2013 Ford Mustang problems & reliability
271 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford Mustang, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Ford Mustang vehicles were involved in 45 fatal crashes with 31 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 145 | 54% |
| Power Train | 48 | 18% |
| Engine | 22 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 18 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 14 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 10 | 4% |
| Steering | 10 | 4% |
| Structure | 8 | 3% |
| Suspension | 6 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 41,185 miles (middle 50% between 18,598 and 75,000 miles), based on 113 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I have a 2013 ford mustang with 6R80 transmission as my wife was driving down the high way the suddenly shift down to 1 or second at 65 miles per hour and the car skidded out of control almost killing her and the people in the other lain I checked on recalls for this problem and I am getting conflicting answer. It…”
Power Train · filed May 6, 2026
“Car has delayed shifting and is still down shifting when the car has already stopped. 2011-2012 mustangs have some extended coverage for this problem. 16N02. My 2013 was manufactured at flat rock in 2012 but not covered.”
Power Train · filed Apr 24, 2026
“The contact owned a 2013 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, another driver failed to yield while entering the roadway, abruptly cutting in front of the contact's vehicle. As a result, the contact was unable to stop in time and collided with the rear driver's side passenger…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 26, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
66 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford Mustang. The 10 most recent:
Harvest Program 25H05 – Supplement #1 Certain 2011-2021 Model Year Vehicles Software Verification Harvest Program
25H05 S1 · Other · issued Apr 29, 2026
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected vehicles that are customer-owned. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to evaluate the software currently…
25H05 · Other · issued Nov 19, 2025
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
Some 2011-2024 Mustang and F-150 vehicles equipped with a 5.0L engine may exhibit a tick tap and/or typewriter ticking noise at idle after an engine oil change. It is often referred to as typewriter noise because of its…
SSM 52334 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2024
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
Some 2013-2023 Ford or Lincoln vehicles with modems activated through FordPass or LincolnWay may experience 12 volt battery drain symptoms when the customer uses non-Ford/Lincoln phone applications as an alternate…
SSM 50804 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 24, 2022
Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection: Ford Motor…
22B05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2022
Some 2011-2021 Mustang and F-150 vehicles equipped with a 5.0L engine may exhibit a ticking noise at idle after an engine oil change. It is often referred to as typewriter noise because of its similarity to the sound of…
SSM 49761 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 29, 2021
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 Ford Mustang has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Ford Mustang?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 41,185 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.