Ford Mustang Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2016 Ford Mustang drew the most (68; most described: backup camera problems) and the 2023 the fewest (14).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 28, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 26 mpg combined, arrived in 2024 and has held since. Includes the Shelby GT350 and GT500, Mach 1, Dark Horse and GTD. Excludes the electric Mustang Mach-E.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2016 Mustang Most described: backup camera problems	68	377	5
2018 Mustang Most described: overheating or coolant loss and engine failure or replacement	54	193	3
2017 Mustang Most described: backup camera problems	41	265	6
2019 Mustang Most described: overheating or coolant loss	37	149	6
2020 Mustang Most described: backup camera problems	29	120	8
2022 Mustang Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving and loss of power or limp mode	22	49	9
2021 Mustang Most described: the check engine light coming on, then hesitation or slow acceleration	20	55	6
2023 Mustang Most reported: electrical system	14	15	6

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	5	7
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	6	17
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	12	80
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	6	15
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	9	49
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	6	55
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	8	120
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	6	149
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	3	193
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	6	265
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	5	377

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2016: 377 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Ford Mustang
Model year	Complaints
2016	377
2017	265
2018	193
2019	149
2020	120
2021	55
2022	49
2023	15
2024	80
2025	17
2026	7

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 24 to 26 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); 26 since 2024.

2026: gas 26 mpg

Show as a table

Ford Mustang best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	25
2017	24
2018	25
2019	25
2020	25
2021	25
2022	25
2023	25
2024	26
2025	26
2026	26

Questions

Which Ford Mustang years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2016 (68) drew the most, then the 2018 (54). Owners of the 2016 most often describe backup camera problems.

Which Ford Mustang years have the fewest problems?

The 2023 (14) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Ford Mustang years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2016, against 33 complaints in a typical Ford Mustang year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers.

Which Ford Mustang years have the most recalls?

The 2024 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (12), then the 2022 (9). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. One recall tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 23V-800 (2024 models).

What are the most common Ford Mustang problems?

In the 1,327 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, owners most often describe backup camera problems (157 complaints, most of them for the 2016 and 2017); overheating or coolant loss (113 complaints, most of them for the 2016, 2018, and 2019); and engine failure or replacement (86 complaints, most of them for the 2016, 2018, and 2019). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which Ford Mustang year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 26 mpg combined, first reached by the 2024 gas version and matched by every year since.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.