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Ford · NHTSA safety record

2016 Ford Mustang

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 378 safety complaints about the 2016 Ford Mustang with the US government. Of those, 13 describe a crash, 7 mention a fire, 11 people were injured and 2 deaths are recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 75 complaints, 20% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 35,300 miles, the median across the 204 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2016 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

378 complaints on file

378

Complaints

13

Describe a crash

7

Mention fire

11

People injured

2

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 75 · 20%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 73 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 69 · 18%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 52 · 14%
POWER TRAIN 29 · 8%
STRUCTURE 28 · 7%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 27 · 7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 20 · 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 17 · 4%
AIR BAGS 15 · 4%
STEERING 12 · 3%
SEAT BELTS 10 · 3%
0 31 62

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 378.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2022 at 53.

56 42 28 14
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2016 Ford MUSTANG, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 2 DR RWD C RWD
Overall Not rated
Frontal crash Not rated
Frontal, driver Not rated
Frontal, passenger Not rated
Side crash Not rated
Side barrier Not rated
Side pole Not rated
Rollover
Chance of rollover 8.1% 8.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

5 on file

SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

25V614000 · September 12, 2025

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. Water and road salt may corrode the front seat belt anchor pretensioner cables.
The risk
A corroded cable can break, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining an occupant, and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace both front seat belt anchor pretensioner assemblies, as necessary. In addition, dealers will remove sections of the carpet and underlayment that contact the cables. Dealers will also inspect the A-pillar sealing patches, and as necessary, install A-pillar body plugs, and/or inspect and replace the front outboard seat bolts. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed October 20, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S92. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov September 17, 2025.

Ford Motor Company · up to 332,778 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

25V572000 · September 4, 2025

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
The risk
A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,456,417 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

22V082000 · February 16, 2022

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera wiring may be loose or damaged, which can result in a blank or distorted image.
The risk
A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the decklid wiring harness and/or replace the rearview camera, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2022 and June 26, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the 4th Quarter of 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S06.

Ford Motor Company · up to 330,784 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS

16V779000 · October 26, 2016

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles manufactured February 24, 2015, to August 30, 2016. A hose may separate from the engine oil cooler tube assembly causing an oil leak.
The risk
A sudden loss of engine oil may cause engine failure, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, an oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil cooler tube assembly, free of charge. The recall began on March 23, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S40.

Ford Motor Company · up to 6,582 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS

15V707000 · October 26, 2015

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Mustang vehicles manufactured September 26, 2015, to October 1, 2015. The front and rear seat belts and child seat tether anchors may have been damaged in shipping from the supplier to the vehicle assembly plant and may not adequately restrain the occupant in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems."
The risk
If the restraint components do not function as intended, the occupants may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front and rear seat belt assemblies and the child seat tether anchors, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C13.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,900 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002

Still open engineering analysis · opened September 17, 2021

the air bags

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

2 deaths · 2 injured · fire

This specific car model is a 2016 Shelby GT350 tech package that I owned for at least 7 months. In this time period i had only put 7k mikes on it before it blew up. After doing tons of research there is a tons of class action law suits against Ford for these cars. The incident that occurred was while driving the vehicle caught fire on the passenger side. Driving at the speed limit of 40 MPH no warning lights, Check engine lights or anything it just blew up. Up to this point all maitence was done properly and after doing some research it had the same issue report by multiple other Shelby owners of this year. This vehicle is not safe for the roads and if not properly investigated, it can

NHTSA complaint 11530824, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

1 injured · fire · towed · 52,109 miles

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.

NHTSA complaint 11614899, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 3,200 miles

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT WHERE A DEER JUMPED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I SWERVED AND MY CAR WENT THROUGH A BRICK MAILBOX. MY AIRBAGS TOOK A WHILE TO COME OUT, BUT WHEN THEY DID I WAS BURNED AND BLISTERED.

NHTSA complaint 10822563. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 16,000 miles

I BOUGHT A 2016 FORD MUSTANG IN APRIL 2016 ITS A GREAT CAR. I HAD AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS GOT DEPLOYED LUCKILY NOTHING HAPPENED TO ME. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT RUSSELL AND SMITH COLLISION CENTER IN HOUSTON,TX FOR 51 DAYS AT A COST OF 18000$ (CAR COST 34000$). ON THE 26TH OF MARCH 2017 A GUY SKIPPED A RED SIGNAL AND CAME INTO THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION SO I HAD TO CRASH INTO HIM AT A SPEED OF 50 MPH. THIS TIME NO AIRBAGS GOT DEPLOYED . ITS ONLY BY GODS GRACE THAT I AM NOT HARMED. I TRIED COMPLAINING TO PEOPLE AT FORD BUT ALL I AM GETTING IS A RUN AROUND FROM THEIR CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVES. ALL I WANT TO KNOW WHY MY DRIVER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN AT THAT SPEED.

NHTSA complaint 10971517. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

fire

A new Walmart-brand EverStart Plus 96R, 590 CCA automotive battery was purchased on August 4, 2026, and installed in a 2016 Ford Mustang Convertible. On the evening of September 26, 2026, my family and I drove the Mustang and returned home at approximately 11:00 p.m. The vehicle operated normally. There were no warning signs, electrical problems, overheating, or other indications of a mechanical problem. The Mustang remained parked and untouched overnight. At approximately 2:00 p.m., 15 hours later, on September 27, my daughter came into the room and told me that the car was on fire. Riverside County Fire responded to the scene. Fire personnel specifically asked whether the Mustang had been

NHTSA complaint 11767727, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owned a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the driver's side door independently opened. The failure caused severe wind noise to enter the vehicle, and the door ajar warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where technicians confirmed that the door latch mechanism had failed and stated that the mechanism was subjected to unintended opening. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) as the cause of the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall.

NHTSA complaint 11765269. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On or about June 24, 2026, the CHECK ENGINE light came on. Since I was near the local Ford Dealership, I stopped there. The car was evaluated the next day. I was told the the gas tank assembly and pipe had to be replaced. The repair was almost $4000. My car only as 63,117 miles on it. Before the problem was diagnosed, I was getting lousy gas mileage and assumed it was because the government was allowing more ethanol. In fact, the problem could have been disastrous... The car could have caught on fire . The car was in the repair shop until July 2, and I had to rent a car for $300. I am unable to download a photo I have of the gas tank which shows these numbers: E-11 34RI-020135 as well as

NHTSA complaint 11765026, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When reaching 60+ mph the passenger door will unlatch and give me the open passenger door notification on the dash. It doesn’t shoot up, but rather barely comes open.

NHTSA complaint 11762228. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Brought the car in for service. The tech called me back and said the engine was blown. Condensation in cylinder 3. This was due to the cylinder walls being engineered to small. Which caused a leak in the coolant jacket. I paid out of pocket nearly $10,000 to have it replaced because the third party warranty that I had purchased declined my coverage to fix it because it’s a known issue by ford. Bc

NHTSA complaint 11761935. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This complaint is a formal notification of a Recall Remedy Failure regarding NHTSA Campaign 22V082000 / 25V572000 (Rearview Camera Wiring Harness / Camera Replacement). My vehicle was brought to an authorized Ford dealership on 07/22/2026 to complete the recall remedy. Following the service, the backup camera functionality has completely degraded and is now worse than before the service. The screen is consistently displaying entirely black / distorted screen / Message Camera not available, presenting an ongoing, unmitigated back-over safety hazard. The manufacturer's remedy has failed to resolve the safety defect. Returned to the authorized Ford dealership on 08/21/2026 and was told this is

NHTSA complaint 11758171, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ford Mustang

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 8 5 —
2025 18 6 —
2024 81 12 —
2023 15 6 —
2022 50 9 —
2021 55 6 —
2020 120 8 —
2019 149 6 —
2018 193 3 —
2017 265 6 —
2015 437 11 —
2014 359 3 —
2013 271 5 —
2012 469 6 1
2011 466 4 —
2010 261 5 2

Other 2016 Ford models

Explorer 2,455 F-150 2,059 Fusion 1,631 Focus 1,181 Escape 1,131 Edge 914 F-250 SD 289 Expedition 217

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Ford on this site — 359 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst