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2026 Ford Mustang

Gas
Subcompact Cars
6 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
53 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical5
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA5
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA26 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2026 Ford Mustang is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Mustang, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
MustangGasRWD2.3L 4-cyl turbo223326$2,400
MustangGasRWD5.0L 8-cyl162419$3,300
MustangGasRWD5.0L 8-cyl152318$3,450
Mustang Dark HorseGasRWD5.0L 8-cyl142217$3,650
Mustang Dark HorseGasRWD5.0L 8-cyl142217$3,650
Mustang GTDGasRWD5.2L 8-cyl101712$6,450

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49794, 49792, 49793, 49795, 49796, 50279.

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Recalls (5)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

26S61
10,001 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.RiskAn unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.FixDealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V548000reported Aug 25, 2026Ford Motor Company
▲high

Electrical System

26C40
148,663 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang vehicles. The engine compartment wiring harness ground connections may fracture and result in a loss of drive power, or a loss of function in the windshield washing system, headlights, air conditioning, or engine cooling fan. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment," and 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."RiskA loss of driver power increases the risk of a crash. In addition, a loss of headlight function or windshield washing system function can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the engine compartment wiring harness ground terminals, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed August 31, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in March 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C40. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V547000reported Aug 25, 2026Ford Motor Company
▲high

Visibility

26C32
67,842 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang and 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles. During certain cold temperature conditions, the windshield wipers may function only at their high-speed setting and the washing system may fail to function properly.RiskWindshield wipers or a washing system that fails to function as intended can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will inspect and replace the wiper motor as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C32. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 2, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V418000reported Jun 30, 2026Ford Motor Company
▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

26S23
278 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.RiskAn unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.FixDealers will inspect the engine for missing or mis-installed circlips and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S23. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V205000reported Mar 31, 2026Ford Motor Company
!critical

Engine

25SD3
6 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Corsair, and 2025 Maverick vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.RiskAn oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components increases the risk of a fire. In addition, the loss of oil can result in engine seizure and loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the cylinder head assembly, free of charge. All affected vehicles are still within dealership inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 24, 2025.
NHTSA campaign 25V828000reported Dec 1, 2025Ford Motor Company

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
5complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Service Brakes1
Electrical System1
Visibility/Wiper1
Engine1
Unspecified1
Power Train1

What owners describe

“My Mustang prevented me out of nowhere from going over 80, no warning or driver assistance system were active when the incident happened, this car is brand new only 4k miles when it happened, i pulled over to gas station and restarted it, it didnt fix the issue until i let it sit for 20 mins near the gas station their …”Jul 19, 2026 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report
“On XXX I purchased a new 2026 Ford Mustang GT from the dealership at [XXX] and [XXX] in [XXX] 40 Hrs. after the purchase I was traveling on [XXX] Headed west at about 78 MPH the speed limit was 70 MPH., when my driver side rear tire let go, I mean totally blew out. The car slammed to the ground and the rear of the car …”Jul 14, 2026 · Wheels · NHTSA owner report
“Description On your vehicles engine, one or more of the clips that retain the engines pistons to their connecting rods may be mis-installed or missing. Safety Risk A mis-installed clip may result in an audible knocking noise that increases over time. Progression of this issue can lead to piston failure and engine damag…”Jun 15, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
2 DR RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★8%
2 DR RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★8%
2 DR RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★8%
C RWDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★★★8%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Compare the 2026 Mustang with

2026 Toyota Corolla →

Other Mustang model years

F

2025 Ford Mustang

6 recalls · 14 complaints

F

2024 Ford Mustang

12 recalls · 74 complaints

F

2023 Ford Mustang

6 recalls · 15 complaints

F

2022 Ford Mustang

9 recalls · 49 complaints

F

2021 Ford Mustang

6 recalls · 55 complaints

F

2020 Ford Mustang

8 recalls · 118 complaints

F

2019 Ford Mustang

6 recalls · 147 complaints

C

2018 Ford Mustang

3 recalls · 188 complaints

F

2017 Ford Mustang

6 recalls · 265 complaints

F

2016 Ford Mustang

5 recalls · 375 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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