Transmission seems to lose power while driving, the car will barely pull itself but the rpms increase if I accelerate. This has happened several times while driving and occasionally there are dash lights lighting and speedometer/gas gauge doesn’t work but that doesn’t happen every time. When it happens I pull over and shut it down and restart and it runs correctly until it happens again! I do a lot of highway driving and the car just “falling flat” on a multi-lane highway at 70+ mph is definitely a safety issue! I have taken it to my local fastlane shop and the car was driven but didn’t malfunction at that time. He advised me to try to drive it there if it happened again, but I have never been close to the shop at the times it happens or they are closed. There is no advance warning, it happens at various speeds and even on takeoff after stopping for traffic lights. I once was pulling into traffic when it happened and didn’t have enough power to get to my lane before it fell flat! Fortunately I could back up before getting hit by oncoming traffic.
2012 Ford Mustang transmission problems
177 complaints (38% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 11,500. 8 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 177
- of this car's complaints
- 38%
- typical mileage
- 11,500
- crashes
- 8
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Manual transmission20
- Automatic transmission3
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Ford Mustang transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Ford Mustang transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Won't shift 32Harsh shifting 16Transmission failure 11Jerking 9Whining noise 7
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
- Risk
- An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
Recall number 16V248000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Inability to shift gears on acceleration
The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Ford as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers.In total, there were 364 unique reports indicating various shift quality issues while driving.Ford identified several factors that may contribute to shift quality concerns in the subject vehicles, including cold transmission, clutch stay-out at high engine speeds, gear clash or grinding, and gradual loosening of clutch plate bolts in some early production vehicles.The largest percentage of complaints indicated higher than expected shift efforts in cold ambient temperatures.These complaints were related to transmission fluid viscosity and the higher shift efforts resolved themselves with the drivetrain warming.Ford published technical service bulletin TSB 11-3-18 to inform technicians that a lower viscosity fluid was available for use to address the cold shift issues.The clutch stay-out condition typically occurs at engine speeds greater than 4000 rpm.It does not prevent the selection of any gear, but may delay clutch re-engagement depending on how long the driver maintains the higher engine speed.Ford identified rotating inertia of the clutch components as the root cause and replacement clutch pedal parts were made available under Ford TSB 10-19-4.A number of reports alleged increasing difficulty selecting gears along with gear clash or grinding.Grinding or notchy gear shifts may be caused by gradual loosening of clutch plate fasteners, which is promoted by certain aggressive shifting.This condition is progressive in nature and initially results in symptoms related to shift quality/feel.Clutch plate bolt loosening will not result in inability to select any gear unless the progressive symptoms are ignored until complete clutch failure occurs.ODI?s analysis identified only five complaints alleging an inability to shift into gear due to loose clutch plate bolts.None of these resulted in a stall and gear shifting could occur before engine start.A revised fastener was designed and implemented in production and is available for service through a special service message.There is no indication of loss of motive power or unreasonable safety risk associated with the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.This preliminary evaluation is closed.
PE11024
What 2012 Ford Mustang owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started stalling. The contact pulled over to the side of the road; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission range sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 12V190000 (Power Train, Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Recently started having erratic shifting issues. Will downshift randomly out of nowhere while driving. Sometimes will just be stuck in 1st gear and won’t go anywhere until I pull over and shut off/start up again. Dangerous because I never know when it will do it. Might seem like everything is fine and then all of a sudden, it downshifts and loses power. Rpm’s rise but car has no power. Have to figure out how to get out of the way. As stated in ford’s “ Customer Satisfaction Program 16N02,” my 2012 has all the symptoms and I have DTC code P0731 but dealer refused to service my vehicle because it doesn’t show up with my VIN, even though it’s a 2012 and I clearly need my Molded Leadframe replaced.
The transmission down shifted to first gear and the rear tires locked up. Skidding on the highway.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear and the vehicle's rear tires ceased. Additionally, the speedometer failed. The air bag warning light, the traction control warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The contact used an OBD reader and read the DTC code P0720. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
The rear end creaks and the 2nd gear grinds and pops out in the manual transmission
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk and downshifted. The contact then stated that the speedometer and RPM’s started to fluctuate rapidly. All the warning lights were illuminated. As a result, the contact crashed into a metal road post and a tree. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission seized and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed by the mechanic of the federal safety agency Campaign Number 16V248000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified however, the contact was unsuccessful. The 90,000.
The transmission is leaking between where engine and transmission meet and it will not go into gears correctly
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the rear wheels locked up and the speedometer displayed 0 MPH. The vehicle started sliding sideways, causing the contact to almost lose control of the vehicle. The contact was able to veer to the side of the roadway. The contact then pulled into the nearest gas station, parked, and turned off the vehicle. The contact resumed driving; however, the failure reoccurred while driving 40 MPH. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer who informed the contact that they could not diagnose the vehicle as the transmission specialist was not available. The contact drove to his residence. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train). The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into the drive and reverse, the vehicle would no drive forward or move backward. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not notified. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Questions about the 2012 Ford Mustang transmission
Does the 2012 Ford Mustang have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 177 complaints about the transmission of the 2012 Ford Mustang, 38% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Mustang transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 11,500 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Mustang transmission?
Yes, 1 recall: 16V248000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford Mustang have bad transmission?
The Ford Mustang model years with the most transmission complaints are 2011 (200 complaints), 2012 (177 complaints) and 1995 (58 complaints).
Other 2012 Ford Mustang problems
Airbags 159Acceleration 35Engine 33Body 23Fuel system 22Electrical 21Steering 16Suspension 16Driver assistance 13Brakes 11Wheels 6Lights 5Seats 5Visibility 5Seat belts 2Tires 2
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