Ford
Ford Mustang years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015 and 2016. Best years: 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The 2015 and 2016 Ford Mustang draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 436 complaints (36 for each year on the road) and 2016 has 378 complaints (34 for each year on the road), against a median of 21 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is infotainment (71 reports).
- 1,876complaints
- 31recall campaigns
- 7model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: infotainment (71 reports, median 36,000 miles) and brake wear (50 reports, median 25,500 miles).
2016
Most reported: infotainment (68 reports, median 32,000 miles) and stalling (42 reports, median 15,000 miles).
Best years
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2022
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any Ford Mustang year here: 436 of 1,876 (23%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Airbag leads in 1 of the 7 model years and has the most reports overall, 298. Pooled across the years, half of the 91 owners who gave a mileage for airbag were under about 25,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 7% of Ford Mustang complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2020, 20 of its 120 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 2 of the 5 model years where owners report airbag have a recall on the same system: 2014 and 2017. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 197, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 130 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Sicnag, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sixth generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 avoid | 436 | 36 | 11 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (71) | 36,000 |
| 2016 avoid | 378 | 34 | 5 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (68) | 37,611 |
| 2017 | 265 | 26 | 6 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (69) | 40,000 |
| 2018 | 193 | 21 | 4 | Check engine light or misfire (36) | 39,000 |
| 2019 | 149 | 19 | 6 | Engine overheats or leaks coolant (42) | 36,000 |
| 2020 | 120 | 17 | 8 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (23) | 28,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2021 (55), 2022 (50), 2023 (15), 2024 (81), 2025 (17).
Year by year
2020 Ford Mustang
120 owner complaints, 17 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (23 reports), brake wear (17 reports, median 6,740 miles) and misfire (14 reports, median 64,000 miles). 13 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 25V-695 on the backup camera and 25V-442 on the backup camera.
2019 Ford Mustang
149 owner complaints, 19 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (42 reports, median 56,000 miles), misfire (40 reports, median 56,000 miles) and engine failure (29 reports, median 43,000 miles). 3 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 6 recalls, including 26V-372 on the electrical system and 25V-572 on the backup camera.
2018 Ford Mustang
193 owner complaints, 21 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (36 reports, median 50,000 miles), overheating (32 reports, median 56,000 miles) and engine failure (28 reports, median 45,000 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 18E-035 on the engine and 17V-814 on the electrical system.
2017 Ford Mustang
265 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (69 reports, median 45,000 miles), door latch (27 reports, median 63,000 miles) and seat belt (23 reports, median 50,000 miles). 14 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 25V-572 on the backup camera and 22V-082 on the backup camera.
2016 Ford Mustang avoid
378 owner complaints, 34 for each year on the road (1.6 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (68 reports, median 32,000 miles), stalling (42 reports, median 15,000 miles) and A/C failure (36 reports, median 35,600 miles). 13 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 25V-572 on the backup camera and 22V-082 on the backup camera.
2015 Ford Mustang avoid
436 owner complaints, 36 for each year on the road (1.7 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (71 reports, median 36,000 miles), brake wear (50 reports, median 25,500 miles) and tail light failure (34 reports, median 35,000 miles). 26 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 11 recalls, including 25V-572 on the backup camera and 22V-082 on the backup camera.
2014 Ford Mustang
335 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (242 reports, median 25,000 miles), power steering loss (14 reports, median 40,000 miles) and brake wear (11 reports). 26 reports involved a crash and 20 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 19V-001 on the airbags (do not drive) and 15V-319 on the airbags (do not drive).
Recalls that cover several model years
The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Water and road salt may corrode the front seat belt anchor pretensioner cables.
The rearview camera wiring may be loose or damaged, which can result in a blank or distorted image.
A hose may separate from the engine oil cooler tube assembly causing an oil leak.
A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) may broadcast an unintended faulted signal to the modules controlling the reverse camera, reverse light, and driver assist features, which may disable all of these functions.
Compare the Mustang with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Mustang vs Chevrolet Camaro2014 to 2017
- Mustang vs Dodge Charger2014 to 2019
Questions
What Ford Mustang years should you avoid?
The 2015 and 2016 Ford Mustang draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 436 complaints (36 for each year on the road) and 2016 has 378 complaints (34 for each year on the road), against a median of 21 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is infotainment (71 reports).
What are the best years for the Ford Mustang?
The 2021, 2022 and 2023 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2021 has 55 (9 a year), 2022 has 50 (10 a year) and 2023 has 15 (4 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Ford Mustang?
Airbag, with 298 reports across the 7 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014.
How many recalls does the Ford Mustang have?
31 recall campaigns cover the Ford Mustang model years 2014 to 2020 on this site. The widest, 25V-572 on the backup camera, covers 5 model years.
How many Ford Mustang complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
7% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2020 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for airbag on the Ford Mustang?
On 2 of the 5 model years where owners report it: 2014 and 2017.