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2026 Ford Mustang problems

The most common problem on the 2026 Ford Mustang is engine and cooling. It has fewer complaints than a typical Mustang model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
8
Recalls
5
Service bulletins
22
Worst area
Engine
Fuel economy
12-26mpg

The worst 2026 Ford Mustang problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Engine
    3
  • Acceleration
    2
  • Brakes
    2
  • Electrical
    2
  • Transmission
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Engine
    3
  • Acceleration
    2
  • Brakes
    2
  • Electrical
    2
  • Transmission
    1
  • Visibility
    1
  • Wheels
    1

Recalls 5

Electrical system: wiringReported August 25, 2026 · 148,663 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang vehicles. The engine compartment wiring harness ground connections may fracture and result in a loss of drive power, or a loss of function in the windshield washing system, headlights, air conditioning, or engine cooling fan. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment," and 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
Risk
A loss of driver power increases the risk of a crash. In addition, a loss of headlight function or windshield washing system function can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the engine compartment wiring harness ground terminals, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in March 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C40. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on August 28, 2026.

Recall number 26V547000 · Recall details

Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanicalReported August 25, 2026 · 10,427 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.
Risk
An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on August 28, 2026.

Recall number 26V548000 · Recall details

Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motorReported June 30, 2026 · 67,994 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang and 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles. During certain cold temperature conditions, the windshield wipers may function only at their high-speed setting and the washing system may fail to function properly.
Risk
Windshield wipers or a washing system that fails to function as intended can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiper motor as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C32. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on July 2, 2026.

Recall number 26V418000 · Recall details

Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanicalReported March 31, 2026 · 278 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.
Risk
An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the engine for missing or mis-installed circlips and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S23. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on April 2, 2026.

Recall number 26V205000 · Recall details

EngineReported December 1, 2025 · 6 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Corsair, and 2025 Maverick vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Risk
An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components increases the risk of a fire. In addition, the loss of oil can result in engine seizure and loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly, free of charge. All affected vehicles are still within dealership inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on November 24, 2025.

Recall number 25V828000 · Recall details

See all 5 recalls for the 2026 Ford Mustang

Technical service bulletins for the 2026 Ford Mustang 22

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 22 bulletins for the 2026 Ford Mustang

2026 Ford Mustang fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
2.3L 4‑cylRWD21-2230-3325-26
5.0L 8‑cylRWD14-1622-2417-19
5.2L 8‑cylRWD10-1217-1812-14

What 2026 Ford Mustang owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Sep 28, 2026 · Engine · SC

Vehicle suffered sudden, total loss of motive power while driving. No dashboard warning lights or error codes were produced. Vehicle is currently grounded at Anderson Ford (SC) under active recall 26V547 / 26C40. Manufacturer and dealer are refusing alternative safe transportation, attempting to force the consumer to drive an unremedied, unsafe vehicle because the intermittent total-ground failure did not store a code."

Filed Sep 23, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · NY · crash · 1 injury

Recalls on 2024 Ford Mustangs: On 09/22/2026, at approximately 11:34AM, my Ford Mustang suffered a catastrophic malfunction. When I was braking on the offramp, the brakes did not engage and remained firm and unresponsive. The car immediately accelerated, despite my efforts on the brakes accompanied by the use of the emergency brake. The car continued to accelerate as I was trying to brake, navigating the terrain off the ramp on onto a grassy area. I maneuvered the car between two trees, trying in vain to use the brakes. The Mustang continued accelerating across 25a, until it hit a car on my passenger side, which spun me around- NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ! The car ended up going backwards hitting an i-beam that was supporting the street sign, bending it significantly. I hit my head on the side glass window.Thankfully, this stopped the propulsion of the runaway car and it finally came to a stop. Thank goodness I survived, as did everyone else in the vicinity of the malfunctioning out of control 2026 Ford Mustang.

Filed Sep 14, 2026 · Acceleration · 2,500 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2026 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH and pulling out of the driveway, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle quickly accelerated. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and opened the case. The failure mileage was 2,500.

Filed Jul 19, 2026 · Acceleration · FL

My Mustang prevented me out of nowhere from going over 80, no warning or driver assistance system were active when the incident happened, this car is brand new only 4k miles when it happened, i pulled over to gas station and restarted it, it didnt fix the issue until i let it sit for 20 mins near the gas station their is some kind of glitch in the system and it never happened since but its always in the back of my mind, other owners in 24/25 also reported same issue.

Filed Jul 14, 2026 · Wheels · MS

On XXX I purchased a new 2026 Ford Mustang GT from the dealership at [XXX] and [XXX] in [XXX] 40 Hrs. after the purchase I was traveling on [XXX] Headed west at about 78 MPH the speed limit was 70 MPH., when my driver side rear tire let go, I mean totally blew out. The car slammed to the ground and the rear of the car slide to the right and almost flipped with me in it. I could have very well been killed. I don't know why this happened, but I clearly believe this to be a serious safety issue that needs to be dealt with by the dealership and Ford Motor corporation, next time someone may be killed. I have the tire and pictures of the tire if anyone needs them. I have contacted the dealership and has been speaking to executive Manager [XXX]. When I asked him about inspections and tire pressures before the car was delivered to me, he cut off all communications. I wrote them an official and signed statement by me concerning the incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 15, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · CA

Description On your vehicles engine, one or more of the clips that retain the engines pistons to their connecting rods may be mis-installed or missing. Safety Risk A mis-installed clip may result in an audible knocking noise that increases over time. Progression of this issue can lead to piston failure and engine damage, resulting in a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Parts are available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect your vehicles engine for evidence of mis-installedmissing clips. If found, the engine long block assembly will be replaced free of charge. Recall service not available right now. We have a remedy but parts are not available right now. We will inform you when the service is available. Or, you can contact your dealer.

Filed Jun 14, 2026 · Visibility · MO

9 days after I purchased this 2026 Mustang GT brand new. The first rain storm. After activating the wipers. Said wipers broke and went flying airborne over the vehicle into traffic. At which point I couldn’t see as it was raining heavy. This resulted in a near head on collision with oncoming traffic and the wiper arm damaged the windshield. Obviously Ford installed defective/faulty parts/wipers on the vehicle at the factory. Parts which Fords has claimed they are not responsible or liable for installing damaged. And which Ford refused to warranty. Or accept any responsibility for.

Filed May 9, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · TX · crash

The 2026 Ford Mustang was off and rolled away out of the driveway colliding with tree, The incident was caught on my Ring Camera, the electrical system vehicle had acting strangely and kept giving warning the trunk was open and had to go open and close it multiple times. once i parked the vehicle at my house the car rolled away, according to Ford manual the vehicle is equipped this is a failure to the involves a critical safety system (Automatic Return to Park) that is explicitly designed to prevent exactly what happened, you should treat this as a serious safety defect. As of May 2026, Ford has already issued a major recall (Recall 25C69) for rollaway risks in other 2026 models like the Mustang Mach-E and Maverick due to a software fault in the "Integrated Park Module." While your gasoline Mustang (EcoBoost) was not explicitly named in that specific recall, it uses similar electronic shifting logic.

Compare the 2026 Ford Mustang

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Other model years

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Questions about the 2026 Ford Mustang

Is the 2026 Ford Mustang reliable?

Owners have filed 8 complaints about the 2026 Ford Mustang, fewer than a typical Mustang model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2026 Ford Mustang?

Engine and cooling, with 3 complaints. Next is acceleration (2).

How many recalls does the 2026 Ford Mustang have?

5 recalls, covering electrical system, engine and engine cooling and visibility.

Was there a recall on the 2026 Ford Mustang engine?

Yes, 3 recalls: 26V548000, 26V205000, 25V828000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Ford Mustang have bad engine?

The Ford Mustang model years with the most engine complaints are 1995 (341 complaints), 1994 (162 complaints) and 1996 (84 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 2026 Ford Mustang get?

Official estimates for the 2026 Ford Mustang range from 12 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.3L 4-cyl, RWD) gets 21-22 city and 30-33 highway.

Share your experience with the 2026 Ford Mustang

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