2012 Ford Mustang MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2012 Ford Mustang is rated 18 to 23 mpg combined across 6 EPA-tested gas versions; the best is the 3.7L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed automatic.

EPA fuel economy

2012 Ford Mustang · 6 EPA-tested versions

Best EPA rating

23MPG combined

19 city 30 highway

$2,900 a year to fuel

3.7L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed automatic

Best version costs $2,500 more in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.47 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 30, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $2,900 to $4,550 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2011.

One of the Mustang years to avoid

The 2012 drew 166 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 48 for a typical Mustang year: 3.4 times as many.

Years to avoid: 2011, 2012, and 2014; best years: 2021, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Mustang year ranked The 2012 Mustang's recalls and problems

Every 2012 Mustang version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
3.7L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed automatic Best EPA listing: Mustang	23 mpg	19 / 30	$2,900
3.7L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed automatic · Convertible EPA listing: Mustang Convertible	23 mpg	19 / 29	$2,900
3.7L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Mustang	22 mpg	19 / 28	$3,050
5.0L 8-cyl · RWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Mustang	20 mpg	18 / 25	$3,350
5.0L 8-cyl · RWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Mustang	20 mpg	17 / 26	$3,350
5.4L supercharged 8-cyl · RWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Mustang · Premium fuel	18 mpg	15 / 23	$4,550

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.47 a gallon for regular gas and $5.48 a gallon for premium gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
3.7L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,915	$243	$14,576
3.7L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed automatic · Convertible	$2,915	$243	$14,576
3.7L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed manual	$3,048	$254	$15,239
5.0L 8-cyl · RWD · 6-speed automatic	$3,353	$279	$16,763
5.0L 8-cyl · RWD · 6-speed manual	$3,352	$279	$16,762
5.4L supercharged 8-cyl · RWD · 6-speed manual	$4,567	$381	$22,833

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Ford Mustang MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 21 to 26 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); 26 since 2024.

2012: gas 23 mpg

Show as a table

Ford Mustang best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2010	21
2011	23
2012	23
2013	23
2014	23
2015	25
2016	25
2017	24
2018	25
2019	25
2020	25
2021	25
2022	25
2023	25
2024	26
2025	26
2026	26

Every Mustang year's ratings in one table

How the 2012 Mustang compares

2012 sports and muscle cars covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2012 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Ford Mustang This page Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,900
Dodge Charger Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,900

2012 Mustang recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 469 owner complaints for the 2012 Mustang.

Owners most often describe loss of power (41 complaints, 9%). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 4 stars for the version it has rated.

See the 2012 Mustang recalls and problems

Questions

Does the 2012 Ford Mustang need premium gas?

Some versions do. EPA lists the 5.4L supercharged 8-cyl on premium, the rest use regular.

How does the 2012 Mustang's MPG compare with the 2011?

For 2012, the best gas version is rated 23 mpg, the same as the year before.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 29, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.47, midgrade $5.07, premium $5.48, diesel $6.38 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Oct 2, 2026 and complaint file dated Oct 2, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.