Ford Mustang vs Dodge Challenger: which is more reliable?
The Dodge Challenger is ahead of the Ford Mustang on the federal record, 80/100 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)
Dodge Challenger
- 13 model years scored
- 1,249 owner complaints on record
- about 8 complaints per year on the road
- 47 recall campaigns, 33 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (94/100) · worst 2012 (45/100)
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 Challenger
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.
| Year | Mustang | Challenger | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 81 BUY | — | — |
| 2024 | 53 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2023 | — | 75 BUY | — |
| 2022 | 72 BUY | 92 BUY | -20 |
| 2021 | 77 BUY | 90 BUY | -13 |
| 2020 | 79 BUY | 94 BUY | -15 |
| 2019 | — | 82 BUY | — |
| 2018 | 83 BUY | 79 BUY | +4 |
| 2017 | 74 BUY | 89 BUY | -15 |
| 2016 | 68 CAUTION | 86 BUY | -18 |
| 2015 | 51 CAUTION | 68 CAUTION | -17 |
| 2014 | 71 BUY | 66 CAUTION | +5 |
| 2013 | 75 BUY | 60 CAUTION | +15 |
| 2012 | 63 CAUTION | 45 AVOID | +18 |
| 2011 | 67 CAUTION | 59 CAUTION | +8 |
What owners actually complain about
Ford Mustang
- Air Bags — 673 complaints
- Power Train — 612 complaints
- Engine — 368 complaints
Dodge Challenger
- Electrical System — 525 complaints
- Engine — 177 complaints
- Air Bags — 145 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Mustang's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the Challenger'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….
Dodge Challenger — avoid: 2012.
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 Dodge Challenger at about $56,900 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 19.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Mustang or the Dodge Challenger more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Dodge Challenger scores 80/100 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 Dodge Challenger years should I avoid?
Ford Mustang: no year scores below 45. Dodge Challenger: 2012. 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 Dodge Challenger?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Mustang is Air Bags (673 complaints); on the Dodge Challenger it is Electrical System (525).
Is the Ford Mustang or the Dodge Challenger cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Mustang prices at about $56,900 and a Dodge Challenger at about $56,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.