Verdict
2016 Ford Mustang: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues
What the public record actually says about the 2016 Ford Mustang — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.
The read
More reported complaints than most coupe.
Owners filed 367 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 100% of 2016 coupes. Electrical System leads the reports (18%). 5 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.
Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2016 coupes, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.
Complaints filed
367
Reports to NHTSA, 2016
Safety recalls
5
NHTSA campaigns on record
NHTSA crash test
Overall NCAP rating
Combined MPG
21.5
EPA estimate
Complaint volume vs. segment peers
More complaints than 100% of 2016 coupes
The bar is this car's percentile among 2016 coupes by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.
Known issues
Electrical System issues lead owner complaints (18% of 367 reports), followed by engine (15%).
+ 16 more component categories with fewer reports.
Share of all 367 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11452167, ODI 11244053, ODI 11746775, ODI 11715694, ODI 11686301.
Recalls(5)
Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.
Seat BeltsDec 2025 · 25V614000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. Water and road salt may corrode the front seat belt anchor pretensioner cables.
Risk: 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.
Back Over PreventionApr 2025 · 25V572000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
Seat Belts · 15V707000Details +Close −
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."
Risk: 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.
Engine And Engine Cooling · 16V779000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
Back Over Prevention · 22V082000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: 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.
A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.
Investigations
1 NHTSA investigation on record
Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Crash-test ratings
2016 Ford Mustang 2 DR RWD NHTSA source
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
2016 Ford Mustang C RWD NHTSA source
- Overall
- Not rated
- Frontal
- Not rated
- Side
- Not rated
- Rollover
Fuel economy by trim
| Trim | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Hwy | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustang | 2.3L 4-cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 22 | 31 | 25 |
| Mustang | 2.3L 4-cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 21 | 31 | 25 |
| Mustang | 3.7L 6-cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 19 | 27 | 22 |
| Mustang | 3.7L 6-cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 17 | 28 | 21 |
| Mustang | 5.0L 8-cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 15 | 25 | 19 |
| Mustang | 5.0L 8-cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 16 | 25 | 19 |
EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.
Before you buy
Useful next checks
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Compare model years
"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.
2016 Ford Mustang: frequently asked
What does the complaint record show for the 2016 Ford Mustang?
Owners filed 367 NHTSA complaints about the 2016 Ford Mustang — more complaints than 100% of comparable 2016 coupes, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.
What are the most common problems on the 2016 Ford Mustang?
The most-reported problem areas are Electrical System (18% of complaints) and engine (15%).
How many recalls does the 2016 Ford Mustang have?
5 recalls have been issued that affect the 2016 Ford Mustang, covering components such as seat belts. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.
What gas mileage does the 2016 Ford Mustang get?
The EPA rates the 2016 Ford Mustang between 19 and 25 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.