Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
430–25K
2325–50K
2150–75K
375–100K
2100–150K
1150K+
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
What owners actually said
191 reports
Mileage unknown · May 20, 2026
Engine
1. Component failed and availability for inspection: The engine assembly block failed due to a manufacturing defect known as "coolant intrusion into the cylinders." The vehicle and the defective engine are currently located at my residence and remain fully available for federal or manufacturer inspection upon request. 2. Safety …
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1. Component failed and availability for inspection: The engine assembly block failed due to a manufacturing defect known as "coolant intrusion into the cylinders." The vehicle and the defective engine are currently located at my residence and remain fully available for federal or manufacturer inspection upon request. 2. Safety risk: The safety of myself and others was severely compromised. Coolant entering the combustion chambers causes sudden, severe engine misfires across all cylinders, erratic power loss, and instantaneous stalling. Operating a vehicle where the engine can suddenly lose all power on high-speed roads creates an immediate risk of rear-end collisions and catastrophic traffic accidents. Furthermore, high-pressure internal coolant leaks pose an inherent risk of engine fires. 3. Problem confirmed by a dealer: Yes. The problem has been officially diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership service center, which documented internal coolant intrusion. 4. Inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance: The component was inspected and verified by the vehicle manufacturer's authorized dealership technicians. It has not been inspected by the police or insurance representatives, as no crash has occurred yet. 5. Warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to failure: Prior to the diagnosis, the vehicle exhibited a "Check Engine Light." Currently, the vehicle is suffering from critical failure symptoms: the Check Engine Light is flashing constantly, the engine misfire codes are actively showing on all 4 cylinders, and the vehicle shakes violently at low RPMs (rough idling). These severe symptoms first appeared approximately 2 moths ago and have progressively worsened due to the coolant intrusion.
NHTSA ODI #11738968
Mileage unknown · Apr 19, 2026
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower Train
While completing a turn at a T-intersection, the vehicle experienced a complete loss of motive power for several seconds, leaving the car stationary in the path of oncoming traffic. The transmission (10R80) failed to engage, a known symptom of internal CDF Drum sleeve failure (TSB 24-2254). This follows a 'Green' inspection by a…
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While completing a turn at a T-intersection, the vehicle experienced a complete loss of motive power for several seconds, leaving the car stationary in the path of oncoming traffic. The transmission (10R80) failed to engage, a known symptom of internal CDF Drum sleeve failure (TSB 24-2254). This follows a 'Green' inspection by a dealer on March 23rd where an axle seal leak and shifting issues were overlooked. The failure to engage gear during a turn creates an unreasonable risk of a T-bone collision.
NHTSA ODI #11732274
Mileage unknown · Apr 17, 2026
Engine
A check engine light turned on and the vehicle was taken to a local dealership. The check engine light was for an engine misfire and was diagnosed further. There was an engine failure due to coolant entering the system. Upon further research, I learned this is a common issue for 2016-2020 Ford Mustangs and it is due to a faulty …
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A check engine light turned on and the vehicle was taken to a local dealership. The check engine light was for an engine misfire and was diagnosed further. There was an engine failure due to coolant entering the system. Upon further research, I learned this is a common issue for 2016-2020 Ford Mustangs and it is due to a faulty engine design. The dealership is recommending a new engine install with a price tag of over 13,000 despite this being known to happen because of a badly designed engine with these cars.
NHTSA ODI #11731787
Mileage unknown · Apr 15, 2026
Engine
The vehicle was subjected to the “ecoboom” due to Ford’s lack of care when designing the engine. The car blew the head gasket and now requires an engine rebuild.
NHTSA ODI #11731374
Mileage unknown · Apr 13, 2026
Engine
I was told by my mechanic I have a head gasket leak. Turns out there is a class action lawsuit for my 2.3 ecoboost motor for this coolant intrusion problem. It is a known problem. It is a safety issue as I’ve heard of some engine fires. My car only has 56000 miles on it but it is a 2018 so just out of the manufacturer warranty. …
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I was told by my mechanic I have a head gasket leak. Turns out there is a class action lawsuit for my 2.3 ecoboost motor for this coolant intrusion problem. It is a known problem. It is a safety issue as I’ve heard of some engine fires. My car only has 56000 miles on it but it is a 2018 so just out of the manufacturer warranty. I’ve reached out to Ford but no definitive answer on whether they will help or not they want me to pay them to diagnose it even though I’ve already had it properly diagnosed
NHTSA ODI #11730972
Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2026
Back Over Prevention
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable …
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted but 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 made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the camera was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unavailable.
NHTSA ODI #11727593
99,858 miles · Mar 24, 2026
Back Over Prevention
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the dealer inspected the rear-view camera, and the camera was found to be functional. However, the contact reported that the camera image was distorted, with a grey rain…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the dealer inspected the rear-view camera, and the camera was found to be functional. However, the contact reported that the camera image was distorted, with a grey raindrop line running across the screen. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,858.
NHTSA ODI #11726770
Mileage unknown · Mar 20, 2026
Engine
When driving the car, the engine temperature light came on, pulled the car over to let it cool down, when cooled, drove home and looked in the engine compartment, found the coolant reservoir empty, filled it with proper coolant, next day the engine light came on, took to O'Reilly auto parts to scan code, problem was Cylinder #3 …
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When driving the car, the engine temperature light came on, pulled the car over to let it cool down, when cooled, drove home and looked in the engine compartment, found the coolant reservoir empty, filled it with proper coolant, next day the engine light came on, took to O'Reilly auto parts to scan code, problem was Cylinder #3 misfire, changed out spark plug, noticed that coolant reservoir was low again, searched internet for possible causes when found that many people are having the same issue, turns out Ford manufactured the 2.3L engines with a faulty design where the cooling leaks into the cylinders "Coolant intrusion". the fix that Ford has established for this issue is to replace the engine with a "long block" version, but will not issue a recall. We have contacted Ford and explained the issue, but they will not repair. This should not be happening to a car with only 27,000 miles. now we are stuck with a car we can't drive and don't have the extra $5,000 plus dollars to replace the engine!
NHTSA ODI #11725806
Mileage unknown · Mar 10, 2026
Electrical System
Touch screen system has completely stopped turning on (and wont turn on) any time the outside temperature drops below about 70 degrees fahrenheit. Per online research this is a common, known issue and given that this prevents the use of key saftey features such as the backup camera and climate controls I am unsure why this has n…
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Touch screen system has completely stopped turning on (and wont turn on) any time the outside temperature drops below about 70 degrees fahrenheit. Per online research this is a common, known issue and given that this prevents the use of key saftey features such as the backup camera and climate controls I am unsure why this has not yet initiated a safety recall. I have dealt with this for the past 3 winters and can confirm it is 100% in relation to outside temperature. There is no warning lamp/message. The screen will simply not turn on in below 70 degree temperatures. A component to the touch screen must be shielded improperly/not graded for outdoor use.
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.
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.
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.
2018 Ford Mustang Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year