2016 Ford Mustang problems & reliability
370 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 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.
10 complaints report injuries (11 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Ford Mustang vehicles were involved in 87 fatal crashes with 41 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 74 | 20% |
| Electrical System | 71 | 19% |
| Unknown OR Other | 68 | 18% |
| Back Over Prevention | 52 | 14% |
| Power Train | 29 | 8% |
| Structure | 28 | 8% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 25 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 19 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 17 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 4% |
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 37,306 miles (middle 50% between 16,125 and 64,569 miles), based on 194 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Nelson v. Ford Motor Company is a class action lawsuit targeting a defect in Ford's 2.3-liter EcoBoost engines. The suit highlights coolant leaks into engine cylinders, overheating, and catastrophic engine failures. I have had my 2016 ford mustang ecoboost in and out of mechanic shops for months now accumulating well…”
Engine · filed Aug 5, 2026
“The passenger side door is periodically opening to the first catch while driving on the highway without anyone touching the handle and it does not matter that the door is locked. It is very scary for any passenger when it happens. For the driver the tendency is to try to reach over and re-close the door at highway…”
Structure · filed Jul 31, 2026
“I am experiencing the same issues as NHTSA 22V-011 where the brake pedal stop bumper had disintegrated, causing continuous brake lights and a potential rollaway risk”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 24, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
167 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Ford Mustang. The 10 most recent:
Customer Satisfaction Program 25N15 - Supplement #1 Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacement
25N15 S1 · Other · issued Apr 20, 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
Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacemen
25N15 · Other · issued Jan 5, 2026
Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacement
25N15 · Other · issued Dec 22, 2025
This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display…
TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2025
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2025
Ford Motor Company is voluntarily conducting a study on some customer-owned vehicles to proactively replace the front seat belt retractors and return them to Ford for further analysis. Inspecting your vehicle will help…
24H02 · Other · issued Jun 9, 2025
This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to obtain field parts for evaluation. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to evaluate the field performance and functionality of the obtained front…
24H02 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 24, 2024
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
This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ…
TSB 24-2165 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2024
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 2016 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 2016 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 37,306 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.