Ford Mustang vs Chevrolet Camaro: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Camaro is ahead of the Ford Mustang on the federal record, 79/100 against 71/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Ford Mustang
- 13 model years scored
- 3,147 owner complaints on record
- about 26 complaints per year on the road
- 89 recall campaigns, 51 safety-critical
- best year 2018 (83/100) · worst 2015 (51/100)
Chevrolet Camaro
- 11 model years scored
- 1,354 owner complaints on record
- about 12 complaints per year on the road
- 32 recall campaigns, 24 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (93/100) · worst 2017 (63/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Mustang against Camaro
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Ford Mustang
- Air Bags — 673 complaints
- Power Train — 612 complaints
- Engine — 368 complaints
Chevrolet Camaro
- Electrical System — 429 complaints
- Power Train — 206 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 196 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Mustang's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the Camaro's in Electrical System. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Mustang: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021….
Chevrolet Camaro: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018….
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Mustang prices at about $56,900 and a Chevrolet Camaro at about $53,300 — the Chevrolet Camaro is roughly $3,600 less, and they return 19.0 against 16.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Mustang or the Chevrolet Camaro more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chevrolet Camaro scores 79/100 against the Ford Mustang's 71/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro years should I avoid?
Ford Mustang: no year scores below 45. Chevrolet Camaro: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Mustang is Air Bags (673 complaints); on the Chevrolet Camaro it is Electrical System (429).
Is the Ford Mustang or the Chevrolet Camaro cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Mustang prices at about $56,900 and a Chevrolet Camaro at about $53,300, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.