Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford Mustang owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On dec 15 2016 approximately 8:15 p.m I went to the 711 a minute up the road from my house. As I was leaving the store to get on double creek dr to come back home I was entering the street to get in the far left turning lane to make a u turn at the light to go back to my house . I was slowly come out of the drive way of 711 picked up speed about 15 -20 MPH . When suddenly the gas throttle started picking up speed . I was headed straight for the red light the gas peddle quickly picked up speed . There was traffic that had a green light going horizontally, I tried everything to try and stop my vehicle . In order to avoid getting t boned I turned my out of control car from the throttle being stuck to the far right scared for my life . There was a vehicle turning left and I hit the driver side of vehicle all the way down the side . When that happened . …
I was driving through a shopping center parking lot at a speed of approximately 5-10 MPH, approaching a stop sign. There were about three cars ahead of me. As I applied the brakes, the engine suddenly revved and bucked 3 times right into the back of the vehicle in front of me. The brakes were applied throughout, but did not stop the vehicle. That Monday vehicle was taken to Ford dealership and they could not duplicate problem, therefore no assessment was made. They suggested the after market floor mat I was using could have possibly been the cause for the sudden acceleration. I disagree, the floor mat was very heavy and did not shift about and was not in the way of the accelerator pedal; although, I have removed the floor mat. Any further incidents will be reported.
I was pulling out of work onto a busy street when car went into idle mode because of the throttle body drive by wire system.there was no indication anything was wrong or about to go wrong. God was really looking out for me on this particular day because the cars that were on this busy road wasn't in a hurry like they normally are and I avoided a (t-bone)collision. It really scared me and I haven't drove the car anymore and it's for sale. I thought it should be reported and I will tell whoever buys the car what happened upfront. I'm not willing to risk it doing the same thing again. I switched the key off and started the car back up and drove it 40 miles home without any problems and it will never be driven by me again.
My 05 v6 Mustang's instrument cluster is going out. The tactomiter stays at zero at all times and the speedomiter varies. At time my speedomiter acts normal then it will go bellow zero. My speedomiter will fix its self after 10 - 15 minutes of the car being turned off. I have noticed, on the internet, that many people have the same problem with my exact year model even if they have really low milage. I believe that Ford should recall and fix this problem because not being able to tell how fast you are going is quite the saftey hazard. I believe that the only reason why for hasnt recalled it yet, is because they charge $500 - $800 at the Ford dealership to get it fixed. Thanks for your time.
Three times in the last 3 years, my daughter's Mustang experienced uncontrolled acceleration. The engine raced without pushing on the accelerator. The brake was useless. Twice she was in traffic and narrowly avoided a crash. This week my wife was using the car and it did the same thing, and she crashed into a building. She was backing out of a parking space when it happened, hitting a pole. Then, when placed in drive, the car raced forward. Again the brake was ineffective. Two years ago, this was reported to a Ford dealer, who didn't find, nor fix, anything. Strangely, they now have no record of the problem being reported. However, Ford does.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the accelerator pedal became jammed. The contact attempted to apply the brakes but the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a grate. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The police were not contacted. The vehicle was able to be driven from the crash site, but only at low speeds. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was awaiting an investigation of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure and current mileage was approximately 70,000.
The instrument cluster located inside the vehicle stopped reading properly. At first I was not able to read my RPM's gauge as it was showing I was idling at 3,000 which was incorrect as I can hear my engine. Then my oil gauge began reading past full. Both of those issues fixed themselves (unsure of how or why) and then my speedometer gauge went bad. Now the needle is pointing straight down regardless of how fast or slow I am going. This is a danger to myself on the road as I cannot gauge my speed. This is an issue that others with the same model and year of my car are experiencing and should be fixed with a recall.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact started the ignition and when his foot was slightly positioned on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle began to rapidly accelerate. The brake pedal was engaged continuously and the vehicle would not slow down causing difficulty in gaining steering control; as a result to the vehicle crashed into several bushes. The contact was able to drive away from the scene without injury. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 58,950.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated intermittently; at first, the contact believed the problem to be because of driver error. On November 25, 2010 while the vehicle was idling, it suddenly accelerated and crashed into a vehicle in front although the contact depressed the brake pedal. A police report was filed. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The current and failure mileages were 78,250.
I was at a stop sign... While driving in first gear about to switch to second... The car RPM redline.. Everyone who has this car manual knows that this car chirps 2nd gear with or without TCS on... It was like power shifting without using the gas pedal.. The car was sideways.. Brakes wouldn't work.. Tried to get the car straight again but the car whipped around the other way and did a 180... Long story short.... Totaled!!!
Acceleration complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2005 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2005 Ford Mustang, 8% of the model year's 868 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Mustang acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2005 Ford Mustang, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford Mustang acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 47% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 14 crashes, 0 fires and 7 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.