2026 Ford Mustang Problems
Compared with other Ford Mustang years
Too new to compare
- Model years are compared once their first three years of complaints are in; the 2026 can be compared from 2029.
- Most reported part: Engine (3 complaints).
- 5 recall campaigns on record. A VIN search at nhtsa.gov/recalls shows open recalls for a specific vehicle.
Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated
- Complaints
- 8filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 2,500miles, 1 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 5campaigns on record
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 / 5stars overall, 3 rated versions
- EPA fuel economy
- 18 mpgcombined, 5.0L 8-cyl RWD · 15 city / 23 hwy
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2026 Ford Mustang (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error
NHTSA recorded 8 consumer complaints for the 2026 Ford Mustang. The part named most often is engine, with 3 complaints (38% of the total), followed by brakes (2) and electrical system (2). 1 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 2,500 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 25 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign and 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.
This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Engine3 38%
- Brakes2 25%
- Electrical system2 25%
- Other or unknown1 13%
- Wheels1 13%
Example complaints
Engine: “Recalls on 2024 Ford Mustangs: On 09/22/2026, at approximately 11:34AM, my Ford Mustang suffered a catastrophic malfunction. When I was braking on the offramp, the brakes did not engage and remained firm and unresponsive. The car immediately accelerated, despite my efforts on the brakes accompanied by the use of the emergency brake. The car continued to accelerate as I was trying to brake, navigating the terrain off the ramp on onto a grassy area. I maneuvered the car between two trees, trying in vain to use the brakes. …”
NHTSA complaint #11766530, filed 2026-09Brakes: “The 2026 Ford Mustang was off and rolled away out of the driveway colliding with tree, The incident was caught on my Ring Camera, the electrical system vehicle had acting strangely and kept giving warning the trunk was open and had to go open and close it multiple times. once i parked the vehicle at my house the car rolled away, according to Ford manual the vehicle is equipped this is a failure to the involves a critical safety system (Automatic Return to Park) that is explicitly designed to prevent exactly what happened, you should treat this as a serious safety defect. …”
NHTSA complaint #11736799, filed 2026-05Vehicle speed control: “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 the gas station their is some kind of glitch in the system and it never happened since but its always in the back of my mind, other owners in 24/25 also reported same issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11751434, filed 2026-07Mileage when problems were reported
100% of the 1 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 2,500 and 2,500 miles.
Complaints by year filed
This model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2026 Ford Mustang. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Side pole | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustang · coupe RWD | ★★★★★ | 5 / 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 · 7.9% risk |
| Mustang GTD · coupe RWD | ★★★★★ | 5 / 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 · 7.9% risk |
| Mustang NO Rear Seat · coupe RWD | ★★★★★ | 5 / 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 · 7.9% risk |
| Mustang · C RWD | not rated | — | — | — | 5 · 7.9% risk |
Neighbouring years: 2025: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Fuel economy and running cost
EPA ratings for each 2026 Ford Mustang version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).
| Version | Engine | Transmission | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustang RWD | 2.3L 4-cyl | 10-speed automatic | 22 | 33 | 26 | $2,600 |
| Mustang RWD | 5.0L 8-cyl | 10-speed automatic | 16 | 24 | 19 | $3,550 |
| Mustang RWD | 5.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | 15 | 23 | 18 | $3,700 |
| Mustang Dark Horse RWD | 5.0L 8-cyl | 10-speed automatic | 14 | 22 | 17 | $3,950 |
| Mustang Dark Horse RWD | 5.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | 14 | 22 | 17 | $3,950 |
| Mustang GTD RWD | 5.2L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | 10 | 17 | 12 | $6,850 |
Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.
Recalls and investigations
- 26V547000Aug 25, 2026Electrical system › WiringCovers: Ford Mustang 2024–2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang vehicles. The engine compartment wiring harness ground connections may fracture and result in a loss of drive power, or a loss of function in the windshield washing system, headlights, air…
- 26V548000Aug 25, 2026Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanicalCovers: Ford Mustang 2026, Ranger 2026, Explorer 2026 +2 more
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.
- 26V418000Jun 30, 2026Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › MotorCovers: Ford Mustang 2024–2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang and 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles. During certain cold temperature conditions, the windshield wipers may function only at their high-speed setting and the washing system may fail to function…
- 26V205000Mar 31, 2026Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanicalCovers: Ford Mustang 2026, Explorer 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.
- 25V828000Dec 1, 2025EngineCovers: Ford Mustang 2026, Maverick 2025, Explorer 2026 +1 more
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Corsair, and 2025 Maverick vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Recall details for the 2026 Ford Mustang → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 25 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 11038617Oct 14, 2026Electrical system, Other or unknown. This bulletin supersedes 26-2297. Reason for update: Add 2022-2025 Transit vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above equipped with SYNC4 may experience a blank center…
- 11038443Oct 12, 2026Other or unknown, Electrical system. Some 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles built on or before 28-Sep-2026 may exhibit one or more of the following hydraulic system warning messages displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC)…
- 11037419Sep 16, 2026Other or unknown, Electrical system. Quality improvements include: -Addresses a bug that may cause updates to fail
- 11037290Sep 9, 2026Electrical system, Other or unknown. Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements
- 11036529Aug 25, 2026Body and structure, Other or unknown, Electrical system. Some of the following vehicles: * 2023-2025 F-Super Duty built on or before 02-Feb-2025 * 2024-2026 Ranger/Bronco/Mustang * 2024-2025 F-150 built on or before 15-Jul-2025 * 2024-2025 Nautilus built…
- 11036337Aug 6, 2026Vehicle speed control, Electrical system, Transmission and…. Some 2025-2026 Mustang vehicles equipped with a 5.0L or 2.3L engine and built on 15-Aug-2025 and through 01-Dec-2025 may exhibit various drivability symptoms and/or have diagnostic trouble codes…
- 11035583Aug 4, 2026Body and structure, Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)…. Some 2024-2026 Mustang vehicles built on or before 23-Apr-2026 may exhibit a sagging headliner appearance at the door openings which show the raw headliner edge untucked from the door glass run. An…
- 11035269Jul 23, 2026Other or unknown, Electrical system, Fuel system. Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as intended with a "Check Charging System" message in the…
- 11035106Jul 20, 2026Electrical system, Other or unknown. Some 2025-2026 Bronco/Bronco Sport/Corsair/F-150/F-Super Duty/Maverick/Mustang/Mustang Mach-E/Ranger vehicles may exhibit a no audio/sound condition. This may be due to the software in the audio…
- 11035100Jul 14, 2026Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors), Other or unknown…. Some 2021-2026 Ford vehicles may exhibit inoperative heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel and/or front/rear defrost features after a remote start is performed through the Ford mobile…
Other model years of the Ford Mustang
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 2,500 | 5 | 5 | 18 | — | Too new |
| 2025 | 19 | 14,000 | 6 | 5 | 18 | — | Too new |
| 2024 | 84 | 5,000 | 12 | 5 | 18 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2023 | 15 | 14,000 | 6 | 5 | 22 | — | Too new |
| 2022 | 50 | 10,102 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 15 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2021 | 55 | 5,465 | 6 | 5 | 22 | 18 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2020 | 122 | 24,000 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 50 · Typical | Rising |
| 2019 | 152 | 20,000 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 39 · Typical | Rising |
| 2018 | 196 | 28,795 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 28 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2017 | 268 | 40,000 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 41 · Typical | Stable |
| 2016 | 380 | 35,300 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 58 · Typical | Stable |
| 2015 | 439 | 34,500 | 11 | 5 | 22 | 73 · More | Falling |
| 2014 | 359 | 24,000 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 93 · More | Falling |
| 2013 | 271 | 40,000 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 52 · Typical | Stable |
| 2012 | 469 | 23,000 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2011 | 466 | 22,018 | 4 | — | 22 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2010 | 261 | 43,086 | 5 | — | 19 | 50 · Typical | Falling |
| 2009 | 181 | 40,000 | 5 | — | 18 | 48 · Typical | Falling |
| 2008 | 347 | 37,250 | 5 | — | 18 | 54 · Typical | Falling |
| 2007 | 615 | 36,000 | 5 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 424 | 54,000 | 5 | — | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2005 | 705 | 49,500 | 5 | — | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2004 | 116 | 13,000 | 1 | — | 20 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 145 | 13,958 | 1 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2002 | 118 | 45,000 | 0 | — | 20 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 173 | 56,847 | 1 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 311 | 64,306 | 2 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1999 | 213 | 60,000 | 3 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 236 | 88,900 | 4 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1997 | 176 | 100,110 | 2 | — | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1996 | 246 | 70,000 | 3 | — | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1995 | 602 | 79,828 | 5 | — | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 356 | 78,490 | 4 | — | 20 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1993 | 101 | 82,000 | 2 | — | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 69 | 116,863 | 1 | — | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 77 | 119,500 | 2 | — | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1990 | 85 | 129,000 | 1 | — | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1989 | 109 | 121,500 | 1 | — | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 108 | 72,313 | 1 | — | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1987 | 38 | 65,000 | 1 | — | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1986 | 30 | 96,052 | 1 | — | 20 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1985 | 16 | 50,000 | 2 | — | 19 | — | Stable |
| 1984 | 18 | 34,250 | 3 | — | 19 | — | Stable |
| 1983 | 5 | — | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
All Ford Mustang model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2026 Ford Mustang have?
NHTSA recorded 8 consumer complaints for the 2026 Ford Mustang as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2026 Ford Mustang is reported most often?
Engine is named most often, in 3 complaints (38% of the total), followed by brakes with 2.
Has the 2026 Ford Mustang been recalled?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
How did the 2026 Ford Mustang do in NHTSA crash tests?
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2026 Ford Mustang 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 3 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.
What gas mileage does the 2026 Ford Mustang get?
The EPA rates the 2026 Ford Mustang (Mustang, 5.0L 8-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 15 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.
At what mileage are problems with the 2026 Ford Mustang reported?
Among the 1 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 2,500 miles and the middle half falls between 2,500 and 2,500 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.