Reliable Auto DB

2026 Ford Mustang reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2026 Ford Mustang has 6 complaints with NHTSA after 1 year, or 6 per year. It is too early to rank against other Mustang years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Wiring, Internal engine parts, and Motor.

2024 Ford Mustang coupe
Photo by Crisco 1492, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

6

Per year

6

Recalls

5

Years on the road

1

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Accelerator pedal (1 of 6), then Electrical system (1) and Engine (1). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 2,500 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2025

The 2025 Mustang has 17 complaints, 9 per year.

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 2026 Ford Mustang. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall electrical system, wiring 2026-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 26V547000
Summary 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."
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 NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
Vehicles affected 148,663
Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2026-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 26V548000
Summary 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.
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 NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
Vehicles affected 10,001
Recall visibility, windshield wiper, motor 2026-06-30 · NHTSA campaign 26V418000
Summary 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.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and 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 NHTSA.gov on July 2, 2026.
Vehicles affected 67,842
Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2026-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 26V205000
Summary 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.
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 NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Vehicles affected 278
Recall Engine 2025-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 25V828000
Summary 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.
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 NHTSA.gov on November 24, 2025.
Vehicles affected 6

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

Complaints by component (6 total)

Accelerator pedal
1
Electrical system
1
Engine
1
Powertrain
1
Service brakes
1
Speed control
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Wheels
1
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

The 1 complaint that includes an odometer reading reports 2,500 miles.

Complaints filed per year

62026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    speed control, accelerator pedal · filed 2026-09-14
  • "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…"
    Speed control · filed 2026-07-19
  • "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…"
    Wheels · filed 2026-07-14
  • "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…"
    Engine, Unknown or other, Powertrain · filed 2026-06-15
  • "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…"
    Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-06-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2026 FORD MUSTANG 2 DR N/A RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2026 FORD MUSTANG C N/A RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars
2026 FORD MUSTANG GTD 2 DR N/A RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2026 FORD MUSTANG NO REAR SEAT 2 DR N/A RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 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 5L, 8-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 16 24 19 MPG $3400
Mustang 5L, 8-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 23 18 MPG $3600
Mustang 2.3L, 4-cyl Automatic 10-speed Rear-wheel drive 22 33 26 MPG $2500
Mustang Dark Horse 5L, 8-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 14 22 17 MPG $3800
Mustang Dark Horse 5L, 8-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 14 22 17 MPG $3800
Mustang GTD 5.2L, 8-cyl Automatic (AM-S8) Rear-wheel drive 10 17 12 MPG $6650

Specs and fitment

7th generation (S650), 2024–present
Body styles Coupe, Convertible
Oil 5W-30 (2.3L EcoBoost and 5.0L V8 GT/Dark Horse) , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 235/55R17 (EcoBoost, 2024) to 305/30R19 (Dark Horse Handling Package) front / 235/55R17 (EcoBoost, 2024) to 315/30R19 (Dark Horse Handling Package) rear

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA recall 24V-593 (Ford campaign 24S49) covers a narrow band of 4,595 2024 Mustang vehicles whose rear suspension knuckles may have a casting defect that causes them to fail, which can result in a loss of vehicle handling and steering control; Ford's remedy is a free inspection with replacement of the rear suspension knuckle as necessary. Separately, NHTSA recall 24V-220 (Ford campaign 24S19) covers 362 2024 Mustang vehicles equipped with the 2.3L engine for a low-pressure fuel supply line that may be damaged or cut, which can leak fuel. A fuel leak near an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components raises the risk of fire, and a loss of fuel may also stall the engine. Ford replaces the line free of charge.

Compare

Previous year 2025 Ford Mustang See every Ford Mustang model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2026 Ford Mustang reliable?

The 2026 Ford Mustang has 6 complaints with NHTSA after 1 year, or 6 per year. It is too early to rank against other Mustang years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Wiring, Internal engine parts, and Motor.

What are common problems with a 2026 Ford Mustang?

The complaints owners file most often name Accelerator pedal (1 of 6), then Electrical system (1) and Engine (1). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 2,500 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2026 Ford Mustang more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2025 Mustang has 17 complaints, 9 per year.

Has the 2026 Ford Mustang been recalled?

The 2026 Ford Mustang has 5 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 2026 Ford Mustang?

Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2026 Ford Mustang with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2026 Ford Mustang get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2026 Ford Mustang is 18.2 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).