KnownCarProblems2016 Ford Mustang Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 379 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Mustang, most often about the engine (22% of complaints, typically around 44,000 miles). It is 7th of 27 Mustang model years by number of complaints and has 5 recalls.
Most common 2016 Ford Mustang problems
Engine
82 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 44,000 miles.
Shelby gt350 5.2l v8: engine valve cover gasket failure caused oil loss and fire in engine bay--oil burning on exhaust manifold. Smoke under hood and into passenger compartment. Car towed to dealership with manufacturer's roadside assistance. Oil spray from valve cover gasket onto exhaust manifold with medium RPM…
Shelby gt350 5.2l v8: engine oil filter spins loose, causing catastrophic loss of oil. Street use only, no track days. Car dealer serviced only. Dealer denied fault, said oil filter coming loose was "normal" for this model.
Electrical
73 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 32,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, alternator/generator/regulator, 12v/24v/48v battery.
The rear camera has gone off and on for months now it does not work at all..the dealership has told me there have been many with this problem the harness in the trunk goes up and down with the opening and closing of the trunk creating strain on the wires causing camera failure.. Dealership wants 1000 to fix this and…
Approximately 31,000 miles but warranty has expired due to lapse of time - he A/C has failed due to what the dealership called a known issue; however, even though mileage would still be under warranty because the car is greater than 3 years old they will not cover this costly repair
Other or unspecified
70 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles.
Just picked my car up from dealership, due to a battery issue that I previously posted about, and my driver side vents are blowing warm air. I googled this issue and just like the battery issue I reported, this is not an isolated incident with the 2016 Ford Mustang. I will now have to bring my car back to the…
I was driving car under normal conditions when the check engine light came on. Broght vehicle to local autozone and was given a p144c code. I brought car to Ford dealership and was told evap purge valve was defective and had to be replced. Invoice also shows that PCM was updated to latest calibatrion.
Backup camera
52 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 51,000 miles. Parts named most often: sensing system, rearview system braking, warnings.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v082000 (back over prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for…
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the rearview camera would project a blank or distorted image while in operation. The contact then received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 22v082000 (back over prevention). The dealer was notified about the recall and informed the contact that the…
Transmission
29 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 5,500 miles.
I was driving on local city roads. I had just turned at a light onto a 4 lane road accelerating at a normal rate due to heavy traffic. The wrench indicator came on and I lost all power. Luckily, I was in the right lane and was able to coast into a parking lot. The dealership states that it's the throttle body and will…
I bought a new 2016 Mustang in april. I was driving uphill at 40 MPH. All of the sudden the engine cut off. When the engine went off a large wrench came up on the display and it said see manual. I tried pressing the start button but it would not start. I had to come to a complete stop, put the car in park and then was…
Body and structure
28 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 50,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. While operating the vehicle in warmer temperatures, the passenger side door randomly unlocked. During the failure, the "door ajar" warning message displayed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and planet Ford spring (20403 interstate 45, spring, tx) were…
Vehicle was on the highway going 70+ MPH, passenger door suddenly came loose and started getting passenger door ajar lights and you could hear wind passing into the car. Thankfully the passenger was holding the door at the time so it did not fully open. Vehicle has been repaired.
Doors and locks
27 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 59,000 miles. Parts named most often: doors, trunk lid.
Traveling on the interstate at approximately 70 MPH, twice in a 12 hour driving period my driver?s door unlatched and I got a ?drivers door ajar? Warning on the dash and could see daylight around the rim of the door. Found these reference numbers online 20v177000 Ford ref #20s15.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, either the driver's or passenger's side doors unlatched and opened. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Jerry's Ford located at 847 e market st, leesburg, va 20176 and the…
Fuel system
21 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 31,000 miles. Parts named most often: storage.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced because the cap on the fuel tank was…
Started my car this morning and as I was backing out, I noticed it was idling roughly, causing the car to shake. When stopped, the car felt like it might die and the RPM was inconsistent while accelerating and the car was moving. Very rough riding. Also, engine light came on and begin blinking.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2016 Ford Mustang recalls
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: A corroded cable can break, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining an occupant, and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: 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 f
Full defect 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.
Backup camera: camera
Risk: A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driverâs view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Backup camera: camera
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Engine: hoses/lines/piping/fittings
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Child Seat: connector/clip
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
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 substa
Questions about the 2016 Ford Mustang
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Mustang?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (82 complaints, typically around 44,000 miles); electrical (73 complaints, typically around 32,000 miles); other or unspecified (70 complaints, typically around 30,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2016 Ford Mustang have?
- 5 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 12, 2025 (seat belts). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2016 a bad year for the Ford Mustang?
- It is 7th of 27 Mustang model years by number of complaints, with 379 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.