NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 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
Manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle IN A TIMELY MANNER. The Recall was from September 16, 2025. It has now been OVER half a year with NO remedy. I live in a salty air state and the last thing I want to happen is to drive with a seat belt with reduced effectiveness. I've ALREADY been in an accident a decade ago where a woman T-Boned me. I had a 2001 Mustang Convertible at the time with the convertible down. It's just like this Mustang with the recall but older. Thankfully the airbags and seat belt worked. Something needs to be done asap !!!!
They have a recall for the seatbelt so I got my car inspected and tested and my seatbelts are fine. I use this as a rental car and my business is stopped and I’m losing money every day that I cannot rent this out.
There have been 3 instances within the last year and a half where the rear window of my vehicle (Ford mustang) and the rear window of family member ford mustang both have shattered during the extreme cold possibly due to the heating coils on the window over heating and burning. You can see a burn pattern in the window This is a safety issue due to the window shattering, it sounded as if someone shot my window out the first time it happened my [XXX] son was in the back of the vehicle and I was driving home. The second instance, same vehicle, started the car using the remote starter and it did the same thing. This has not been inspected by my insurance representative, it has been reported in both instances through my insurance and pictures have been taken. There have been no warning signs or even issues, there wiring look like it had been burned, melted INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The driver And passengers door opens while driving
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V614000 (Seat Belts). The contact stated that the driver’s side front seat belt had detached from the frame. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair would be available in June 2026. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to parts being on backorder. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
My cars head gasket blew at only 45,000 miles. Replaced my a local well known mechanic for around $3500.00. Now my car at 96,000 miles has blown the head gasket again. I believe the car needs a whole new block. I have seen several lawsuits regarding this and just would love my car running again. This is NOT cheap to fix for me.
The head gasket in my 2016 mustang eco boost failed. I have 126k miles and coolant is leaking into cylinder 2. I’ve always taken care of the maintenance on a timely matter and no modifications have been done.
The steering wheel over time is very loose and in my case i need to be very careful with it because I feel I am losing control on my car while driving. You can feel the steering wheel moving up and down without little to know force also while driving. I don't even drive that fast since my way to work is always in a school zones.
On 12/06/2025 I filled the vehicle with gasoline. As I was driving home I noticd a strong odor of gasoline. When I arrived home I parked the car in my carport. A short time later I went outside and noticed that I could still smell gasoline and I looked under the car, which was approximately 3 feet from my house and saw a puddle under it. This could have caused a fire, so I immediately took the car to a repair shop. Approximately one hour later I received a call from the shop informing me that the tank was broken at the top and it would cost approximately $2,600 to replace the tank. The problem was confirmed by Gemba Automotive, Surprise, AZ. I am unaware of whether they have the part available for inspection. There were no warning messages or lights displayed on the driver information system.
2016 Ford Mustang 2.3L Ecoboost Engine. Coolant intrusion into the cylinder. It's a known issue, an engine block design flaw. Ford was replacing the whole engine when those cars were under warranty. There is extensive content online about it and dozens of class actions.
At about 75k miles my mustang started misfiring at about 2,500 rpm’s and higher. Turns out it was a blown head gasket. This engine model is prone to what happened to it. Ford should have a recall for these engine and a solution as they’re ticking time bombs. I wish I could drive with the peace of mind of not worrying about it. I couldn’t drive my car for months because of the warranty not even wanting to cover it. The warranty from the used car dealership. Got unlucky.
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable while reversing. The owner received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the recall test, even though the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Additionally, the contact stated that the rearview camera failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The dealer advised the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall; however, the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
My tire is a 255 / 40 ZR 19 model, speed rated 100W. While rotating my tires I noticed catastrophic tread separation on the inner sidewall of the tire. The separation is scattered, not all in one section, and in total covers about 1/4 of the total diameter. The underlying belt package has separated and steel wire is plainly visible at distance. The tire was still holding normal pressure at the time of discovery and there was no indication of the separation from any pressure devices or anything other than visual identification of the issue, which was only possible due to a routine tire rotation. Driving conditions since installation of the tire have been ~85% dry weather at speeds no greater than 85mph. A long haul trip from San Jose, CA to Los Angles, CA (~675 miles round trip) occurred 1.5 weeks prior to discovery.
• What failed & is it available for inspection? Air-conditioning system failure. Loss of cabin cooling; dealer recommends compressor replacement (may include related components pending contamination check). Vehicle is at a Ford dealer now; no repairs performed yet. I requested the dealer retain failed parts for inspection. • How was safety put at risk? I live in Las Vegas; ambient temps ~112°F-120 degrees. This is my primary vehicle for transporting my [XXX] and for my work schedule. With no A/C, cabin temps become dangerously high within minutes, creating a heat-related illness risk (child and driver), impaired concentration, and fatigue during necessary trips. • Has the problem been reproduced/confirmed? Yes. An independent shop first advised compressor replacement. A Ford dealer subsequently confirmed loss of cooling and produced an A/C repair estimate after diagnosis. • Inspected by manufacturer/police/insurance? Inspected/diagnosed by an authorized Ford dealer. I opened a Ford Customer Relationship Center case (XXX) and requested goodwill/after-warranty review. No police/insurance inspection. • Warning lamps/messages/symptoms & onset? No warning lights. Symptoms began with weak/intermittent cooling in early August 2025 and progressed to no cold air. Mileage at failure ~87,279. A/C clutch cycles but cabin air remains hot. (Owner context: original owner, [XXX] Vehicle: 2016 Ford Mustang GT 5.0.) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The steering wheel has a very distinct wobble. It moves in every direction as if the locking bolt is loose.
The coolant over temperature warning light of my 2016 ford mustang ecoboost came on and the engine immediately went on limp mode and I stopped the vehicle and switched off the engine. The vehicle quickly lost power and this created safety concern for other drivers who would have bumped me. I towed the vehicle to the nearest ford dealership for inspection and they found that coolant went into the engine and the coolant bottle was empty. As a result the dealership has said that the engine engine needs to be replaced…. a big shock for me as I have never had any prior issue with this car which is only 59k illegal on the clock. After further research of my own, this seems to be a common issue with ford ecoboost engine before year 2020. What surprises me is that there was no other indication or warning before this incident which could have obstructed me to take precautionary action.
Coolant intrusion into the cylinder head. This caused a sudden halt of he vehicle which could have caused an accident and loss of life. The engine coolant overheating temperature warning light came on. Vehicle was inspected by ford dealership and found to have blown head gasket. The car is vat for inspection.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon shifting the vehicle into reverse, the rearview camera displayed a distorted image and a blue screen, compromising the back-over prevention system. The message “Camera Not Available” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired. The contact stated that the dealer called back and informed the contact that the rearview camera failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the only the decklid wiring harness was replaced. The dealer refused to repair or replace the rearview camera. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,700.
The brake sensor position pad sensor deteriorated. Causing the system to read that the brakes were being applied. This makes the Brake lights staying on even when the key is turned off. This is safety since with the lights always being it there is no way for others to know when you are actually stopping. And it also makes the car be able to be started by accident. Even with no key fob. It also causes the lights being on and the ignition to be ready start to drain the battery. Ford used inferior material for the stop pad. It is a hard plastic piece instead o being either metal or rubber. There is a lot of info on mustang form sights about this happening around the 8 year mark.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image appeared blank. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.
The engine on this 2016 Mustang GT is a 5-liter V-8. The 2015-2017 model years were equipped with plastic valve covers. This is a known defect with these vehicles. The plastic valve covers warp/melt/distort over time, causing motor oil to leak in significant amounts onto the exhaust manifold creating smoke and odor. There is a potential for fire in the engine compartment because of this leak. Ford issued a service bulletin regarding this known defect but has not as yet issued a recall.
Took car to dealership per recall. Touch screen flickering on and off. Can't depend on back up camera. According to dealer "Recall 22a06a was previously completed on TSB 19-2273. and no other repairs were neede at this time. Note, Sync MyTouch screen is blinking on and off at all times and recommend Diag." they replaced APIN and Screen. According to the repair bill. It was still flickering and replaced FDCIN. Screen no longer flickering. it seems to me this is a safety hazard as it affects the viewing of the back up camera with any accuracy and could cause an accident no matter how careful a person is. It also seems to me that Ford knew extra parts my be needed to rectify the situation they should have been included in the orginal recall
Brake Stop Lamps Remain On When I was driving, my car was having throttle/acceleration issues. When I had my foot on the gas, my car would accelerate and the RPMs would rise, but then all of a sudden the acceleration stopped as if I was not applying throttle. I had to constantly take my foot off the gas and reengage for the car to drive home. When I parked my car, I noticed that my brake lights were all on even though my car was turned off & it is draining the battery out. I did some research & found out there is a recall for this issue (22S02) for the 2015 Ford model & Dealership mentioned that recall doesn't apply to my vehicle. So I have to get the repair done by replacing the break light switch & Break pedal bumper assembly with my local Auto zone shop and pay from my pocket.
Broken break pedal stop, causing break lights to stay on, other malfunctions as the car thinks the breaks are pressed when they aren't.
Component/system: Engine (Coolant intrusion into cylinder 1); Inspection available: Yes; Safety risk: Sudden power loss on road; Reproducibility/Confirmation: Dealer verified coolant in cylinder 1 after engine inspection; Manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others inspections: No; Warnings/symptoms: Check Engine light turned on, error code P0301, higher than normal engine temperature, low coolant in reservoir, white smoke, rough idle at turning of engine; First appeared: Around 100,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had a rough start prior to the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was pushed into a nearby local independent service center, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was left for further investigation at the owner's expense. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V779000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000. The VIN was not available.
Display screen went out after first back up, camera recall. Camera is fixed under the recall by the dealership shortly after the display screen was intermittently going out until the screen became completely black.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while stationary the vehicle's revolutions started to go up, and the vehicle kept accelerating without a reason or the accelerator being depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then tried to look around to see if any mats or if anything else was making the vehicle accelerate on its own, but found nothing was making the vehicle accelerate. The vehicle was shut off and when the contact tried to start the vehicle, the vehicle kept accelerating on its own. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the mat air flow sensor was replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The independent mechanic was not able to provide a diagnosis. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,682.
The vehicle is leaking fuel profusely right next to the passenger side exhaust pipe. The fuel is coming out of the fuel tank where the plastic is crimped go the fuel vent valve.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse, the screen turned blue with a message that the back over prevention camera was unavailable. The failure was intermittent. The contact first received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V082000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who inspected the vehicle and replaced the wiring harness clips in the rear of the vehicle. The contact received a second notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, and it was determined that the camera did not need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); and the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A/C unit became inoperative on the driver's side of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the evaporator core was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Weld between my clutch pedal and pedal assembly broke causing car to stall out in the road. This is a common issue with 2015-2017 manual mustangs.
The contact owned a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, a rattling sound was present and several unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, the power steering did not function as intended and the steering seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was very difficult to steer. In addition, the contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle veered off the road, went through the woods, and damaged 60 feet of ranch fencing. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The contact sustained bumps and bruises. In addition, the contact stated that he now suffers from anxiety because of his fear of driving. A police report was filed, however the information was unavailable. The contact stated that when he visited the dealer to pick up the spare key, the dealer provided him with new suspension parts. The contact was informed by the dealer that, due to the busy shop schedule, the parts were not replaced before the vehicle was purchased. The contact stated that he was informed to either replace them himself or bring the vehicle on a later date to have the repair performed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Smoke came up from under both seats within a few weeks of each other, found burned harness and plug at both heated/ cooled seat control modules mounted under seats. Researched and found a fix that will cost hundreds of $$ per seat but no recalls. I would think smoke and burning electrical in the interior of nearly ALL Ford products with heated/ cooled seats would be a safety recall?
I took my 2016 Ford Mustang to a local Discount Tire store to replace my front passenger seat tire. A few minutes after my car was pulled into the work Bay I was called to the front desk. The store supervisor advised me at that time that his technicians noted that my Lug nuts were swelling and would soon either burst causing my tire to potentially become dislodged or at the very least many garages would not be able to remove the lug nuts and ultimately the tire. He added that this was a common and known issue of Ford and there was even a potential class action suit regarding the issue. Of course the Supervisor's "fix" was to sell me a kit of replacement lug nuts which i Purchased at the cost of $95 dollars. I feel this is very dangerous and Ford should be responsible to reimburse me for the cost to replace inferior parts.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the valve had fallen into the engine, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,766.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 misfire, and that the spark plugs, coil pack, vacuum sensor, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the coolant level was low and there was coolant leaking into cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced again. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,575.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was unable to pull to the shoulder of the roadway and the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine block failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred four times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Vehicle is 2016 garage kept, just under 18,000 miles. Check engine light is on. Code scanner indicates EGR leak. EGR valve replaced, check engine light reset. No code for about 3 weeks. Started getting gas filler warnings and check engine light back on again EGR issue. Getting ready for a road trip took vehicle to Ford to troubleshoot check engine light. Identified problem as a cracked fuel tank near where the filler connects. I researched what I can on-line and others have this same issue. Wondering if this is a defect?
In March 2023 safety recall 22V082000 (Ford Number 22S06) was performed to fix a rear view camera malfunction. During the March 2023 work, only the wiring harness was replaced. My belief was that the actual camera should have been replaced as well. Replacing the wiring harness in March 2023 fixed the issue for 13 months, and then the issue re-occurred. Dealership charged $230 diagnosis fee to tell me that the issue was the camera and now the replacement of the camera cost me the $230 diagnostic fee; The $75 part fee for the camera; and the labor to replace the camera - Total bill out of pocket $530. I was informed after calling the Main Ford Customer service number that my 2016 mustang was not part of the camera recall (only the wiring harness). Camera was only covered with 2015 mustang. Seems odd to me that they make that distinction between model years but it is the same camera and obviously failed on my vehicle. As a major safety concern I believe Ford has failed to support their customers regarding this issue, and a second recall is warranted for the camera portion on 2016 models as well.
Engine Failure. In the right situation, complete loss of power of vehicle could cause several safety problems including Injury and/or Death. The problem was determined by the dealer and Extended Warranty Inspector. There were no warning lamps or any other indications of a complete engine failure. No smoke exiting the exhaust, no contaminated oil, plenty of coolant in radiator, and was not making any noise. Reason for taking the car in for service was, on Oct 1, 2024 the gauge was acting erratic. The car never ran hot. The car was taken to the dealership on Oct 2, 2024. 2 days after, received a call with results stating that I need a complete engine replacement due to overheating and coolant found in cylinder #3.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the contact became aware that the rearview camera was inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the deck lid wiring harness had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the deck lid wiring harness failed again and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,433.
Ford issued a notice in 2018 TSB 18-2256 stating that they knew evaporator cores were leaking refrigerant into the cabin of the cars but did not issue a recall. I know this issue may not lead directly lead to an injury from an accident but the system failure does release toxic chemicals that should not be in the cabin of a vehicle. Because this is a health risk to the occupants of the affected vehicles there should be a recall. I have had my 2016 Ford Mustang in to the Ford mechanic no less than 4 times since I bought it in late 2016 and each time they came up with some new cause for my AC not working and each time the system failed again in less than 2 years. Each time the problem was a supposed refrigerant leak in some other component of the AC system. Now that they've run out of things to replace they have speculated that the most likely cause is a bad evaporator core. My suspicion is that the evaporator core has been the issue from the beginning. Since Ford didn't issue a recall I have been subjected to years of exposure to dangerous chemicals due to this issue. Please make for recall these vehicles for the safety of the occupants of the affected vehicles
Back Up camera working intermittently. If I shake the wires in the trunk it will work. I purchased this car in November and immediately received a recall notice from Ford for the back up camera. I scheduled the car in for the recall and dropped it off to be repaired. I was notified from the dealer that the car was ready to go and picked it up. Immediately I noticed that the camera was still not working. The dealer said that the recall was to check and see if the recall was completed. (Does that really make any sense?). They said another dealer had completed the recall so their work was done. So I have a car that had a recall but now it does not as they say they have completed it but in reality, the original recall item is still not working.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that when purchasing the vehicle they noticed the instrument panel had failed to illuminate. Then while driving at approximately 20 MPH the red wrench displayed on the instrument panel and there was a loud noise coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle began shaking and emitting a burning oil odor. The contact lost control of the vehicle before it stalled and a spark of fire came from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact was able to get out of the vehicle where they watched black smoke come from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact noticed that there was oil all over the road. The fire department was not called. A police report was not made. The contact had received a concussion from hitting their head on the steering wheel when losing control of the vehicle. Medical attention was needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they diagnosed that the piston dropped through the turbo causing a hole in the engine. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and it was confirmed the VIN was not covered under a recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 52,109.
I had a back up camera recall done, and several months later, the exact same problems happened. Exactly the same symptoms and results. When shifting into reverse, the camera, in more than 50% of the time, the camera fails, just like before the first recall. The dealer says one fix per recall, and if I want it fixed now, it will be $400. It is a defect and should be fixed properly, not the sloppy fix done previously
The 2016 used car that I bought in 2017 with 20,711 miles has a defective ecoboost engine that leaks coolant on to the cylinder heads & causes engine failure. The vehicle has less than 100,000 miles & is currently in engine failure. Ford knew about this defective engine & never sent me a recall. There are class action lawsuits in CA & DE against FORD for the same ECOBOOST engine in my car. They want to charge me $12,000 for a new engine. I had a 5 year 100,000 mile warranty expire due to 5 yrs expiration & not the mileage, during covid while the car sat in front of the house & was barely driven. Once covid lifted restrictions I drove to Florida & put some miles on it locally & the engine is failing. This is absolutely absurd & Ford should be held accountable & be investigated in the state of MD for consumer fraud. This defective ecoboost engine dates back to 2012. They never should have sold me a car with a defective engine
Backup camera fails after recall repair is performed
Windows started fogging up when driving. Turned on ac to resolve and no cold air came out resulting a dangerous driving condition trying to see through condensation. Took vehicle to the dealer and found the cause was yet another leaking ac evaporator coil as several others have reported. Concerning to know there were toxic chemicals leaking in the vehicle. Dealer quoted at $3,000 to replace. Ford has changed manufacturers of this part due to widespread failure of the original equipment. Why is it on the vehicle owners to pay and replace this known faulty part which causes a safety issue?
During routine service my mechanic repoted “3x lugnuts swollen past 22mm”