2016 Ford Mustang: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 371 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (19% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 4 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Sep 2025
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 371 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I am experiencing the same issues as NHTSA 22V-011 where the brake pedal stop bumper had disintegrated, causing continuous brake lights and a potential rollaway risk”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2026
“Break bumper disintegrated, causing the rear bites to stay on and the automatic transmission to be able to switch from Parker to drive causing the vehicle to be able to roll and possibly crash”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jun 2026
“There are two recalls on this vehicle. South Bay Ford, located just a few miles farther away than Auto Nation Ford in Torrance has no problem with pick up and delivery resources to insure recall work is completed but stated I must use Auto Nation Torrance Ford because I fall into their service area, yet Auto Nation Ford Service Manager contacted on 6/22/2026 @ ~ 4:05 P.S,T. stated they do not have enough people to perform pick and delivery. It would seem to me Auto Nation Ford in Torrance has chosen profits over recall compliance putting lives at risk. I thought this was important enough for you to look into.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2026
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“Manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle IN A TIMELY MANNER. The Recall was from September 16, 2025. It has now been OVER half a year with NO remedy. I live in a salty air state and the last thing I want to happen is to drive with a seat belt with reduced effectiveness. I've ALREADY been in an accident a decade ago where a woman T-Boned me. I had a 2001 Mustang Convertible at the time with the convertible down. It's just like this Mustang with the recall but older. Thankfully the airbags and seat belt worked. Something needs to be done asap !!!!”Owner report · Seat Belts · Mar 2026
“They have a recall for the seatbelt so I got my car inspected and tested and my seatbelts are fine. I use this as a rental car and my business is stopped and I'm losing money every day that I cannot rent this out.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V614000 (Seat Belts). The contact stated that the driver's side front seat belt had detached from the frame. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair would be available in June 2026. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to parts being on backorder. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jan 2026
“My cars head gasket blew at only 45,000 miles. Replaced my a local well known mechanic for around $3500.00. Now my car at 96,000 miles has blown the head gasket again. I believe the car needs a whole new block. I have seen several lawsuits regarding this and just would love my car running again. This is NOT cheap to fix for me.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2025
“The head gasket in my 2016 mustang eco boost failed. I have 126k miles and coolant is leaking into cylinder 2. I've always taken care of the maintenance on a timely matter and no modifications have been done.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2025
“The steering wheel over time is very loose and in my case i need to be very careful with it because I feel I am losing control on my car while driving. You can feel the steering wheel moving up and down without little to know force also while driving. I don't even drive that fast since my way to work is always in a school zones.”Owner report · Steering · Dec 2025
“2016 Ford Mustang 2.3L Ecoboost Engine. Coolant intrusion into the cylinder. It's a known issue, an engine block design flaw. Ford was replacing the whole engine when those cars were under warranty. There is extensive content online about it and dozens of class actions.”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 13 of these complaints and injuries in 11 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. Water and road salt may corrode the front seat belt anchor pretensioner cables.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace both front seat belt anchor pretensioner assemblies, as necessary. In addition, dealers will remove sections of the carpet and underlayment that contact the cables. Dealers will also inspect the A-pillar sealing patches, and as necessary, install A-pillar body plugs, and/or inspect and replace the front outboard seat bolts. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed October 20, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S92. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov September 17, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles manufactured February 24, 2015, to August 30, 2016. A hose may separate from the engine oil cooler tube assembly causing an oil leak.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil cooler tube assembly, free of charge. The recall began on March 23, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S40.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Mustang vehicles manufactured September 26, 2015, to October 1, 2015. The front and rear seat belts and child seat tether anchors may have been damaged in shipping from the supplier to the vehicle assembly plant and may not adequately restrain the occupant in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems."
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front and rear seat belt assemblies and the child seat tether anchors, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C13.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera wiring may be loose or damaged, which can result in a blank or distorted image.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the decklid wiring harness and/or replace the rearview camera, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2022 and June 26, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the 4th Quarter of 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S06.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Check your exact Mustang by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Ford Mustang reliable?
NHTSA has 371 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Ford Mustang. The most complained-about area is engine (19% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Mustang problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 38,000 miles or less.
Does the 2016 Ford Mustang have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning seat belts:pretensioner. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.