2016 Ford Mustang: misfire or rough idle

Filed Aug 5, 2026 · Engine · CA

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 over $7K in out of pocket expenses. I have been to multiple mechanics trying to diagnose and fix the problem but in the end it was a design flaw in the 2016 ford mustang ecoboost 4 cylinder which caused it to leak coolant, misfire, and overheat. I have been having this problem for some time now, this put my safety and the safety of others at risk because I had to slow down dramatically in order to pull over on the freeway due to the engine overheating from coolant loss. I've also experienced problems like trouble starting, rough idling, loss of coolant, and huge clouds of white smoke coming from the exhaust upon start. I have saved every single receipt and invoice breakdown since this problem began. My mechanic has also been documenting everything including taking notes and photographs of every issue. My car is currently in the shop right now being worked on. My mechanic says that he can temporarily patch the problem with a high performance head stud, copper sealant, and an ExtremeHeat metallic repair paste by JB Weld to momentarily solve the issue. He says that he does not know how long this patch will last so he is insisting I either get a new car or to see what my options are regarding the class action lawsuit filed against Ford.

Filed Feb 1, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · CA

At about 75k miles my mustang started misfiring at about 2,500 rpm’s and higher. Turns out it was a blown head gasket. This engine model is prone to what happened to it. Ford should have a recall for these engine and a solution as they’re ticking time bombs. I wish I could drive with the peace of mind of not worrying about it. I couldn’t drive my car for months because of the warranty not even wanting to cover it. The warranty from the used car dealership. Got unlucky.

Filed Sep 6, 2025 · Engine · OH

Component/system: Engine (Coolant intrusion into cylinder 1); Inspection available: Yes; Safety risk: Sudden power loss on road; Reproducibility/Confirmation: Dealer verified coolant in cylinder 1 after engine inspection; Manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others inspections: No; Warnings/symptoms: Check Engine light turned on, error code P0301, higher than normal engine temperature, low coolant in reservoir, white smoke, rough idle at turning of engine; First appeared: Around 100,000 miles.

Filed Dec 11, 2024 · Engine · 79,575 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 misfire, and that the spark plugs, coil pack, vacuum sensor, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the coolant level was low and there was coolant leaking into cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced again. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,575.

Filed May 14, 2024 · Engine · 85,080 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was misfiring. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware of coolant leaking into the engine cylinder. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The warranty company declined to cover the repair under warranty because the failure was a known failure with the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was advised to report the failure to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 85,080.

Filed Sep 6, 2023 · Engine · 77,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that approximately 3 to 4 times while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle overheated and then stalled without warning. The failure had occurred at various speeds. The contact stated that the failure had escalated to the point where the vehicle was no longer drivable. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer who diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #4, causing the engine to misfire. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.

Filed Aug 18, 2023 · Engine · AZ

My car started to show a check engine light on around 103,000 miles. After getting a check engine light reading, the code was a misfire p0303 on cylinder 3. I took the car to a mechanic and was told the head gasket was blown and coolant was leaking into it.

Filed May 28, 2023 · Engine · AR

My check engine light came on it was cylinder 2 misfire. Sputtering and stalling in traffic. Slow to excelarate, started losing coolant and blowing white smoke on start up. Stuck in traffic. Then the turbo blew out. Replaced turbo, replaced spark plugs replaced edition coil. Still cylinder 2 misfire. Still a rough idle, Still dies in traffic Still losing coolant, dies unexpectedly and then won't start. Replaced fuel pump about 3 years ago for it dying in the middle of sams club traffic lane. Currently issues with the other problems listed above. Have found out this is a common problem with these motors. I called Ford and was told it's because I have 112,000 miles on my car. I've never missed a service, never driven the car hard, never over heated it. I have taken excellent car of this vehicle. Currently waiting for another diagnostic test. We pay to much for these cars to be stuck in traffic and have the engines go out and so many problems with them. Yes this car can be inspected at any time. Ford needs to recall this engine and fix its mistake. This is not okay. And it's dangerous to continue to let people drive these vehicles.

Filed May 18, 2022 · Engine · MD

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -The engine on my 2016 Ford Mustang EcoBoost is malfunctioning. My vehicle's RPM drop extremely low then rev high, then the car almosts cut off when I drive at low speeds, park, or stop at lights/stop signs. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -I stopped driving my car any further than 10-15 mile distances because I was afraid the car may cut off while I'm driving down the road in traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -I took my car to 3 different Ford dealerships, in Mississippi, North Carolina and Maryland. The first could not replicate the issue or find any issues, the second dealer whom I paid approximately $700 for repairs had my car for 3 weeks because they couldn't find the issue, so they replaced my spark plugs and an ignition coil and said it should be good. The third Ford dealership didn't diagnose it truly they just said it was leaking coolant so it had to be an internal coolant leak that has damaged my engine (causing a misfire), based on a Ford TSB that has apparently been out for a long time. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -It was inspected by 3 different Ford dealerships. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? -The first time I had this symptom was in the spring of 2021, but it was a one time thing and it went away. The next time I noticed the issue was around July of 2021 which is when I took it to the Ford dealership near me in Mississippi. The first time the check engine light came on was in April of 2022 when I arrived in Maryland after I took it to the repair shop in North Carolina. Note: I was in the process of moving from Mississippi to the DC area, otherwise I wouldn't have even driven it that far.

Filed May 16, 2022 · Engine · 59,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the mechanic discovered a misfire in cylinder #3. The coil and the spark plug in cylinder #3 were replaced; however, the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated as the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot. The contact took the vehicle back to the mechanic where they discovered that the coolant level was low and recommended that the vehicle be taken to a dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the diagnostic test discovered that coolant had leaked into cylinder #3 and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The contact was then referred to the federal safety agency for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

Filed Apr 18, 2022 · Locks · TX

The locked doors are randomly unlatching when I hit a bump. It’s happened several times on one side or the other and usually when I’m driving at high speed on the freeway. My young daughter was in the front seat when it happened again and it was very scary as the door was barely closed. If she had her arm leaning on it, it would have opened completely. I’ve had to rush into the emergency lane to close it again. These doors are locked when I start driving. I know there’s a recall on the 2015 mustang but I didn’t see one for the 2016. This is a convertible so I understand the doors are heavier and maybe this is a factor but it’s dangerous and Ford has been anything but conscientious regarding public safety issues with these mustangs including the infamous bank 8 misfires with the engine. Many people have had this and are forced to buy new engines on vehicles with mileage as low as 60,000 miles. Mine has been recently doing this as well.

Filed Dec 6, 2020 · Engine · 59,000 miles · GA · fire

After having the car for 5 months (59,000 mi) the engine blew up while driving 60mph on a state highway and dropped all of its oil. The ecoboost mustangs are incredibly prone to this issue and ford is just sweeping them under the rug. Ford had my car for 4 months when it was misfiring (which is how "ecoboom" begins) and replaced almost everything under the powertrain warranty minus the engine, transmission and turbocharger. When I got the car back it started to jump timing then misfire then all of a sudden it stopped. Then the engine blew up.