Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
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).
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that during inclement weather, water was entering the cabin of the vehicle through the passenger's side glove box. The contact stated that due to the failure, mold had developed throughout the vehicle on the carpet, doors, and interior seats. The contact's husband also discovered that water had entered the computer module after inspecting the vehicle and the module was removed. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable after several repairs and several battery replacements. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the dealer and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 87,000.
Allen , our son had accident Friday May 20th in our 2005 Ford Mustang gt. He swerved to miss something in the road and lost control of the vehicle. It actually rolled over but also damaged the front end enough to bend the frame rails. The ai bags did not set off. There was a recall on them and we had them replaced by Ford in 2020 . My wife and I felt like they should have deployed . Thanks
I have done all my airbag recalls and the light came on a few months ago and is steady flashing. Called Cresent Ford in High Pint and they looked up my VIN and my car replacement history. They told me it had been replaced but it was still under warranty and to make an appointment to have it looked at. Made an appointment, which I may add I had to take the day off and drive 40 mins one way, I was told by [redacted] that I had to pay for a diagnostic test because it may not be the airbag and they refused to look at the car until I paid for a diagnostic test. I continue to receive airbag notices and if I was told on the phone this was under warranty. If there are problems in the past with airbags and in the future, we have problems why should this not be covered and looked at by Ford at cost to them to run a diagnostic test. This is absurd. …
Brought the vehicle in for airbag replacement. Made an appointment ahead of time. Left the car over night. Contacted the service dept the next day and they told me the repair was done. I went in and was handed the keys and paperwork and told it was done. I kept getting recall notices from Ford, so I contacted them to let them know the airbags had been replaced. They insisted I never brought the car in, but I have the paperwork. Upon going over the details with Ford during the first phone call. Only one airbag had been replaced, and they gave the car back to me under the impression it was safe to drive. Last week was the third time I've contacted. Each time they say they will investigate the matter and never call back. I've lost confidence in this dealership and Ford for being unwilling to admit they dropped the ball and fix the problem. …
Took the 2005 Mustang GT in several years ago to have one airbag replaced. Dealer (Autonation Torrance, California) stated parts were not available for the other side. One of the airbags has never been replaced. I now read there is a "Do Not Drive" recall for vehicles of this year and model in "Zone A".
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. While driving 50 MPH, the contact rear ended another vehicle. The driver side air bag deployed, but the other air bags failed to deploy. The contact noticed smoke coming from the air bag. A police report was filed. The contact sustained an arm injury that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 15V319000 and 16V384000 (air bags). The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Ford Mustang. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the front driver side control arm fractured and caused the driver to lose steering control. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a tree. In addition, the air bags failed to deploy. The driver suffered from a head concussion, laceration to the face, and body bruises that included severe injuries to the stomach and blood clots. Medical attention was received. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,603.
Highway crash at 75 MPH. The Mustang hit a vehicle that jumped the median . No airbag deployment . I never had a warning light or any indication that the SRS system was at fault . This Mustang had a full frontal impact . I did contact Ford about this issue and I was told { you can't afford to litigate a case against us } I would have to prove that if the airbags did deploy my injury's would of been less serious . I did brake my neck from the impact .I'm sure the airbag would have helped me...
Driving Mustang on city street ( st george utah ) Takata airbag suddenly erupted prematurely causing loss of control of Mustang which rolled forward hitting another vehicle in rear. Driver [redacted] injured by shards of metal and required medical ( hospital attention ) transported by ambulance. Permanent scars and mental stress has caused driver to permanently fear driving .
'Takata recall' the vehicle was in a wreck @ 60mph, the vehicle lost control & started sliding then flipped several times which totaled the car. The air bags never deployed!! I had just traded my other car for this Mustang just a few weeks before as an even trade. The dealership who traded with me stated that there was nothing wrong with the Mustang, no recalls or anything wrong with it cause they did a 360 inspection.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California,…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2014 Mustang vehicles manufactured April 6, 2004, to June 21, 2014, and 2005-2006 GT vehicles manufactured February 20, 2004, to September 22, 2006.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver side air bag inflator, free of charge.
Show 1 more recall
Air bags › Frontal
Ford is recalling 434,593 my 2008 mustang vehicles for failing to comply with one of the neck injury requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection," for an unbelted 5th percentile female sitting in the passenger seat while it is in the full forward position.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the restraint control module free of charge. The recall began on March 3, 2008. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332 or through email to www.ownerconnection.com.
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Airbag complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 284 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Ford Mustang, 33% of the model year's 868 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Mustang airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-081 (frontal, Feb 16, 2021); NHTSA recall 17V-024 (inflator module, Jan 10, 2017); NHTSA recall 16V-384 (inflator module, May 31, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford Mustang airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 21 crashes, 1 fire and 21 injuries to air bags 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.