2026 Ford Mustang problems, complaints & recalls

2026 Ford Mustang recalls (5)

• Recall 26V548000Aug 25, 202610,001 vehicles
  ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

  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 NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.

• Recall 26V547000Aug 25, 2026148,663 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

  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 NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.

• Recall 26V418000Jun 30, 202667,842 vehicles
  VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

  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 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.

• Recall 26V205000Mar 31, 2026278 vehicles
  ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

  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 NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.

• Recall 25V828000Dec 1, 20256 vehicles
  ENGINE

  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 NHTSA.gov on November 24, 2025.

Recent 2026 Ford Mustang complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Sep 28, 2026SCEngine

   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."

   NHTSA complaint #11767355 · source
2. Filed Sep 23, 2026NYCrash1 injuredTowedBrakesElectrical SystemEngine

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11766530 · source
3. Filed Sep 14, 20262,500 miTXAcceleration & Cruise Control

   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.

   NHTSA complaint #11764133 · source
4. Filed Jul 19, 2026FLAcceleration & Cruise Control

   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.

   NHTSA complaint #11751434 · source
5. Filed Jul 14, 2026MSWheels & Tires

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11750303 · source
6. Filed Jun 15, 2026CAEngineOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11744348 · source
7. Filed Jun 14, 2026MOVisibility & Wipers

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11743949 · source
8. Filed May 9, 2026TXCrashBrakesElectrical System

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11736799 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology