Engine stalls on acceleration. Very dangerous passing or merging into traffic!
Ford Mustang stalling problems
334 of the 8,915 owner complaints about the Ford Mustang describe engine stalls while driving, most of them for the 2003 model year.
- owner complaints
- 334
- worst model year
- 2003
- typical repair cost reported
- $750
- typical mileage
- 34,349
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 40Loss of power 34Overheating 15Engine failure 15Misfire 14Fuel pump 14Hesitation 13Won't start 12
Trouble codes mentioned
P2111 4P0316 2P0304 2P0302 2P2135 1P2112 1P144C 1P1285 1P0722 1P0720 1
What owners say
My 2019 ford mustang egoboost with only 59,000 miles has a cylinder three coolant intrusion. This is disappointing, as the only right way to fix this according to Ford, is to replace the whole engine. Nobody should expect to have to fix their entire engine. Now on cold starts coolant is leaking in to cylinder three, which is causing misfires and could potentially lead to a safety, risk. Ironically, there’s a lawsuit currently in place for this exact problem. This is a problem, sudden engine failure or stalling due to severe coolant intrusion introduces a dangerous loss of power while operating the vehicle at speed and could lead to a blown or locked up motor. Ford has kept this under wraps since the release of this generation of vehicle.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road, shifted to park(P) and waited five minutes, and restarted the vehicle. The failure was a recurring failure. Additionally, the vehicle lost windshield washer fluid pump functionality and days later by the check engine warning light illuminated due to a weak or failing battery. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V547000 (Electrical System). The dealer was contacted but was unable to reproduce failure and stated that vehicle needed a software update. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 27,500.
I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a catastrophic Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) failure and severe electrical short circuit on my 2015 Ford Mustang. This vehicle is exhibiting hard fault code B137F:09 (Steering Wheel Left Switch Pack: Component Failure / Short to Ground or Open). This electronic failure creates an immediate, severe safety hazard that goes entirely outside the scope of normal vehicle wear and tear. While driving, the vehicle's steering wheel pulls and jerks violently on its own, actively fighting my manual steering inputs. Furthermore, this internal electronic short creates a massive parasitic electrical draw that prevents the vehicle's computer modules from entering sleep mode when turned off. This has resulted in the primary vehicle battery draining completely flat and causing the vehicle to completely shut down, stall, or lose total electrical power altogether. A vehicle that forcefully steers itself away from the intended path of travel and suffers total electrical shutdown is a clear, life-threatening safety risk to myself and others on the road. Ford Motor Company is fully aware of this dangerous defect. They previously issued Safety Recall 15S18 for a very specific, limited batch of early-production 2015 Mustangs experiencing identical EPAS failures, replacing their steering gears for free. For the remaining 2015 Mustang owners experiencing the exact same hazardous failure, Ford quietly shifted the issue over to a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB / SSM 51312). By limiting the scope of Recall 15S18 purely due to the financial cost of a universal recall, Ford has left an entire population of 2015 Mustang owners in direct harm's way. Some owners received a free lifetime safety fix, while the rest of us are being forced to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket to correct an identical factory electronic defect. I request that the federal safety agency immediately open an investigation into Ford's handling of the 2015 Mustang EPAS and more.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V122000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to complete the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle stalled, jerked forward, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The force of the jerk propelled the contact onto the steering wheel. The vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle required several attempts to start on some occasions. A dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the recall remedy was unavailable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine sputtered with the check engine warning light illuminated. There was heavy white smoke coming from the tailpipe. Upon arriving at the destination, the vehicle hesitated to restart, and the contact observed a significant loss of coolant. The vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. Upon inspection, the dealer confirmed coolant intrusion in cylinders #2 and #3, resulting in total engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not under recall, and there was no warranty associated with the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired out-of-pocket by the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
My vehicle, VIN [XXX], is subject to the federal safety agency Recall 25V455 (Ford Recall 25S75) involving a defective low-pressure fuel pump that may cause engine hesitation, loss of power, or engine stalling. This recall was announced in July 2025 and remains open on the federal safety agency VIN lookup as of June 2026. More than eleven months have passed since the recall was announced, and Ford has not provided a repair remedy for my vehicle. I believe this is an unreasonable delay for a safety-related defect. In addition, the recall previously appeared in the FordPass application associated with my vehicle but no longer appears there, even though both the federal safety agency and Ford recall website VIN lookup continues to show the recall as open. This discrepancy creates confusion regarding the status of the recall and whether Ford is actively notifying affected owners. I am concerned that my vehicle remains subject to a known safety defect without an available repair and request that the federal safety agency review Ford’s handling of Recall 25V455, the prolonged delay in providing a remedy, and the inconsistency between Ford’s customer-facing systems and the federal safety agency recall database. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Left for work. Started running funny, stalled-started-stalled-started on my street. Got on highway about 1/2 mile, check engine light & engine temp light came on. Got off highway and called a tow to SARASOTA FORD. Tech ran diag. for codes, codes found.: P1285( cylinder head over temp ), P0316(engine misfire ), P0304( cylinder 4 misfire ), P0303(cylinder 3 misfire ), P0302( cylinder 2 misfire ), P217( engine coolant over temp ),.. Tech removed spark plugs and saw coolant in cylinder's ( 2,3,4 ) with a bore scope. Ongoing problem I found out about after the fact with the ( 2015-2019, 2.3L EcoBoost .. "ECO-BOOM" motor ). Specifically between cylinder's 2 & 3... Was quoted a repair cost of over $10,000.00 -12,000.00 dollars. It's been next to my house for almost a year now. Bought the car used in JANUARY 2021 with my son with no explanation of the known problem. If known I would not have bought the car, 2019/FORD/MUSTANG/2DR CPE ECOBOOST FASTBACK. Diagnostics were done on 06/04/2025 at ... Incident happened around 05/30-31/2025, That's about all I got
1. Component failed and availability for inspection: The engine assembly block failed due to a manufacturing defect known as "coolant intrusion into the cylinders." The vehicle and the defective engine are currently located at my residence and remain fully available for federal or manufacturer inspection upon request. 2. Safety risk: The safety of myself and others was severely compromised. Coolant entering the combustion chambers causes sudden, severe engine misfires across all cylinders, erratic power loss, and instantaneous stalling. Operating a vehicle where the engine can suddenly lose all power on high-speed roads creates an immediate risk of rear-end collisions and catastrophic traffic accidents. Furthermore, high-pressure internal coolant leaks pose an inherent risk of engine fires. 3. Problem confirmed by a dealer: Yes. The problem has been officially diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership service center, which documented internal coolant intrusion. 4. Inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance: The component was inspected and verified by the vehicle manufacturer's authorized dealership technicians. It has not been inspected by the police or insurance representatives, as no crash has occurred yet. 5. Warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to failure: Prior to the diagnosis, the vehicle exhibited a "Check Engine Light." Currently, the vehicle is suffering from critical failure symptoms: the Check Engine Light is flashing constantly, the engine misfire codes are actively showing on all 4 cylinders, and the vehicle shakes violently at low RPMs (rough idling). These severe symptoms first appeared approximately 2 moths ago and have progressively worsened due to the coolant intrusion.
Check engine light came on, car lost power on highway. Car continues to have the same issue after repairs have been made. Ford App says engine misfire, after every repair. Ford mechanics fix spark plugs, coils, electrical. None of which has fixed the issue of stalling on the highway which poses risk of me the driver and others driving on the highway. The only light that comes on is engine light.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- 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
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- 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
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: gas recirculation valve (EGR valve)
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger, Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Corsair, Bronco Sport, and Bronco vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.
- Risk
- An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the EGR valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 31, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 4, 2026.
Recall number 26V122000 · Recall details
Engine
- 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
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: hoses/lines/piping/fittings
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 16V779000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: taurus/sable vehicles equipped with 3.0l and 3.8l engines and mustang vehicles with 3.8l and 5.0l engines. It is possible for the engine cooling fan bearing to seize.
- Risk
- Should this occur, excessive heat could be generated which could melt the fan motor electrical connector. Components inside the cooling fan motor could ignite potentially resulting in an underhood fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the engine cooling fan assembly and install a circuit breaker. If the cooling fan is inoperative, the fan and motor assembly will be replaced. Owner notification began december 28, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 01V390000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Mustang stalling
Which Ford Mustang years have engine stalls while driving problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2003 (34 complaints), 2011 (25 complaints) and 1995 (22 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix engine stalls while driving on the Ford Mustang?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $750 (median of 14 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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