USED VEHICLE RESEARCH

2016 Ford Mustang

Research the 2016 Ford Mustang using available NHTSA owner complaints, safety recalls, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and CarIQ data-coverage analysis.

DATA CONFIDENCE: Moderate

Owner complaints

377NHTSA records

Recall campaigns

5Year, make and model lookup

Manufacturer communications

0Matched NHTSA records

Investigations

0Matched NHTSA records

SUBJECTIVE OWNER FEEDBACK

OWNER EXPERIENCE

What it is like to live with the vehicle—kept clearly separate from official NHTSA evidence.

BUILDING THE COMMUNITY

THE FIRST USEFUL PERSPECTIVE COULD BE YOURS

No approved owner experiences yet.

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SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE 2016 Ford Mustang
INDEPENDENT EVIDENCE TYPES

NHTSA owner complaint records remain part of Official Vehicle Data. Subjective review contributions remain in Owner Experience. One does not validate or prove the other. Read the methodology.

EVIDENCE, NOT A SCORE

WHAT THIS DATA CAN TELL YOU ABOUT RELIABILITY

Official records can provide useful research context, but each source has a different meaning. Complaint counts are not failure rates; recalls are formal safety campaigns; manufacturer communications are technical or service documentation; and investigations reflect formal NHTSA activity. Data Confidence measures evidence availability, not vehicle quality. CarIQ does not publish a composite Reliability Score.

Available evidence summary: 377 NHTSA owner complaint records; 5 safety recall campaigns; 0 manufacturer communications; 0 applicable NHTSA defect investigations.

EVIDENCE AVAILABILITY — NOT VEHICLE RELIABILITY

DATA CONFIDENCE

Moderate

Data Confidence measures how much usable evidence CarIQ has for this vehicle. It does not measure how reliable the vehicle is.

Why this rating?
Owner complaint data
Available
Manufacturer communications
Available
Recall data
Available
Investigation data
Available
Production denominator
Unavailable
Complaint component completeness
100%
Mileage completeness
0%
Incident-date completeness
100%

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS

DATA INSIGHTS

Derived from official NHTSA source records. These statistics are descriptive and are not a reliability score.

Complaint records analyzed
377
NHTSA complaints
Most reported component
Engine
20% of categorized complaint records
Top-three component concentration
52%
Records mentioning at least one top-three component
Median reported incident mileage
Not available from current source
0 valid mileage observations
Recall campaigns
5
NHTSA recalls
Most recent recall report
September 12, 2025
NHTSA recalls
Manufacturer communications
0
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Most documented component
Not available
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Top-three communication concentration
Not available
Share of categorized manufacturer communications

SOURCE COMPLETENESS

DATA QUALITY

Complaint records analyzed
377
Component classification available
100%
Incident date available
100%
Mileage available
0%
Structured outcome fields available
100%

Completeness describes fields present in the retrieved complaint records. It is not a data-quality grade or a vehicle assessment.

Learn about CarIQ methodology

PRODUCTION-ADJUSTED DESCRIPTIVE METRIC

NORMALIZED COMPLAINT CONTEXT

Production-normalized complaint data is not currently available for this vehicle.

This metric compares the number of NHTSA owner complaint records retrieved by CarIQ with NHTSA-reported production volume for the corresponding vehicle population.

It is not a vehicle failure rate. Complaint reporting behavior, vehicle age, time on the road, production definitions, and other factors can affect the result.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early Warning Reporting, Light Vehicle Production Data. Read the methodology.

OFFICIAL NHTSA OWNER COMPLAINT DATA

PROBLEMS REPORTED IN NHTSA RECORDS

CarIQ groups available NHTSA owner complaint records for the 2016 Ford Mustang by vehicle system to make recurring documentation easier to research. Most represented complaint categories describe the retrieved records—not failure frequency.

TOTAL COMPLAINTS377

MOST REPRESENTED COMPLAINT CATEGORIES

Engine75 complaints
20%of categorized complaint records
Electrical System72 complaints
19%of categorized complaint records
Unknown or Other69 complaints
18%of categorized complaint records
Back Over Prevention52 complaints
14%of categorized complaint records
Power Train29 complaints
8%of categorized complaint records
Structure28 complaints
7%of categorized complaint records
Latches/locks/linkages27 complaints
7%of categorized complaint records
Fuel/propulsion System20 complaints
5%of categorized complaint records
Service Brakes17 complaints
5%of categorized complaint records
Air Bags15 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Steering12 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Seat Belts10 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Seats10 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Vehicle Speed Control10 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Wheels9 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Engine and Engine Cooling8 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Suspension8 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Visibility/wiper7 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)5 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Visibility4 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Exterior Lighting3 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Lane Departure3 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Tires2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Equipment1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Fuel System1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Gasoline1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records

A complaint may list more than one component and therefore contribute to multiple categories. Percentages show the share of categorized complaint records that mention each component—not the percentage of vehicles affected. Category percentages may overlap.

INCIDENT REPORTS BY YEAR

2015
3
2016
37
2017
24
2018
21
2019
38
2020
51
2021
29
2022
45
2023
39
2024
45
2025
29
2026
16

Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.

RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS

Latches/locks/linkages

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11765269
Read complaint narrative

The contact owned a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the driver's side door independently opened. The failure caused severe wind noise to enter the vehicle, and the door ajar warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where technicians confirmed that the door latch mechanism had failed and stated that the mechanism was subjected to unintended opening. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) as the cause of the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall.

Fuel/propulsion System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11765026
Read complaint narrative

On or about June 24, 2026, the CHECK ENGINE light came on. Since I was near the local Ford Dealership, I stopped there. The car was evaluated the next day. I was told the the gas tank assembly and pipe had to be replaced. The repair was almost $4000. My car only as 63,117 miles on it. Before the problem was diagnosed, I was getting lousy gas mileage and assumed it was because the government was allowing more ethanol. In fact, the problem could have been disastrous... The car could have caught on fire . The car was in the repair shop until July 2, and I had to rent a car for $300. I am unable to download a photo I have of the gas tank which shows these numbers: E-11 34RI-020135 as well as AD46319. I have attached the bills from the CERTIFIED FORD repair shop. Please note that the 2015 Mustangs were recalled for gas tank replacements. I have a 2016.... Seems like my car may have had a faulty gas tank installed as well. The mechanic said he had replaced a couple. Nite that the car had just over 63000 miles

Unknown or Other

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11762228
Read complaint narrative

When reaching 60+ mph the passenger door will unlatch and give me the open passenger door notification on the dash. It doesn’t shoot up, but rather barely comes open.

Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11761935
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Brought the car in for service. The tech called me back and said the engine was blown. Condensation in cylinder 3. This was due to the cylinder walls being engineered to small. Which caused a leak in the coolant jacket. I paid out of pocket nearly $10,000 to have it replaced because the third party warranty that I had purchased declined my coverage to fix it because it’s a known issue by ford. Bc

Electrical System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11758171
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This complaint is a formal notification of a Recall Remedy Failure regarding NHTSA Campaign 22V082000 / 25V572000 (Rearview Camera Wiring Harness / Camera Replacement). My vehicle was brought to an authorized Ford dealership on 07/22/2026 to complete the recall remedy. Following the service, the backup camera functionality has completely degraded and is now worse than before the service. The screen is consistently displaying entirely black / distorted screen / Message Camera not available, presenting an ongoing, unmitigated back-over safety hazard. The manufacturer's remedy has failed to resolve the safety defect. Returned to the authorized Ford dealership on 08/21/2026 and was told this is a known issue and there is another "recall" fix for this issue, but parts are now available at this time. I need to follow up in a month or more.

Engine and Engine Cooling

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11758324
Read complaint narrative

See attached document for complaint

Latches/locks/linkages

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11755474
Read complaint narrative

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH with his daughter inside the vehicle, the driver’s and passenger’s side doors opened unexpectedly. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact declined to pay the cost for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated the failure had occurred approximately twelve times with the driver’s side door. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 108,787.

Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11755118
Read complaint narrative

Nelson v. Ford Motor Company is a class action lawsuit targeting a defect in Ford's 2.3-liter EcoBoost engines. The suit highlights coolant leaks into engine cylinders, overheating, and catastrophic engine failures. I have had my 2016 ford mustang ecoboost in and out of mechanic shops for months now accumulating well over $7K in out of pocket expenses. I have been to multiple mechanics trying to diagnose and fix the problem but in the end it was a design flaw in the 2016 ford mustang ecoboost 4 cylinder which caused it to leak coolant, misfire, and overheat. I have been having this problem for some time now, this put my safety and the safety of others at risk because I had to slow down dramatically in order to pull over on the freeway due to the engine overheating from coolant loss. I've also experienced problems like trouble starting, rough idling, loss of coolant, and huge clouds of white smoke coming from the exhaust upon start. I have saved every single receipt and invoice breakdown since this problem began. My mechanic has also been documenting everything including taking notes and photographs of every issue. My car is currently in the shop right now being worked on. My mechanic says that he can temporarily patch the problem with a high performance head stud, copper sealant, and an ExtremeHeat metallic repair paste by JB Weld to momentarily solve the issue. He says that he does not know how long this patch will last so he is insisting I either get a new car or to see what my options are regarding the class action lawsuit filed against Ford.

NHTSA complaints are reports submitted by vehicle owners and other consumers. Complaint counts do not represent the percentage of vehicles affected and do not by themselves establish that a safety defect exists.

A higher complaint count can partly reflect how many vehicles were sold, vehicle age, and other factors. CarIQ does not yet normalize complaint counts by vehicles sold.

Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This site is not endorsed by NHTSA.

OFFICIAL NHTSA SAFETY RECALL DATA

SAFETY RECALLS

5 recall campaigns found

01SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONERCampaign 25V614000September 12, 2025

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. Water and road salt may corrode the front seat belt anchor pretensioner cables.

Safety Consequence

A corroded cable can break, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining an occupant, and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

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.

02BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERACampaign 25V572000September 4, 2025

Summary

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.

Safety Consequence

A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

03BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERACampaign 22V082000February 16, 2022

Summary

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.

Safety Consequence

A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

04ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGSCampaign 16V779000October 26, 2016

Summary

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.

Safety Consequence

A sudden loss of engine oil may cause engine failure, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, an oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

05SEAT BELTSCampaign 15V707000October 26, 2015

Summary

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."

Safety Consequence

If the restraint components do not function as intended, the occupants may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall results shown here are based on year, make, and model. A specific vehicle may or may not be affected. Check the vehicle's VIN with NHTSA to confirm open recalls before purchasing. Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

OFFICIAL NHTSA MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION DATA

MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS0

No NHTSA manufacturer communication records were returned for this year, make, and model.

Manufacturer communications include service bulletins and other technical information submitted by manufacturers to NHTSA. The existence or number of communications does not establish how often a condition occurs or whether an individual vehicle will experience it.

Some manufacturers may issue more detailed service documentation than others, so communication counts should not be used alone to compare vehicle reliability.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manufacturer communications

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS

TOTAL INVESTIGATION RECORDS0

No applicable NHTSA defect investigation records were returned for this year, make, and model.

NHTSA investigations evaluate potential motor-vehicle safety defects. The existence of an investigation does not by itself establish that a safety defect exists, and the absence of an investigation does not establish that a vehicle is problem-free.

Open and closed describe NHTSA's process status, not a CarIQ reliability judgment.

View official NHTSA investigation data ↗

DESCRIPTIVE SOURCE OVERLAP

CROSS-SOURCE VEHICLE DATA

CarIQ compares categories appearing across independent NHTSA datasets. Overlap can help identify areas with more available documentation, but it does not establish defect frequency or prove that an individual vehicle will experience a problem.

ComponentOwner complaintsManufacturer communicationsRecall campaignsNHTSA investigationsOfficial sources containing records
Seat Belts100102 of 4
Engine750001 of 4
Electrical System720001 of 4
Unknown or Other690001 of 4
Back Over Prevention520001 of 4
Power Train290001 of 4
Structure280001 of 4
Latches/locks/linkages270001 of 4
Fuel/propulsion System200001 of 4
Service Brakes170001 of 4

Displayed first by the number of source categories containing the component, then by owner complaint count, then alphabetically. This is a presentation rule, not a vehicle ranking. Complaint reports, manufacturer communications, recalls, and investigations describe different events and are never added into a combined total.

complaint
Available
communication
Available
recall
Available
investigation
Available
production
Unavailable

COMMON RESEARCH QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 2016 FORD MUSTANG

Is the 2016 Ford Mustang reliable?

CarIQ does not currently assign a reliability score to the 2016 Ford Mustang. Available evidence is shown as separate official-source records with a Data Confidence classification of Moderate.

What problems are reported for the 2016 Ford Mustang?

377 NHTSA owner complaint records. When complaint data is available, the page groups records by the NHTSA component categories they identify without treating those categories as verified failure rates.

Are there recalls for the 2016 Ford Mustang?

5 safety recall campaigns. Year, make, and model results do not confirm whether a specific VIN is affected or whether a remedy has been completed.

USED-CAR CANDIDATE RESEARCH

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