Ford Mustang Reliability
11,566 NHTSA complaints (1982–2025). Complaint rate: 95.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2005–2008 Ford Mustang (171 crash-related complaints). The 2021–2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: AIR BAGS.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
Too New
Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Ford Mustang Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 2,165 | 9.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 669 | 3.0% |
| POWER TRAIN | 633 | 3.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 504 | 5.2% |
| ENGINE | 486 | 2.3% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 439 | 0.2% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 432 | 19.4% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 304 | 7.9% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 217 | 2.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 214 | 2.8% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983GOOD | — | 5 | 0 | 3 | View → |
| 1984GOOD | — | 35 | 0 | 5 | View → |
| 1985GOOD | — | 22 | 2 | 4 | View → |
| 1986GOOD | — | 32 | 3 | 4 | View → |
| 1987GOOD | — | 44 | 4 | 14 | View → |
| 1988 | — | 132 | 2 | 42 | View → |
| 1989GOOD | — | 127 | 3 | 34 | View → |
| 1990GOOD | — | 119 | 13 | 39 | View → |
| 1991GOOD | — | 98 | 5 | 27 | View → |
| 1992GOOD | — | 80 | 15 | 24 | View → |
| 1993 | — | 132 | 24 | 33 | View → |
| 1994AVOID | — | 496 | 32 | 21 | View → |
| 1995AVOID | — | 829 | 65 | 39 | View → |
| 1996AVOID | — | 329 | 23 | 6 | View → |
| 1997 | — | 231 | 20 | 3 | View → |
| 1998 | — | 297 | 52 | 12 | View → |
| 1999 | — | 281 | 63 | 2 | View → |
| 2000AVOID | — | 427 | 64 | 10 | View → |
| 2001 | — | 219 | 42 | 2 | View → |
| 2002 | — | 159 | 25 | 9 | View → |
| 2003 | — | 177 | 23 | 6 | View → |
| 2004GOOD | — | 127 | 21 | — | View → |
| 2005AVOID | — | 893 | 43 | 10 | View → |
| 2006AVOID | — | 506 | 32 | 3 | View → |
| 2007AVOID | — | 728 | 64 | 9 | View → |
| 2008AVOID | — | 382 | 32 | — | View → |
| 2009 | — | 215 | 34 | 4 | View → |
| 2010 | — | 296 | 19 | 3 | View → |
| 2011AVOID | — | 582 | 27 | 1 | View → |
| 2012AVOID | — | 572 | 34 | 3 | View → |
| 2013 | — | 323 | 19 | 2 | View → |
| 2014AVOID | — | 424 | 40 | 1 | View → |
| 2015AVOID | — | 591 | 43 | 14 | View → |
| 2016AVOID | — | 485 | 23 | 9 | View → |
| 2017 | — | 324 | 18 | 9 | View → |
| 2018 | — | 225 | 12 | 3 | View → |
| 2019 | — | 178 | 8 | 1 | View → |
| 2020 | — | 162 | 26 | 8 | View → |
| 2021GOOD | — | 64 | 6 | — | View → |
| 2022GOOD | — | 68 | 5 | 1 | View → |
| 2023GOOD | — | 28 | 11 | — | View → |
| 2024TOO NEW | — | 110 | 12 | — | View → |
| 2025TOO NEW | — | 11 | 0 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
See also: Ford Mustangaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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