USED VEHICLE RESEARCH

2021 Ford Mustang

Is This A Good Car? organizes available NHTSA-derived research for the 2021 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

55NHTSA records

Recall campaigns

6Year, 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
55
NHTSA complaints
Most reported component
Fuel System
18% of categorized complaint records
Top-three component concentration
35%
Records mentioning at least one top-three component
Median reported incident mileage
Not available from current source
0 valid mileage observations
Recall campaigns
6
NHTSA recalls
Most recent recall report
October 10, 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
55
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 COMPLAINTS55

COMPONENT CATEGORIES

Fuel System10 complaints
18%of categorized complaint records
Gasoline10 complaints
18%of categorized complaint records
Power Train9 complaints
16%of categorized complaint records
Engine8 complaints
15%of categorized complaint records
Electrical System6 complaints
11%of categorized complaint records
Fuel/propulsion System5 complaints
9%of categorized complaint records
Service Brakes5 complaints
9%of categorized complaint records
Unknown or Other5 complaints
9%of categorized complaint records
Back Over Prevention4 complaints
7%of categorized complaint records
Hydraulic3 complaints
5%of categorized complaint records
Suspension3 complaints
5%of categorized complaint records
Air Bags2 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Engine and Engine Cooling2 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Visibility2 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Forward Collision Avoidance1 complaint
2%of categorized complaint records
Seat Belts1 complaint
2%of categorized complaint records
Steering1 complaint
2%of categorized complaint records
Structure1 complaint
2%of categorized complaint records
Vehicle Speed Control1 complaint
2%of categorized complaint records
Wheels1 complaint
2%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

2021
5
2022
9
2023
9
2024
9
2025
16
2026
7

Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.

RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS

Fuel/propulsion System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11745538
Read complaint narrative

My vehicle, VIN [XXX], is subject to NHTSA Recall 25V455 (Ford Recall 25S75) involving a defective low-pressure fuel pump that may cause engine hesitation, loss of power, or engine stalling. This recall was announced in July 2025 and remains open on the NHTSA VIN lookup as of June 2026. More than eleven months have passed since the recall was announced, and Ford has not provided a repair remedy for my vehicle. I believe this is an unreasonable delay for a safety-related defect. In addition, the recall previously appeared in the FordPass application associated with my vehicle but no longer appears there, even though both the NHTSA and Ford recall website VIN lookup continues to show the recall as open. This discrepancy creates confusion regarding the status of the recall and whether Ford is actively notifying affected owners. I am concerned that my vehicle remains subject to a known safety defect without an available repair and request that NHTSA review Ford’s handling of Recall 25V455, the prolonged delay in providing a remedy, and the inconsistency between Ford’s customer-facing systems and the NHTSA recall database. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Structure

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11738388
Read complaint narrative

Driver door opened to secondary latch position while driving on the highway at 70mph on 5/16/2026. The warning system came on and driver had to navigate holding the door and stopping safely during high speed traffic to close the door. Will take to dealership when next available opening day. No accident or police were involved. Driver found older warning affecting same year,make,model for recall but unsure if problem was corrected before purchase or if this vin# was included in recall campaign. Campaign 21N10.

Back Over Prevention

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11735290
Read complaint narrative

The backup camera goes blank and says to contact Ford

Fuel System · Gasoline

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11729641
Read complaint narrative

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle shuddered while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that there was a banging sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated while pulling over to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove slowly to the destination. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,700.

Fuel System · Gasoline

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11726929
Read complaint narrative

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started losing automotive power. The vehicle had stalled several times. The vehicle was able to restart, and the loss of automotive power was intermittent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part was not yet available. The contact called a local dealer and the manufacturer several times and was informed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

Power Train · Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11722624
Read complaint narrative

A steady Check Engine Light came on after starting the car; brought it to Ford Dealer of Montebello and they stated coolant leak and got into one of the cylinders that caused misfires.

Fuel System · Gasoline

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11720636
Read complaint narrative

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that in May 2025, there was a misfire in the engine after refueling with warm fuel. The check engine warning light was flashing on the instrument cluster. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); and associated the misfire with the recall. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

Fuel/propulsion System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11715437
Read complaint narrative

At highway speed (60-65mph), in 6th gear, cruise control activated, the car began to surge and stall and loose power. Applying more throttle to maintain speed did not help. Pulled to roadside and engine stalled. No check engine light at that time. Re-started with rough idle, check engine light illuminated, attempted to drive again but there was no power, vehicle stalled again. Tried to crank again with crank-no start, check engine light on. Car had approx. 1/4 tank fuel and range of 80 miles to empty. Had to tow. After towing home about 2 hours post-incident, car is still crank-no start. Scanned for codes: P0087:00- 64, P008A:00-EC, P00C6:00-26, P008A:00 fuel pressure low codes.

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
Fuel System100001 of 4
Gasoline100001 of 4
Power Train90001 of 4
Engine80001 of 4
Electrical System60001 of 4
Fuel/propulsion System50001 of 4
Service Brakes50001 of 4
Unknown or Other50001 of 4
Back Over Prevention40001 of 4
Hydraulic30001 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

6 recall campaigns found

01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCMCampaign 25V689000October 10, 2025

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Mustang vehicles repaired incorrectly under recall number 23V727. 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."

Safety Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

02FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMPCampaign 25V455000July 7, 2025

Summary

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. The low-pressure fuel pump may fail, which can result in an engine stall while driving.

Safety Consequence

An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

03BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARECampaign 25V442000June 27, 2025

Summary

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. 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.

Safety Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCMCampaign 23V727000October 27, 2023

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Mustang 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."

Safety Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

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.

05AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTERCampaign 22V083000February 16, 2022

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Mustang vehicles. An insufficient weld on the front passenger knee air bag may result in an improper air bag deployment.

Safety Consequence

An improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

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.

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.

06AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAINCampaign 21V980000December 16, 2021

Summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 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."

Safety Consequence

An air bag that does not inflate properly can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

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.

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.

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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