Ford Mustang GT Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 694 consumer complaints across the 11 model years of the Ford Mustang GT (1996–2006) that have at least 5 complaints. 2005 has the most, with 163. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (181 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Mustang GT years →
All Mustang GT model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 151 | 33,000 | 0 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2005 | 163 | 43,250 | 0 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2004 | 14 | 50,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2003 | 51 | 6,000 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2002 | 48 | 46,383 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 59 | 55,000 | 0 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 64 | 70,000 | 1 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 36 | 53,564 | 0 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 53 | 82,000 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 23 | 85,101 | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1996 | 32 | 89,000 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling181 28%
- Air bags130 20%
- Electrical system91 14%
- Fuel system61 9.4%
- Vehicle speed control50 7.7%
- Transmission and drivetrain49 7.6%
- Brakes45 7.0%
- Body and structure39 6.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2005: “Takata airbag - I received a recall notice in march of 2017, it is now december, and when I called the dealer, they are doing nothing, as parts or repairs have not yet been received or authorized. It was in for a previous recall a year earlier for the takata airbags but this is another follow up to replace the whole airbag, not some minor parts as previously.”
NHTSA complaint #11051686, filed 2017-12, 60,000 miles2006: “It has been over 1 year since the discovery of safety issues with the passenger side airbag in my car. There has been no urgency around fixing this issue in a timely manner. Please help expedite the replacement process so I don't have to watch someone I care about die next to me due to shrapnel injuries from a faulty inflator.”
NHTSA complaint #11015157, filed 2017-08, 120,000 miles2000: “The iac on my new mustang went bad. At first Ford wouldn't cover it but the car was less than 90 days old. The one they installed went bad after 10 days also and so did the following one after 90 days. The last one went bad just before the warranty went up and now I keep a spare and change it about one every couple of years.”
NHTSA complaint #10478719, filed 2012-10, 1,000 milesOther Ford models
38,931 complaintsFord Explorer
34,642 complaintsFord Escape
27,557 complaintsFord Fusion
22,451 complaintsFord Focus
22,108 complaintsFord Taurus
18,165 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,112 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology