NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Ford Mustang. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
MANY TIMES UNABLE TO SELECT AND ENGAGE GEARS WITH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHILE ACCELERATING. PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE MOST FREQUENT WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN, CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION BY PULLING OUT INTO FAST MOVING TRAFFIC, BUT UNABLE TO ACCELERATE DUE TO GEAR LOCK-OUT (USUALLY SECOND GEAR, BUT SOMETIMES THIRD AS WELL). *TR
THIS VEHICLE HAS A 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHICH IS UNUSUALLY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT FROM ONE GEAR TO THE NEXT, IN BOTH UPSHIFT AND DOWNSHIFT. AMBIENT AND VEHICLE TEMPERATURE ARE NOT FACTORS WHAT-SO-EVER. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH THE CAR SINCE BRAND-NEW. SOMETIMES IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET INTO THE DESIRED GEAR AT ALL. SAFETY HAS BEEN COMPROMISED NUMEROUS TIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN CROSSING TRAFFIC WHILE EXECUTING A LEFT TURN AT INTERSECTIONS, CAUSING DRIVER DISTRACTION AND VEHICLE SWERVING WHILE DRIVER IS STRUGGLING TO SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. ALSO WHILE MERGING WITH HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, ACCELERATION IS ABRUPTLY INTERRUPTED AND DRIVER IS DANGEROUSLY DISTRACTED WHILE STRUGGLING WITH THE UNCOOPERATIVE GEAR SHIFT. THE TRANSMISSION EXHIBITS AN UNUSUALLY GREAT DEAL OF RESISTANCE TO GOING INTO THE NEXT GEAR IN SEQUENCE, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 AND 5-6. THIS RESISTANCE IS SIGNIFICANT AT SHIFTS IN EVEN THE LOWEST RPM RANGE AND THE RESISTANCE INCREASES DRASTICALLY AND PROPORTIONATELY WITH THE INCREASE IN RPM OF THE ENGINE AT THE TIME A GEAR SHIFT IS ATTEMPTED. THE MOST DANGEROUS INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY. USUALLY, I WILL DOWNSHIFT TO FOURTH GEAR AND ACCELERATE WHILE MANEUVERING AROUND THE CAR IN FRONT. AT THE POINT WHERE I AM COMMITTED TO MY ACTION, (BEING FULLY IN THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND PARALLEL TO THE OTHER CAR, I WILL EXPERIENCE AN UNSUCCESSFUL SHIFT AND BE FACED WITH HAVING TO EITHER ABORT MY PASSING ATTEMPT OR CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO ENGAGE THE GEAR SHIFT WHILE BEING DANGEROUSLY DISTRACTED BY THIS PROBLEM AT WHAT IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES FOR A DRIVER TO BE DISTRACTED. I DO NOT LOOK FORWARD TO EXPERIENCE THESE DANGEROUS DRIVING PHENOMENA WHEN COMPOUNDED BY COLORADO'S WINTER WEATHER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD MUSTANG GT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS MANUALLY FROM FIRST TO SECOND, THE VEHICLE WOULD SKIP SECOND AND SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR, DISTORTING THE VEHICLES SPEED. ALSO, WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT A CLUNKING AND GRINDING NOISE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,500.
I TOOK DELIVERY ON MY 2011 FORD MUSTANG GT/CS IN LATE OCTOBER OF 2010. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES ON IT. FROM THAT DAY FORWARD IT WAS A LITTLE STIFF TO GET IT TO GO IN TO ANY GEAR. I HAD GROWN A CUSTOM TO IT AND JUST ASSUMED IT WOULD SMOOTH OUT SINCE IT WAS A NEW CAR. NOW THAT I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR AS A DAILY DRIVER FOR A YEAR THE ISSUES HAVE JUST INCREASED. SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT GET THE CAR TO SHIFT IN TO 1ST GEAR WITHOUT ATTEMPTING SEVERAL TIMES. IN EARLY SEPTEMBER 2011 I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND SHIFTED FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL REMAINED ON THE FLOOR. I HAD READ ABOUT THIS BUT IT HAD NOT HAPPENED TO ME YET. SO I WAS NOT TO SHOCKED WHEN IT HAPPENED. MY CURRENT INCIDENT AS OF 19 NOV 2011 WAS ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT FROM 4TH TO 5TH ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS UNABLE TO GET IT TO SHIFT IN TO 5TH GEAR. I HAD SLOWED DOWN AND ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT FROM 2ND THROUGH 6TH AND AGAIN, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT IN TO 5TH GEAR. ON 20 NOV 2011, I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT IN TO ANY GEAR. I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS JUST THE TRANSMISSION OR CLUTCH, MAYBE IT IS BOTH OF THEM BUT IT IS FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU HAVE A NEW CAR AND PAY ALMOST $40,000 FOR IT AND IT DOES NOT WORK WELL. THIS IS SOMETHING I DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS AND IT HAPPENS MORE IN COLDER WEATHER FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING IN TO THIS MATTER. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500. AFTER DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AT 35 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITH FORCE, BOTH REAR WHEELS BEGAN TO SPIN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FISH TAIL AND SPIN OUT OF CONTROL.THE TRACTION CONTROL FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SETTLED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGED TO THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR $15,000. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD GIVE HIM A CALL WITHIN 24 HOURS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100.
TEST DRIVING 2011 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY COBRA GT 500. PULLED OUT OF PARKING LOT SLOWLY ONTO ROADWAY AND WHEN STRAIGHT DEPRESSED ACCELERATOR FOR HARD ACCELERATION. VEHICLE ACCELERATED FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND, THEN BEGAN SPINNING BOTH REAR WHEELS AND VIOLENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND SPUN AROUND IN ROAD HITTING CURB RESULTING IN SEVERE DAMAGE TO WHEELS, BODY AND SUSPENSION. VEHICLE TRAVELED APROX. 100 FEET FROM POINT WHERE THE VEHICLE ENTERED THE ROADWAY AND WHERE IT STRUCK CURB FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (ADVANCE TRAC) HAD NOT BEEN TURNED OFF. NO ADVANCE TRAC WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. VEHICLE REACHED SPEED OF APRX. 35 MPH AND WAS IN 1ST GEAR (MANUAL SHIFT) NO INJURIES TO DRIVER OR PASSENGER. TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED TO PREVENT REAR WHEEL SPIN. ROAD WAS PAVED AND DRY. COULD HAVE CAUSED SEVERE INJURIES. WOULD NEVER HAD ATTEMPTED HARD ACCELERATION KNOWING SYSTEM WOULD NOT PREVENT WHEELSPIN AS ADVERTISED BY FORD. *TR
CAR HAS 8200 MILES ON AS OF 8-1-11.. MT-82 TRANSMISSION ISSUES.. GRINDING IN 1-3 GEARS SINCE 700 MILES, WITH OCCASIONAL LOCKOUT OF 2 GEAR AND NO INDICATIONS OF SKIPSHIFT SHOWING ON THE DISPLAY, THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WHEN TURNING LEFT.. WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR STOP-SIGN UNABLE TO GET THE CAR IN ANY GEAR WHEN WITH THE CLUTCH ALL THE WAY DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR, THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST GET REAR ENDED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN THE PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING YOU TO MOVE AND YOU DON'T.. WHEN THE CAR IS COLD OR TEMP OUTSIDE UNDER 50* WILL BE EXTREMELY "NOTCHY" AND GRINDING IN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR AND WILL FREQUENTLY PREVENT YOU FROM ENGAGING 1ST OR 2ND GEAR AT A STOP UNTIL SEVERAL MILES ARE DRIVEN. THIS AGAIN HAS ALMOST GOT ME REARENDED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.. THE SHIFTER ALSO VIBRATES IN YOUR HAND IN 3RD AND 5TH GEAR ALL OTHER GEARS ARE SMOOTH.. THIS WAS ALL BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT VISITS STARTING IN JAN '11. THE FIRST 2 TIMES INTO THE DEALER THEY DIDN'T EVEN PULL THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE AND TOLD ME THAT FORD IS AWARE OF AN ISSUE SINCE DEC. 2010 AND NO FIX AT THIS TIME. THE 3RD TIME IN LATE MARCH '11 I FINALLY CONVINCED THEM TO LET A TECH COME OUT FOR A RIDE, HE SAID "IT'S ALL NORMAL", SORRY A VIBRATING SHIFTER IN ANY GEAR IS NOT NORMAL, GRINDING IS NOT NORMAL. I REFUSE TO BRING MY CAR BACK INTO ANY DEALER UNTIL SOME REAL FIX IS FORCED UPON FORD THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THESE ISSUES, I'M AWARE OF THE TSB REGARDING CHANGING THE FLUID, FLUID WILL NOT FIX VIBRATIONS, OR THE ABILITY TO PUT A TRANSMISSION INTO A GEAR WHEN STOPPED NOR WILL IT FIX "GRINDING" WHICH IS SYNCHRO ISSUE. *TR
THE TRANSMISSION DISPLAYS GRINDING NOISES AND DIFFICULTY UPSHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD OR 4TH TO 5TH WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN. I HAVE ISSUES GETTING CAR INTO 1ST GEAR FROM NEUTRAL AT A RED LIGHT SOMETIMES. TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO GO INTO REVERSE WHEN CLUTCH IS PUSHED DOWN TO FLOOR DURING COLD STARTS. TRANSMISSION FEELS AND SOUNDS CLUNKY WHEN SHIFTING INTO ALL GEARS. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE OUR TRANSMISSIONS MADE IN CHINA. SKIP SHIFT IS NOT CAUSING DAMAGED SYNCHROS, BROKEN SHIFT FORKS AND SHATTERED GEAR TEETH INSIDE THE NUMEROUS FAILED MT82'S; LOW QUALITY COMPONENTS AND MATERIALS IS CAUSING IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR AT 25 MPH, THE GEAR SHIFT SEIZED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SHIFT HAD TO BE FORCED INTO GEARS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,200.
VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN 7 TIMES FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSION GRINDING DURING GEAR CHANGES LEADING TO AN INABILITY TO ENGAGE GEARS WITH 1ST AND 2ND BEING THE MOST PROBLEMATIC. IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WHEN YOU MUST ACCELERATE QUICKLY, VALUABLE TIME IS WASTED JUST TRYING TO GET THE CAR INTO GEAR...WHICH PROVES IMPOSSIBLE. THESE CARS ARE EQUIPPED WITH A "SKIP SHIFT" FEATURE THAT LOCKS OUT 2ND AND 3RD FOR FUEL ECONOMY AND A MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED ON THE DASH. MULTITUDES OF OWNERS ARE REPORTING THEY ARE UNABLE TO ENGAGE 2ND GEAR WITH NO WARNING OF IT BEING LOCKED OUT ON THE DASH. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT ONLY 2500 MILES AND THEN CHANGED THE VISCOSITY OF THE FLUID USED WHICH FORD CLAIMS IS THE SOLUTION. HOWEVER, I AND OTHERS GETTING THIS REPAIR ARE DISCOVERING IT DOES NOTHING TO FIX THE ISSUE. IN FACT, IT ONLY MAKES THE SHIFTING WORSE AND CAUSES WHINING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY 2011 MUSTANG OWNERS WITH THE MT82 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION (BOTH V6 AND V8). THERE ARE CLOSE TO 1000 POSTS FROM OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE ON THIS WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.ALLFORDMUSTANGS.COM/FORUMS/2011-MUSTANG-TALK/268693-OFFICIAL-2011-MUSTANG-MANUAL-TRANSMISSION-ROUGH-SHIFTING-THREAD-66.HTML#POST2429852 TO DATE, FORD HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *LN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD MUSTANG GT. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST INTO SECOND GEAR A ROUGHNESS IN THE RESPONSE OCCURRED WITH AN UNUSUAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE TRANSMISSION OPERATED PROPERLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75.
2011 FORD MUSTANG V-6 AFTER OWNING FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS, WE NOTICED THAT ON OCCASION THE "PASS AIR BAG' LIGHT IN THE OVERHEAD WOULD FLICKER ON INDICATION THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM IS DISABLED. AFTER A FEW WEEKS, THE LIGHT BECAME MORE CONSISTENT TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD REMAIN ON FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DURATION OF ANY TRIP. MADE A TRIP TO THE SHOP AND THE SYSTEM WAS "RE-ZEROED". NO ISSUES FOR A FEW WEEKS AND THEN THE ISSUE STARTED AGAIN. BACK TO THE SHOP AND TOLD THAT THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM DUE TO MY WIFE WEIGHING ~105 - 110LBS. WENT HOME AND READ THE DRIVERS MANUAL TO SEE IF THIS FEATURE OF THE SYSTEM WAS DESCRIBED. FOUND A PROCEDURE IN THE MANUAL FOR TRAINING THE SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY THE WEIGHT OF A PASSENGER TO THE SYSTEM. FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURE. AGAIN THE SYSTEM OPERATED AS EXPECTED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN STARTED AGAIN. BACK TO THE SHOP AND AGAIN TOLD THAT IT WAS NORMAL OPERATION BUT FORD WAS AGAIN E-MAILED. RESPONSE WAS TO PERFORM THE PROCEDURE IN THE DRIVERS MANUAL. IF THIS FAILED TO WORK ADDITIONAL TESTING TO BE PERFORMED. REPEATED THE RESET PROCEDURE 2 MORE TIMES AND RETURNED TO THE SHOP WITH THE SAME RESULTS. WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVE WAY OF THE DEALERSHIP THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS WITNESSED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER FLASHING ON AND OFF WITH THE CAR IN IDLE AND MY WIFE PROPERLY RESTRAINED. ADDITIONAL TESTING HAS BEEN PERFORMED AND ALL TESTS HAVE BEEN PASSED. THE DEALERSHIP IS PLANNING TO REPLACE THE SEAT PAD/BLADDER WHEN THE PARTS ARE RELEASED BY FORD. THIS WILL BE IN EARLY DECEMBER AT BEST. I AM CURRENTLY BEING TOLD BY FORD TO PULL OVER AND HAVE MY WIFE RIDE IN THE BACK SEAT OF OUR BRAND NEW CAR WHEN THE LIGHT ILLUMINATES. *TR
MANUAL TRANSMISSION, 2ND GEAR OCCASIONALLY CANNOT BE SELECTED ON ACCELERATION EVEN WITH CLUTCH FULLY DEPRESSED. CAR COASTS UNTIL ANOTHER GEAR IS SELECTED OR FORCED INTO GEAR BY "DOUBLE CLUTCHING". DEALER REPLACED CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE BOLTS AND BLED CLUTCH LINES. PROBLEM OCCURS LESS OFTEN, BUT STILL THERE. BELOW 70 DEGREES AMBIENT TEMPERATURE 2ND GEAR GRINDS UNTIL UP TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE AND THIRD GEAR "KICKS BACK" THE SHIFTER. A YEAR AND 10000 MILES LATER NO CHANGE. PROBLEM IS SO RANDOM THAT DEALER CANNOT REPRODUCE ADEQUATELY TO GET FORD TO AUTHORIZE ANY REPAIR. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPORTS IT IS "NORMAL" FOR A PERFORMANCE CAR TO CHANGE GEARS POORLY. *TR
SINCE THE FIRST DAY THAT I BOUGHT THIS NEW MUSTANG, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD AND THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE. THIS HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND THEN STARTING TO PICK UP. ALSO WHEN JUST SLOWING DOWN AND THE CAR SHIFTS TO 1ST GEAR. THE SHIFTING IS ERRATIC AND NOISY. WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD, IT ALSO BANGS INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID THAT THIS IS PART OF THE COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND IS THE WAY THE TRANSMISSION WAS DESIGNED, UNTIL IT GETS USED TO MY DRIVING HABITS. THAT WAS 17, 000 MILES AGO. THEY SAID THERE MIGHT BE A COMPUTER UPGRADE IN THE FUTURE. IN THE MEANTIME I FEAR A REAR END COLLISION WHEN I AM UNABLE TO PICK UP SPEED BECAUSE OF THE HESITATION AND CLUNKING. *TR
THE OPERATING FREQUENCY OF PWM (PULSE WIDTH MODULATION) LED'S (LIGHT EMITTING DIODE) IS TOO LOW FOR SOME VIEWERS! THE EXTERNAL LIGHTING DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 108 SPECIFIES THAT LAMPS MUST BE STEADY BURNING. FORD HAS FAILED TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT MAKING FOR A VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE FOR NIGHT TIME DRIVING. THIS AFFECTS THEM AND OTHER DRIVERS BEING NEAR THIS VEHICLE WITH THE DIMINISHED SAFETY MARGIN. NOTE: ALL NEWER FORD'S (CAR'S, POLICE CARS, BUSES, TOW TRUCKS, TRUCK, ETC...) USING LED'S ARE AT FAULT, THE OPERATING FREQUENCY IS TO LOW MAKING FOR A VERY DANGEROUS NIGHT TIME SITUATION!!!!! THIS MUST BE REVIEWED AND CORRECTED. *TR