NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 7 owner complaints for the 2026 Ford Mustang.
5Safety recalls
7Owner complaints
2Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: electrical system, engine and cooling, visibility, and engine. Most-reported area: brakes (2 complaints, 29%). Includes the Dark Horse and the GTD. Excludes the electric Mustang Mach-E.
5 safety recalls for the 2026 Ford Mustang
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang and 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles.
NHTSA listings: MUSTANG, MUSTANG GTD. Ford campaign 26C32.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Corsair, and 2025 Maverick vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MUSTANG. Ford campaign 25SD3.
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 7 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Mustang. Below, they are sorted by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Brakes2 · 29%
Electrical system2 · 29%
Engine2 · 29%
Speed control2 · 29%
Powertrain1 · 14%
Visibility/wiper1 · 14%
Wheels1 · 14%
Unknown or other1 · 14%
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 2026 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).
Owner complaints
2026: 7 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
2026: 5 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 N/A RWD
Rollover risk 7.9%
FORD MUSTANG C N/A RWD
Rollover risk 7.9%
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
FORD MUSTANG GTD 2 DR N/A RWD
Rollover risk 7.9%
FORD MUSTANG NO REAR SEAT 2 DR N/A RWD
Rollover risk 7.9%
Questions
What are the most common 2026 Mustang problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: brakes (2), electrical system (2), engine (2). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2026 Ford Mustang safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2026 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, MUSTANG GTD.
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.