GarageCalc What the data says
Engine accounts for about 24% of this year's Ford Mustang complaints. Complaints are spread across several areas, which reads more like normal ownership noise than a single defect.
The 2016 model year contributes 22 complaints (13%). Older vehicles dominate, consistent with age-related wear rather than a new defect.
Complaints are down year over year, 202 to 169 (-16%), while the market overall rose about 2%. Year-over-year movement is the most useful signal here: a model's sales are roughly stable from one year to the next, so a sharp rise means the per-vehicle complaint rate genuinely moved, not just that the model is popular.
How to read this
Raw complaint totals track how many Ford Mustangs are on the road as much as they track quality, so a high count on a best-seller is partly a volume story. Complaints are also self-reported: they capture what owners chose to file, not a controlled survey. Use these numbers to know where to look during a pre-purchase inspection and which recalls to check, not as a verdict on their own. Compare any car instantly in the Car Complaint Checker, or read the full 2026 study for the market-wide picture and methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ford Mustang reliable?
Complaint counts alone cannot answer that, because they track how many are on the road as much as build quality. What the 2026 data shows: 169 NHTSA complaints so far (rank 74 of 765 models), -16% year over year, with engine the most-cited area. Treat it as a starting point and cross-check recalls and a pre-purchase inspection for the specific vehicle.
What is the most common Ford Mustang complaint?
Engine: 40 of the 169 complaints filed in 2026 cite it (about 24%). Complaints are spread across several areas, which reads more like normal ownership noise than a single defect.
Which Ford Mustang model year has the most complaints?
The 2016 model year, with 22 of this year's 169 complaints (about 13%). Older vehicles dominate, consistent with age-related wear rather than a new defect.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, complaints received 2026-01-01..2026-08-24, compared with 2025-01-01..2025-08-24 (same window). Counted once per complaint ID, vehicles only. Aggregated data is available under CC BY 4.0 with a link to GarageCalc.