USED VEHICLE RESEARCH

2016 Ford Mustang

Is This A Good Car? organizes available NHTSA-derived research for the 2016 Ford Mustang. This page includes owner complaint records, safety recall campaigns, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and information about the completeness of the available evidence.

DATA CONFIDENCE: Moderate

Owner complaints

370NHTSA records

Recall campaigns

5Year, make and model lookup

Manufacturer communications

0Matched NHTSA records

Investigations

0Matched NHTSA records

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
370
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
370
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

OWNER-REPORTED COMPLAINTS

TOTAL COMPLAINTS370

COMPONENT CATEGORIES

Engine74 complaints
20%of categorized complaint records
Electrical System71 complaints
19%of categorized complaint records
Unknown or Other68 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
8%of categorized complaint records
Latches/locks/linkages25 complaints
7%of categorized complaint records
Fuel/propulsion System19 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
Suspension8 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Engine and Engine Cooling7 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
44
2025
28
2026
11

Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.

RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS

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.

Structure

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11754049
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The passenger side door is periodically opening to the first catch while driving on the highway without anyone touching the handle and it does not matter that the door is locked. It is very scary for any passenger when it happens. For the driver the tendency is to try to reach over and re-close the door at highway speed which seems dangerous.

Service Brakes

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11752628
Read complaint narrative

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

Exterior Lighting · Service Brakes

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11747552
Read complaint narrative

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

Electrical System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11746775
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The rear view camera has a recall. I took the vehicle into a Ford dealership on 6/23/26 for this recall. This is a risk to myself and others because backup cameras are a federally required safety feature. This is my 2nd attempt for Ford to fix this recall at two separate dealerships. Ford does not care about their recalls and the safety of Ford customers! I almost hit another car that was coming out due to the blind spots on that vehicle. My young daughter also drives the car and this is not the 1970’s as young drivers depend on that feature. Ford said that they could not find the problem with this issue and further diagnosing must be done on my part for $198. This is not fair to customers as this was a recall issue. If Ford is not properly training their technicians to diagnose this issue, it should not be the responsibility of the customer to pay for their error in producing this car. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a Ford dealership. There were no warning lights or issues that were displayed. Ford only sent out letters stating that a recall was issued on the problem. In May of 2026 my backup camera and trunk was not working. Ford inspected and replaced the parts on the vehicle that they assumed was part of the recall. For a 2016 Mustang, a common cause is not just the camera itself but also wiring/connectors in the trunk area or the APIM/radio module that displays the image. If the dealer simply performed the recall software update or replaced one component and the screen is still blank, the underlying problem may not have been fully diagnosed. This the 2nd attempt to have a recall fixed by Ford but to no avail (2 separate dealerships)

Back Over Prevention

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11746485
Read complaint narrative

See attached document for complaint.

Seat Belts · Unknown or Other

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11745773
Read complaint narrative

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.

Back Over Prevention

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11726715
Read complaint narrative

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R), the rear-view camera was blank and then operated intermittently; however, the image was blurry. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on two occasions. During the first visit, the contact was informed that the harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a different dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the camera needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted during the first inclement weather. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

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 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
Engine740001 of 4
Electrical System710001 of 4
Unknown or Other680001 of 4
Back Over Prevention520001 of 4
Power Train290001 of 4
Structure280001 of 4
Latches/locks/linkages250001 of 4
Fuel/propulsion System190001 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

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).

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