Sports and off-road · model years 2014 to 2017
Ford Mustang vs Chevrolet Camaro: problems and reliability
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Camaro looks better on 3 and the Mustang on 0, with 4 too close to call.
Newest report Sep 23, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026
Scorecard
| Measure, 2014 to 2017 | Mustang | Camaro |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints that report a crash | 5.6% | 5.3% |
| Complaints that report a fire | 1.6% | 1.4% |
| Complaints that report an injury | 3.5% | 3.2% |
| Median miles when problems are reported | 37,000 | 35,000 |
| Recall campaigns per model year | 4.5 | 2.2 |
| Do-not-drive recalls | 2 | 0 |
| NHTSA investigations | 3 | 0 |
The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.
What owners complain about
The system Mustang owners complain about most is airbags; for the Camaro it is electrical. Complaints citing airbags make up 21% of all Mustang complaints, against 5.9% on the Camaro. The Camaro leans the other way on electrical: 37% of its complaints, against 13% for the Mustang.
Ford MustangChevrolet Camaro
Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
The most reported problems
The most reported problem on the Mustang is airbag problems (21% of its complaints). On the Camaro it is infotainment problems (14% of its complaints), against 15% on the Mustang.
| Problem | Mustang | Camaro |
|---|---|---|
| Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails | 15% 208most in 2015 · 36k mi | 14% 99most in 2014 · 50k mi |
| Airbag warning light or recall | 21% 290most in 2014 · 26k mi | 5.3% 3738k mi |
| Engine stalls or loses power while driving | 6.1% 86most in 2016 · 15k mi | 11% 79most in 2015 · 37k mi |
| A/C blows warm or the compressor fails | 5.5% 78most in 2016 · 33k mi | 6.2% 4350k mi |
| Power steering cuts out or goes heavy | 1.7% 2440k mi | 9.5% 66most in 2017 · 27k mi |
| Brakes grind, pulse or wear early | 5.9% 84most in 2015 · 35k mi | 4.9% 3423k mi |
| Check engine light or misfire | 4.2% 60most in 2016 · 78k mi | 3.2% 2250k mi |
| Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard | 0.4% 6 | 6.8% 4728k mi |
Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.
When problems start
Problems show up at about the same mileage on both. Half the Mustang complaints that give a mileage come before 37,000 miles, and half the Camaro complaints before 35,000. 62% of Mustang reports and 68% of Camaro reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.
Ford MustangChevrolet Camaro
Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 764 for the Mustang and 442 for the Camaro.
Worst and best years
The 2015 Mustang draws 1.7 times the complaints of a typical Mustang year for its age. The 2017 Camaro draws 2.5 times the complaints of a typical Camaro year for its age.
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford MustangChevrolet Camaro
Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.
Recalls and investigations
The Mustang draws more recalls: 4.5 campaigns per model year against 2.2 for the Camaro. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.
Ford Mustang
18 recall campaigns and 3 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (5), latches/locks/linkages (3) and seat belts (3).
- Do not drive 19V-001 (airbags), model years 2014
- Do not drive 15V-319 (airbags), model years 2014
- 16V-779 (engine and engine cooling) covers 3 model years
- 22V-082 (backup camera) covers 3 model years
Investigations
- EA21002: Desiccated air bag inflator rupture (open)
- RQ19005: Door latch failures (closed, led to a recall)
- PE16001: Door latch failure (closed, led to a recall)
Chevrolet Camaro
9 recall campaigns and 0 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: electrical (3), steering (3) and airbags (2).
- 19E-064 (electrical) covers 2 model years
Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Crashes, fires and injuries
Crashes turn up in about the same share of complaints on both (5.6% and 5.3%). Fire reports: 22 for the Mustang and 10 for the Camaro. Complaints on file report 2 deaths in the Mustang and 1 in the Camaro for these model years.
Ford MustangChevrolet Camaro
Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.
Questions
Is the Ford Mustang or the Chevrolet Camaro more reliable?
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Camaro looks better on 3 and the Mustang on 0, with 4 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Mustang has 1,412 complaints and the Camaro 696 for model years 2014 to 2017, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.
Which has more recalls, the Mustang or the Camaro?
The Mustang has 18 recall campaigns and the Camaro 9 across model years 2014 to 2017. The Mustang draws more recalls: 4.5 campaigns per model year against 2.2 for the Camaro.
What are the most common problems on the Mustang and the Camaro?
The most reported problem on the Mustang is airbag problems (21% of its complaints). On the Camaro it is infotainment problems (14% of its complaints), against 15% on the Mustang.
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