2009 Ford Mustang Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2009 Mustang most often write about the Takata airbag inflator recalls, with many reports describing months-long waits for replacement parts and an airbag warning light that stays on. The second recurring theme is unintended acceleration, where owners describe the engine revving and the car not slowing when they brake. Other reports are scattered: water leaking into the passenger-side footwell and damaging electronics, worn ball joints and rear-end noise, and clutch or differential concerns.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Airbag recall parts unavailable / warning light on

   Mentioned in 22 of 60 sampled complaints

   Many owners describe receiving recall notices for the front airbag inflators and then being told by the dealer that replacement parts were on backorder, in some cases for more than a year. Some report that the driver side was replaced but the passenger side was not, and several mention the airbag warning light coming on or flashing, in one case causing a state inspection failure. A few describe airbags not deploying in a collision, and one mentions an occupancy sensor code when the passenger seat is empty. Dealers generally told owners to keep driving until parts arrived. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand to over 120,000 miles, with most sampled complaints filed between 2015 and 2018 when recall parts were scarce.

   Recall 15V319000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 21V0810004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for documentation that both driver and passenger inflator recalls were completed, and watch that the airbag warning light goes out after the start-up self-test. A scan for stored airbag codes is worth doing before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall Ford not getting the passenger side air bag recall done is not acceptable. It is approaching 2 years and they still have not gotten the parts to repair my car. This will be the last Ford product I will buy if this is not handled shortly. Please do some pushing and shoving somewhere. Thanks ken”

   NHTSA complaint #11073809, filed 2018-02, 40,000 miles

   “Takata recall - almost a year later, and still no parts? Is Ford dragging their feet, hoping most of these vehicles are off the road and then they only have to retrofit a small percentage? In the meantime, I'm driving around with a bomb in front of my face?”

   NHTSA complaint #10853527, filed 2016-04, 50,000 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended acceleration / throttle sticking open

   • 21 complaints (12%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2023

   Owners describe the car accelerating on its own, sometimes from a stop with a foot on the brake, sometimes while cruising, and sometimes after leaving cruise control. They report the engine revving high, the brakes not stopping the car, and having to shift to neutral, use the parking brake, or shut the engine off. Several say the dealer could not reproduce or diagnose the problem; others report a throttle body sensor replacement or a pedal caught on the floor mat. Reported from under 2,000 miles up to roughly 138,000 miles, with many reports below 50,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check that the floor mats are the retained type and cannot trap the pedal, confirm the pedal moves freely, and ask whether any throttle body or pedal sensor work has been done. A test drive with stop-and-go braking is useful.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a Ford Mustang 2009 v-6, I was in 2nd gear accelerating to pass someone, and gas pedal stuck to floor,could not do anything, put it in neutral, still did it. I finally turned engine off and everything was ok. Scared me, I am afraid to drive the car. Call dealership, says it does not know why.”

   NHTSA complaint #10292828, filed 2009-11, 20,000 miles

   “I was driving along heading to the freeway and the car accelerator caused the car to speed up and I couldn't stop the car. I had to choose between going on the freeway or driving the car in a parking lot and into a pole to stop it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10745986, filed 2015-08, 89,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Water leak into passenger footwell / module faults

   • 7 complaints (4%)
   • median 39,950 mi at 4.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2020

   Owners report water dripping from the passenger side of the dash or pooling on the passenger floor after rain or a car wash, sometimes several inches deep. They describe electrical symptoms that follow: warning and exterior lights coming on by themselves, tire pressure faults, or a no-start condition traced to the smart junction box needing replacement and reprogramming. Some mechanics also traced stalling or overheating to wiring harness damage. Reported from roughly 30,000 to 100,000 miles, generally after several years of ownership and in wet conditions.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Lift the passenger-side floor mat and carpet after rain and feel for dampness or a musty smell, and check the junction box area for corrosion. Ask whether any cowl or windshield sealing work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When it rains, water is leaking under the windshield into the duct work and onto the passenger side floor. Heavy rains have caused as much as 5 inches of water to lay on passenger floor. This problem has caused the smart junction box to malfunction and car is not drivable. I now have to purchase a new box and have it programmed, which is very expensive. I have read articles about this happening to other 2009 mustangs. Ford has no recall on this issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11312159, filed 2020-02, 100,000 miles

   “I have experienced problems with sensor faults prior to the first incident. Around may 22 I started experiencing water leaking under my dash board first when I thru a cawash. Then it rained and water came again. The tire pressure fault again came on and I was over due for an oil change so I took it in to have it looked at. The tech advised me to get the extended warranty and advised me the leak was a defrost evaporator and the tire pressure sensor was bad and would not be covered by warranty if extended. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10531803, filed 2013-07, 43,000 miles
4. 4
   Suspension

   Ball joint and sway bar wear, rear-end noise

   • 5 complaints (3%)
   • median 53,300 mi at 3.5 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2009–2020

   Complaints describe rattling or clunking from the front or rear end, sometimes found during a safety inspection rather than noticed while driving. Shops identified worn front lower ball joints and rear sway bar components and replaced them; in one report the noise returned days after repair. One owner was told the ball joints were worn out well before the age of the car would suggest. Mostly reported between about 12,000 and 80,000 miles, with several cases under 55,000 miles.

   What to check: Have a shop check the front lower ball joints and rear sway bar links for play before buying, and drive over uneven pavement with the windows down to listen for rattles.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2009 Ford Mustang. While the contact was having his vehicle examined by the dealer for a minor crash, he was informed that the driver side ball joint was experiencing premature wear for the age of the vehicle. There were no prior warning signs. The current and failure mileages were 12000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10290230, filed 2009-10, 12,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2009 for Mustang. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to a repair shop to have the brakes inspected, the repair shop discovered that the front ball joints were failing.the manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that they were aware of the problems with the ball joints on this model vehicle. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 60,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10456496, filed 2012-04, 60,000 miles

Buying note. The main practical step on this model year is confirming that the airbag inflator recalls were actually completed, since owners often reported parts shortages. Beyond that, have a mechanic check the ball joints and rear differential and look for water in the passenger footwell.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.