Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Mustang owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Consumer parked vehicle in parking lot with manual transmission in neutral and parking brake set. Consumer's brother informed consumer that vehicle had rolled down the parking lot and into the grass. Consumer then notified the police. Upon arrival of the police, consumer entered the vehicle and verified to the officer at the scene of the accident that the parking brake had been set. Upon releasing the brake, the consumer noticed there was no tension in the brake. Consumer then took the vehicle to dealer to have repaired. The consumer informed the dealer that the e-brake could possibly be faulty and to have dealer check for problems. Upon return of vehicle, consumer asked dealer if they had found any problems, the dealer replied with no problems found. …
Consumer had taken vehicle to dealership for recall NHTSA 00V349000/ manufacturer's recall 00s37 repairs. After vehicle was repaired, consumer noticed that windshield was damaged. Manufacturer replaced windshield at no charge. Vehicle was parked on a slight incline with emergency parking brake on for fifteen minutes, and vehicle began to roll forward with parking brake engaged, eventually hitting a parked car. Damage to consumer's vehicle was estimated at one thousand dollars. The sheey Ford dealership located at 10601 midlothian turnpike richmond,va 23235 did not do a good job according to the consumer. Consumer states that no adjustments were done to the emergency brake after the first failure and feels the problem May occur again.
I am the owner of a 1999 Ford Mustang, with a manual transmission, purchased in 2004. Last week, I parked my car on a local street, at a meter and went into church. While in church, the emergency brake on my car failed, and my car rolled backwards, a block and a half through an intersection and was hit by a city bus, before landing against a tree. The police towed my car away. Since then I have paid to get my car from the tow yard, taken it in for auto body repair and have had to have the entire back end replaced from damage caused by this failure. The emergency brake has not been replaced.
Hand applied parking brake does not fully engage and at time does not engage at all after several attempts. On 11/11/99 while parked on a mild grade I exited the vehicle with the parking brake apparently engaged but with the transmission out of gear. Returning to the vehicle 10 minutes later I found that it had rolled back about 100 feet, jumped a curb and come to rest against a heavy rubber trash can. The hand brake was still in the fully engaged position. As a result of the collision with a trash can the rear facia is bent.
The emergency brake failed, resulting in the car rolling down a driveway into a brick barrier, causing $1000 damage to front end. Subsequently, emergency brake has randomly operated by pulling to a 90 degree angle, with no tension at all, to pulling with a definite ratcheting sound. It has been sporadic enough that there is no rhyme or reason to when it will fail. I have made extra effort to avoid parking on any hills since the primary incident.
Consumer was driving to work and it was raining that day. A tire slipped off of the pavement and hit against the curb. Consumer put car into 4th gear and then into 2nd gear to slow down. She hit the gas pedal and car hit a 12foot embankment. Then swerved across the street and went into a barbed wire fence. Took a whole tree landing down. Upon impact, driver's/passenger's air bags failed to deploy.
Vehicle was parked in front of consumer's home and vehicle was warming up. Emergency brake was engaged, and vehicle rolled down a hill, and hit a tree several minutes later, no one was hurt. The manufacturer had recalled defective brakes but declined to pay for consumer's brake job. However the dealer paid for the damages after maufacturer refused recall # 00V349.
Vehicle experienced two separate unoccupied movements, and involved in a crash. First occurred while running in neutral with parking brake on, and second occurred while parked in gear with parking brake engaged. Vehicle been in dealer's shop, and dealer informed consumer that problem could not be duplicated. Please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.
While pulling out of a parking lot vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into rear end of another vehicle. Consumer had brakes applied in an attempt to stop vehicle, leaving skid marks on road. Manufacturer informed consumer that his vehicle was not included in any recall for throttle control cable. Please provide any additional information/attachments.
Car was parked on a hill in gear with the emergency brake engaged. Approximately 15 minutes after leaving the car it rolled 200 feet down a hill and into a tree. Contacted the dealer only to find the part that was ordered to correct the problem that had previously been reported was on the shelf and not installed at the last service.
Related recalls
Parking brake › Conventional
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. If a vehicle is parked with the parking brake not fully applied and not in first gear, as directed in the owner guide, and the self adjustment pawl subsequently skips one or two teeth, the vehicle could move on some grades.
Remedy: Dealers will modify the parking brake control and install a plate or over-bracket to the control to lock the self adjust mechanism in position following adjustment.
Brake complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1999 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the brakes of the 1999 Ford Mustang, 17% of the model year's 258 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Mustang brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V-349 (conventional, Oct 30, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford Mustang brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 177,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 17 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury and 1 death to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.