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2018 Ford Mustang

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Mustang years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Ford Mustang are substantially higher than the model-year median of 81.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

93 reports with mileage · 98 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Engine complaints

56 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 29, 2024
Engine

Ecoboost Turbo engine has a known flaw - coolant channels were placed between cylinders that don't allow them to seal properly and this leaks coolant into the engine eventually causing engine failure. FORD corrected this defect in 2020 but did not correct previous customers. As a result I am now being referred by my local dealer…

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Ecoboost Turbo engine has a known flaw - coolant channels were placed between cylinders that don't allow them to seal properly and this leaks coolant into the engine eventually causing engine failure. FORD corrected this defect in 2020 but did not correct previous customers. As a result I am now being referred by my local dealer to replace the whole engine. I have only had this vehicle for 4 years and have only used 45K miles in that time frame. I have lost power while driving WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. I've already spent thousands of dollars on repairs only to find out the issue was the engine and a KNOWN issue that Ford covered up. Ford needs to be held liable for this and they should be responsible for replacing my engine. And the time and money spent attempting to fix this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11568392

72,212 miles · Jan 19, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a code reader which indicated that a spark plug had caused an engine misfire. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was confirmed as a spark plug misfire; however, the dealer determined that the fai…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a code reader which indicated that a spark plug had caused an engine misfire. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was confirmed as a spark plug misfire; however, the dealer determined that the failure was a result of coolant intrusion into cylinder #3. Due to the failure, the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 72,212.

NHTSA ODI #11566520

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2023
Engine

Coolant leaking in 3rd cylinder causing engine misfires. The vehicle has less than 50K miles on it and shouldn't be having these issues. The shop quoted nearly $5,000 to fix. Many other mustang owners are having this same issue.

NHTSA ODI #11543587

Mileage unknown · Aug 29, 2023
Engine

Ecoboost 4 Turbo engine has a known design flaw - coolant channels were placed between cylinders that don't allow them to seal properly and this leaks coolant into the engine eventually causing engine failure. FORD corrected this defect in 2020 but never let customers know. I now have a 5 year old car in immaculate condition th…

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Ecoboost 4 Turbo engine has a known design flaw - coolant channels were placed between cylinders that don't allow them to seal properly and this leaks coolant into the engine eventually causing engine failure. FORD corrected this defect in 2020 but never let customers know. I now have a 5 year old car in immaculate condition that needs a new engine. It doesn't start reliably and I have lost power while driving a few times. I've already spent $1600 on repairs only to find out the issue was the engine and a KNOWN issue that Ford covered up. If I want to repair my car I am responsible for 5K in engine repair. Ford needs to be held liable for this and they should be responsible for replacing my engine.

NHTSA ODI #11541371

65,000 miles · Jul 19, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking at start up. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that coolant had leaked into cylinder #3, causing the engine to overheat and caused engine damage. The contact to…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking at start up. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that coolant had leaked into cylinder #3, causing the engine to overheat and caused engine damage. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer who confirmed the failure and replaced cylinder heads on all four cylinders. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ODI #11533240

88,000 miles · Apr 21, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the purge valve was replaced due to a cylinder #3 misfire; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated.…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the purge valve was replaced due to a cylinder #3 misfire; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a second independent mechanic, where the fuel pressure sensor was replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the fuel injector needed to be replaced due to a cylinder #2 misfire. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ODI #11518230

53,000 miles · Mar 29, 2023
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating. The contact then became aware that coolant was leaking out of the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him that either the head gasket …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating. The contact then became aware that coolant was leaking out of the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him that either the head gasket was blown or there was a hairline fracture in the engine block or the cylinder head. The contact then called the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was covered under warranty and referred him to the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where he was then informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

NHTSA ODI #11514455

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2022
Engine

My engine started knocking/ticking at around 6,000 miles, shortly after my first oil change. I was aware of the knocking issies, thanks to numerous youtube videos, before i even recieved my special order mustang so i made sure to use the same oil and filter that originally came with my car. Now the car has 18,500 miles on it, th…

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My engine started knocking/ticking at around 6,000 miles, shortly after my first oil change. I was aware of the knocking issies, thanks to numerous youtube videos, before i even recieved my special order mustang so i made sure to use the same oil and filter that originally came with my car. Now the car has 18,500 miles on it, the knocking/ticking is getting worse and worse every year and Ford is calling the problem "normal" and refuses to do any repairs. The car has now been unsuccessfully serviced 3 times and should now be placed under the lemon law.

NHTSA ODI #11465990

5,000 miles · Mar 16, 2020
Engine

SO AT COLD START WHEN DRIVING WITHING 1800-2600 I GET THIS RATTLE PISTON SLAP ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE. I CHECKED FLUIDS NOT LOW ON ENGINE OIL. ONCE ENGINE GETS HOT ITLL STOP. HOWEVER IT DOES INCREASE IF I ACCELERATE. IT'S BEEN HAPPENING NEXT DAY I GOT MY CAR I REALIZED IT.

NHTSA ODI #11318191

30,000 miles · Feb 27, 2020
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

I BOUGHT MY FORD MUSTANG ON JUNE 2018. WHEN THE MILES HIT 30,000, THE ENGINE SHAKES EVERY TIME MY VEHICLE STARTS, AND MY WHOLE CAR SHAKES NOTICEABLY WHEN IDLING. THE EXHAUST GAS FLOW FROM THE CAR HAS OBVIOUS INTERMITTENT, MEANWHILE, THE EXHAUST PIPE SHAKES A LOT, AND YOU CAN CLEARLY HEAR THE "BURST" SOUND OR THUMP. IN ADDITION…

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I BOUGHT MY FORD MUSTANG ON JUNE 2018. WHEN THE MILES HIT 30,000, THE ENGINE SHAKES EVERY TIME MY VEHICLE STARTS, AND MY WHOLE CAR SHAKES NOTICEABLY WHEN IDLING. THE EXHAUST GAS FLOW FROM THE CAR HAS OBVIOUS INTERMITTENT, MEANWHILE, THE EXHAUST PIPE SHAKES A LOT, AND YOU CAN CLEARLY HEAR THE "BURST" SOUND OR THUMP. IN ADDITION, MY WHOLE CAR HAS OBVIOUS JITTERS AT LOW SPEEDS OF MORE THAN 2,000, AND THE ACCELERATION IS WEAK. WHEN THE SPEED IS HIGH YOU CAN FEEL A LITTLE LESS JITTERY. IT IS NOT JITTERY UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS OF THE ENGINE. WHEN MY AUTO IS ON D OR R, IT DOESN'T MOVE AFTER I RELEASE THE BRAKE. PLUS, THE VARIABLE BOX OCCASIONALLY MAKES A STRANGE NOISE AND VEHICLE COOLANT DOES NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHAT SCARES ME THE MOST IS THAT ONE TIME I WAS DRIVING ON L-595 HIGH WAY, MY VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AUTOMATICALLY, I TRIED TO RESTART IT BUT FAILED, I WAS PANIC, I HAD TO WAIT FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES ON THE HIGH SPEED ROAD TO TRY TO RESTART THE CAR AGAIN. LUCKILY I PULLED MY CAR IN THE EMERGENCY LANE, I CAN'T IMAGE IF IT WASN'T. AFTER ALL THOSE, I WENT TO MY DEALER AT PLANTATION FL, THEY CAN FIX FOR ME SINCE MY CAR IS STILL UNDER COVERAGE BUT I DON'T WANT GET IT REPAIRED. I DEEPLY DOUBT WHETHER THE REPAIR WOULD COMPLETELY FIX THOSE ISSUES. PLEASE HELP AND ADVICE IF I CAN GET MY CAR RECALLED? I WAS LOOKING FOR A CAR THAT I ALWAYS WANTED BUT NOT HANGING BY A THREAD.

NHTSA ODI #11311847

Official recalls

3

25V572000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Sep 3, 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.

Consequence & remedy

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.

18V213000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Apr 4, 2018

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.

17V814000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel; Electrical System:software

Dec 18, 2017

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2018 Ford Mustang vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and a 12.4" digital instrument cluster. If the ignition is turned off when the transmission is not in PARK, the instrument cluster may not illuminate the PRNDL gear position display and the operator may not receive the "Key in Ignition" chime when the driver's door is opened. As such, these vehicles fails to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence/Starter Interlock/Transmission Braking Effect," and number 114, "Theft Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Without a visual or audible warning to the driver that the vehicle is in PARK, the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C21.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2018 Ford Mustang vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and a 12.4" digital instrument cluster. If the ignition is turned off when the transmission is not in PARK, the instrument cluster may not illuminate the PRNDL gear position display and the operator may not receive the "Key in Ignition" chime when the driver's door is opened. As such, these vehicles fails to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence/Starter Interlock/Transmission Braking Effect," and number 114, "Theft Protection."

Consequence: Without a visual or audible warning to the driver that the vehicle is in PARK, the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C21.

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2018 Ford Mustang vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and a 12.4" digital instrument cluster. If the ignition is turned off when the transmission is not in PARK, the instrument cluster may not illuminate the PRNDL gear position display and the operator may not receive the "Key in Ignition" chime when the driver's door is opened. As such, these vehicles fails to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence/Starter Interlock/Transmission Braking Effect," and number 114, "Theft Protection."

Consequence: Without a visual or audible warning to the driver that the vehicle is in PARK, the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C21.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.