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 2006 Ford Mustang owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On June 18, 2023, my throttle unexpectedly stuck open after intentional acceleration, causing the car to continue to accelerate uncontrollably after releasing the accelerator pedal. The engine continued to increase RPMs and speed. After using all of my leg strength to apply the brakes to fight the uncontrolled acceleration, the throttle unexpectedly eased up and returned to normal. This was the most frightening instance. On two other occasions, I noticed similar uncontrolled acceleration that seemed to correct itself immediately after shifting, where the tachometer approached 5k RPMs. I have not had the vehicle inspected, and there were no warning lamps, or other symptoms prior to this failure.
While driving the car goes into limp mode randomly causing the RPM's to fall. There is no power to get off the road safely and has almost caused an accident numerous times. I have had Diagnostics ran and the mechanic has no clue what's causing this. Ford forums are full of these mustangs doing this. It is a huge safely risk!!!!
Traveling to temple, texas to visit mom for her birthday; I set my cruise at 70 MPH as usual while traveling. I approached a slow moving vehicle, slowed down to make sure there was no one coming, turned my signal on and touched the gas pedal to increase speed. When I passed the vehicle and got back in my lane, my car continued to gain speed and was quickly up to 85 MPH and increasing. I touched the brakes to slow it down and they would not hold or slow down the vehicle.I was terrified knowing there are a lot of curves on that particular road and possibly no way to avoid hitting someone. I looked for the safest place to pull over and saw an empty church parking lot and hoped I could get the car stopped in that area. By this time, I was applying the brakes as hard as I could, I managed to get it there but not before hitting a historical marker and snapping it off at the bottom. …
Tl contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. The contact was parking the vehicle with one foot on the clutch and the other on the brake pedal. The tires began to screech and the vehicle unexpectedly surged forward and struck the vehicle in front of it. The contact noticed that the gear was in neutral and the brake and clutch pedals were still depressed. She was certain that she did not depress the accelerator pedal. The air bag deployed and both vehicles were towed. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of failure. The contact was injured and a police report was filed. The speed was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 15,000. To date the dealer has not determined the cause. Updated 08/29/07.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the throttle became stuck and the vehicle increased acceleration abnormally. The vehicle began to travel uncontrollably through three traffic signals. The emergency brake was engaged and the contact then crashed into a tree. The contact and a passenger were able to exit the vehicle but were both severely injured. The vehicle then ignited into flames. The fire department extinguished the fire and informed the contact that the fire originated from the engine compartment. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 36,900.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang gt. The contact stated that his vehicle is experiencing speed control failure. The failure caused him to crash into a fence after accelerating over a curb. The sudden acceleration occurred after he stopped at a stop sign to make a right turn. Before crashing, the contact lost control and the vehicle made a 180 degree turn. The vehicle continued to accelerate even after he removed the key from the ignition. There were no injuries as a result of the crash. The contact's insurance company and Ford both investigated the failure and stated that no visible failure could be found. The speed was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 18,536.
The vehicle is driven approximately 500 miles a month, 90% of the time by my wife. On May 24, 2007 my wife drove it to work as usual. When she arrived at work the parking space she usually parks in was occupied. She then proceeded to circle a small island to return to the entrance drive where the parking spaces are. Once one was located she had to make a right turn to access it. While pulling into the parking space and perpendicular to the car stop, about half way into the parking space, the car suddenly accelerated. She hit a tree about 10 - 12 feet away from the parking space. The vehicle is currently at the dealership we purchased it from awaiting body & paint repair.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang gt. While accelerating from a stop, the contact gently applied pressure to the accelerator pedal. However, the vehicle began to accelerate unexpectedly at a higher rate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they were unable to duplicate and determine the cause of the failure. The contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 7785 updated 4/14/09 the first two incident no cause was found. The last incident, the consumer rear ended the vehicle in front of her. She also stated the air bag did not deploy. Updated 04/17/09.
Car suddenly went into limp mode, no reason. Just started it up one day and it just did not want to move. No one knows how to get it out of the mode. Many mechanics have tried with no luck. Now a mechanic says I have a faulty computer. 3 years of it acting this way.. Computer diagnosis showed many things messed up, even after replacing all of those (and I am sure some were uneeded) the car is still in limp mode, has no power at all and has been basically down for 3 years. Beautiful lawn ornament but it being all I have left of my late husband, I'm not happy it just sits there. No mechanic wants to even touch it!
The gas pedal on my 2006 Ford Mustang got stuck as I was pulling into a parking lot, causing me to hit 2 other parked cars. I applied the brakes but the car kept going forward and then suddenly stopped. This caused the wind to get knocked out of me. The damage to my vehicle consisted of the driver side fender,turn signal,headlamp,bumper and hood. Damage to the other vehicles was to their respective rear bumpers. I had the car towed to the dealer where I purchased it to have them look at the problem and was told that nothing was found and that I'd be responsible for the charges!
Acceleration complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2006 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 55 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2006 Ford Mustang, 10% of the model year's 575 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford Mustang acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2006 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 2006 Ford Mustang acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 31,000 miles, and 41% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 12 crashes, 2 fires and 8 injuries and 2 deaths 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.