Reliable Auto DB

2013 Ford Mustang reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Ford Mustang holds 271 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 18 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Mustang years here — over the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Frontal, Inflator, and Transmission control module.

2010 Ford Mustang GT coupe
Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

271

Per year

18

Recalls

6

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (145 of 271), then Powertrain (48) and Engine (22). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 40,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 12,378 and 72,250 miles. Those filings include 16 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 8 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Mustang has 469 complaints, 55 per year, and the 2014 has 359 complaints, 73 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Ford Mustang. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall air bags, frontal 2021-02-16 · NHTSA campaign 21V081000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
Vehicles affected 1,067
Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2021-02-16 · NHTSA campaign 21E013000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also includes certain passenger-side air bag inflators and/or modules designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang, 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion, 2010-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2011 Ford Ranger, and 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX vehicles. Please see Ford's recall report for the specific part numbers. These parts may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
Vehicles affected 249
Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-01-07 · NHTSA campaign 19V001000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.
Vehicles affected 782,384
Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-01-11 · NHTSA campaign 18V046000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge, Fusion, Mustang and Ranger, Lincoln MKX and Zephyr/MKZ, and Mercury Milan vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2009 Ford Edge, Fusion, Mustang and Ranger, Lincoln MKX and Zephyr/MKZ, and Mercury Milan vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
Vehicles affected 327,796
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2015-05-28 · NHTSA campaign 15V319000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2014 Mustang vehicles manufactured April 6, 2004, to June 21, 2014, and 2005-2006 GT vehicles manufactured February 20, 2004, to September 22, 2006. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 10, 2016. Even if interim repairs were performed under safety recall 14V-802, owners must bring their vehicles in for the final remedy. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S21. Note: This recall supersedes safety recall 14V-802.
Vehicles affected 1,018,622
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, transmission control module 2012-05-03 · NHTSA campaign 12V190000
Summary FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 FORD F-150, 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR, AND 2012-2013 MUSTANG VEHICLES, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NOS. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT" AND 108 “LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.” THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR (TRS) THAT WAS CALIBRATED OUT OF SPECIFICATION FOR REVERSE GEAR.
Remedy FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE TRS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
Vehicles affected 10,500

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (271 total)

Air bags
145
Powertrain
48
Engine
22
Speed control
19
Electrical system
18
Fuel and propulsion system
10
Steering
10
Structure
8
Suspension
6
Seat belts
4
Service brakes
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Tires
3
Wheels
3
Exterior lighting
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Lane departure
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

16

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

8

Death reports

0

Of the 120 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 40,000 miles. The middle half fall between 12,378 and 72,250 miles.

Complaints filed per year

220121320131420142620151032016312017192018212019920206202152022112023520244202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I have a 2013 ford mustang with 6R80 transmission as my wife was driving down the high way the suddenly shift down to 1 or second at 65 miles per hour and the car skidded out of control almost killing her and the people…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-05-06
  • "Car has delayed shifting and is still down shifting when the car has already stopped. 2011-2012 mustangs have some extended coverage for this problem. 16N02. My 2013 was manufactured at flat rock in 2012 but not covered."
    Powertrain · filed 2026-04-24
  • "The contact owned a 2013 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, another driver failed to yield while entering the roadway, abruptly cutting in front of the contact's vehicle. As a…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-08-26
  • "The contact owns a 2013 Ford Mustang. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 15V319000 (Air Bags) and 19V001000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer declined to perform…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-08-06
  • "n 2019, I bought a used car from a well-known dealer in Puerto Rico. I recently took it to a mechanic for some repairs, and the mechanic informed me that the vehicle's internal odometer didn't match the odometer on the…"
    Suspension, Powertrain · filed 2025-04-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Ford Mustang 2 DR RWD 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars
2013 Ford Mustang C RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Mustang 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 30 23 MPG $2800
Mustang 3.7L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 29 22 MPG $2950
Mustang 5L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 25 20 MPG $3250
Mustang 5L, 8-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 25 19 MPG $3400
Mustang 5.8L, 8-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 24 18 MPG $4450
Mustang convertible 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 29 23 MPG $2800

Specs and fitment

5th generation (S197 facelift), 2010–2014
Body styles Coupe, Convertible
Oil 5W-20 (3.7L V6/5.0L GT); 5W-30 (4.0L V6, 2010); 5W-50 (Shelby GT500/Boss 302) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 225/60R17 (V6 base) to 255/40ZR19; Shelby GT500 255/45ZR18 front / 225/60R17 (V6 base) to 255/40ZR19; Shelby GT500 285/40ZR18 rear

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA investigation PE11-024 examined 364 reports of shift-quality problems in 2011-2012 Mustangs with the manual transmission, including higher shift effort in cold temperatures, a "clutch stay-out" delay above 4,000 rpm, and gradual loosening of clutch-plate bolts on some early-production cars; Ford addressed these with a lower-viscosity fluid (TSB 11-3-18), replacement clutch pedal parts (TSB 10-19-4), and a revised fastener implemented in production, and NHTSA closed the investigation without a recall, finding no indication of loss of motive power or unreasonable safety risk. Separately, NHTSA recall 16V-247 covered about 202,000 2011-2012 F-150 and 2012 Expedition, Mustang, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles for a 6R80 transmission output-speed-sensor lead-frame fault that could force an unintended downshift into first gear; Ford reprogrammed the powertrain control module and offered a free lead-frame replacement for up to 10 years/150,000 miles. This generation is also covered, together with the rest of the 2005-2014 Mustang range, by the Takata airbag inflator recalls — campaign 15S21 for the driver-side inflator and 19S01 for the passenger-side inflator — which replace the inflator to prevent a rupture in a crash. In an August 2024 supplement to 19S01, Ford escalated the passenger-side campaign to a DO NOT DRIVE advisory, stating that the age of these vehicles makes it increasingly possible that a part inside the airbag could rupture and send metal fragments into occupants during a crash, causing serious injury or death. It applies to any affected vehicle on which 19S01 has not been completed; check a VIN against NHTSA's recall lookup before driving one.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Ford Mustang Next year 2014 Ford Mustang See every Ford Mustang model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Ford Mustang reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Ford Mustang holds 271 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 18 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Mustang years here — over the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Frontal, Inflator, and Transmission control module.

What are common problems with a 2013 Ford Mustang?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (145 of 271), then Powertrain (48) and Engine (22). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 40,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 12,378 and 72,250 miles. Those filings include 16 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 8 that report an injury.

Is the 2013 Ford Mustang more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Mustang has 469 complaints, 55 per year, and the 2014 has 359 complaints, 73 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Ford Mustang been recalled?

The 2013 Ford Mustang has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Ford Mustang?

Owners have filed 271 complaints about the 2013 Ford Mustang with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Ford Mustang get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Ford Mustang is 20.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

Does the Ford Mustang have a towing capacity?

Ford's RV & Trailer Towing Guide rates the 2015-2023 (S550) Mustang at 1,000 lbs with an aftermarket hitch, and does not rate the GT350/GT350R to tow at all. Ford publishes no towing rating for the 2010-2014 or 2024-present Mustang.

What generation is my Ford Mustang?

2010-2014 is the facelifted S197 (5th generation), 2015-2023 is the S550 (6th generation, first with independent rear suspension), and 2024-present is the S650 (7th generation).