Ford Mustang: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Ford Mustang: 15 model years scored from 3,147 NHTSA owner complaints and 89 recall campaigns. Worst year 2015, best year 2018.
Ford Mustang: which years to avoid
Across 13 scored model years the Ford Mustang ranges from 51/100 in 2015 to 83/100 in 2018 — a 32-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Unknown Or Other (75 of them).
Safest years: 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025 — scored 70 or better.
Check carefully: 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2024.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Editor's note
The Mustang's record is moderate and steady through the fifth generation (2005–2014). The sixth generation launched for 2015 with the 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine and independent rear suspension, and the 2015 year carries the highest count of the modern car — the EcoBoost's head-gasket and coolant complaints, and the six-speed automatic. Counts fall from 2017 and the 2018–2022 cars score in the 70s and 80s. The seventh generation from 2024 has a small record so far.
Read the guide
Used Ford Mustang: the years to avoid and the years to buy — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
How the Mustang changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2011–2018
Mean score 69/100, about 31 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Air Bags more than anything else (673 complaints). 30 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2020–2022
Mean score 76/100, about 14 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (38 complaints). 13 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2018 (score 83). Worst: 2015 (score 51, CAUTION).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 81 | BUY | $4,403 | 17 | 6 |
| 2024 | 53 | CAUTION | $5,030 | 80 | 12 |
| 2023 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,060 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 72 | BUY | $3,632 | 49 | 9 |
| 2021 | 77 | BUY | $3,999 | 55 | 6 |
| 2020 | 79 | BUY | $4,310 | 120 | 8 |
| 2019 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,820 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 83 | BUY | $4,404 | 187 | 4 |
| 2017 | 74 | BUY | $5,009 | 265 | 6 |
| 2016 | 68 | CAUTION | $4,948 | 373 | 5 |
| 2015 | 51 | CAUTION | $5,132 | 436 | 11 |
| 2014 | 71 | BUY | $5,338 | 359 | 4 |
| 2013 | 75 | BUY | $5,306 | 271 | 6 |
| 2012 | 63 | CAUTION | $5,686 | 469 | 7 |
| 2011 | 67 | CAUTION | $5,780 | 466 | 5 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Mustang, through the years →
Mustang sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Mustang on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Ford Mustang
Across every Mustang model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Air Bags673 complaints across all Mustang years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Power Train612 complaints across all Mustang years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Engine368 complaints across all Mustang years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System343 complaints across all Mustang years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other264 complaints across all Mustang years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Structure167 complaints across all Mustang years · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair$1,070–$2,920
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Ford Mustang years to buy?
2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2018 at 83/100, on 187 complaints and 4 recall campaigns.
Which Ford Mustang years should I avoid?
The 2015 is the weakest year we score, at 51/100 (CAUTION), on 436 complaints and 11 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Ford Mustang problem?
673 of the complaints filed against the Mustang across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04