proceeded on without further incident.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Mustangs have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 498 owner complaints about vehicle speed control 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 vehicle speed control?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix vehicle speed control problems on the Ford Mustang?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,000 (half paid between $810 and $1,200), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the Ford Mustang?
The most frequent phrase is “throttle body”, in 55 of 498 complaints, followed by “pedal stuck” (32).
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)
- Structure problems (481)
- Steering problems (285)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (277)
See all Ford Mustang problems.