NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 55 owner complaints for the 2021 Ford Mustang.
6Safety recalls
55Owner complaints
4Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: electrical system, fuel system, backover prevention and rearview camera, and air bags. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (9 complaints, 16%), then hesitation or slow acceleration (8). Most-reported area: fuel system (10 complaints, 18%). Includes the Shelby GT500 and the Mach 1. Excludes the electric Mustang Mach-E.
6 safety recalls for the 2021 Ford Mustang
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
The brake fluid level sensor may not activate the visual warning indicator when the brake fluid is low. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: Without a low brake fluid warning light, the vehicle may be driven with low brake fluid, reducing braking performance and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C55. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 17, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Mustang vehicles repaired incorrectly under recall number 23V727.
The low-pressure fuel pump may fail, which can result in an engine stall while driving.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump on super duty vehicles and update the powertrain control module (PCM) software on all other affected vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S75.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Bronco, Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, 2021-2022 Lincoln Navigator, Mustang, F-150, and 2022 Expedition vehicles.
A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles.
The brake fluid level sensor may not activate the visual warning indicator when the brake fluid is low. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: Without a low brake fluid warning light, the vehicle may be driven with low brake fluid, reducing braking performance and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C35.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Mustang vehicles.
An insufficient weld on the front passenger knee air bag may result in an improper air bag deployment.
Risk: An improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the front passenger knee air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 8, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S07.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Mustang vehicles.
The side curtain air bag inflators may have been manufactured with the incorrect amount of compressed gas, which can result in improper air bag inflation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 226, "Ejection Mitigation," and 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk: An air bag that does not inflate properly can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the side curtain air bags, free of charge. An interim owner notification letter was mailed on February 3, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 22, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C37.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Mustang vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MUSTANG. Ford campaign 21C37.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Mustang. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Check engine light9 · 16%
Hesitation or slow acceleration8 · 15%
Stalling or shutting off while driving6 · 11%
Loss of power or limp mode6 · 11%
Misfires or rough running6 · 11%
Backup camera problems5 · 9%
Shaking, shuddering or vibration3 · 5%
Unintended acceleration or surging3 · 5%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Fuel system10 · 18%
Powertrain9 · 16%
Engine8 · 15%
Electrical system6 · 11%
Brakes5 · 9%
Fuel and propulsion system5 · 9%
Backover prevention and rearview camera4 · 7%
Unknown or other5 · 9%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Ford Mustang recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2016 Mustang drew the most (68) and the 2021 drew 20.
Owner complaints
2021: 55 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
Safety recalls
2021: 6 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Ford Mustang
Model year
Recalls
2016
5
2017
6
2018
3
2019
6
2020
8
2021
6
2022
9
2023
6
2024
12
2025
6
2026
5
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Ford Mustang 2 DR RWD
Rollover risk 9.3%
Ford Mustang C RWD
Rollover risk 8.1%
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Ford Mustang GT500 2 DR RWD
Rollover risk 9.3%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Mustang problems?
In the 55 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Mustang, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (9), hesitation or slow acceleration (8), and stalling or shutting off while driving (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Ford Mustang safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Ford Mustang earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Mustang has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: MUSTANG.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.