Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Ford Mustang owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am the owner of a 2012 Ford Mustang GT currently located in Kuwait. My vehicle has an open Takata airbag safety recall, which is a life-threatening defect. I contacted the authorized Ford dealer in Kuwait and Ford Middle East, but both refused to perform the recall repair, stating that the vehicle is a "gray market import" and not eligible. They also attempted to condition the repair on paid service, which is unrelated to safety recalls. Additionally, the authorized dealer informed me that my vehicle has a total of four open recalls, not just the Takata airbag recall. Despite this, they still refused to perform any of the recall repairs due to the vehicle being a "gray market import." This refusal leaves me driving an unsafe vehicle with no official repair solution. …
I bought the car on Dec 20th 2024. The dealership informed me of the recall and turned off the passenger side airbag. I returned to the dealership as scheduled about 2 weeks later. When I went to pick up my car after work the service center said they couldn't fix the problem because the airbag didn't exist and sent me on my way. I tried calling the sales person but had to leave a message. There has been no other communication.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. While driving 70 MPH in the left lane, the vehicle shifted into first gear and seized the rear tires while on an incline. The contact crashed into a guard rail on the driver side. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed that accused the contact of careless driving. The contact sustained bruising on the left side of the ribs, but medical attention was not required. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 16,150. Updated 10/28/16 the output speed sensor in the transmission from 70 MPH in 6th gear to first and pushed the consumer down an incline into a guard rail. The consumer attached the recall letter to his complaint, regarding an issue with the output speed sensor. Updated 11/0/16.
Takata recall - I was at a stoplight during rush hour on a busy city street. The light turned green and before I made it 10 feet the car in front of me slammed on his brakes. I hit him from behind, it was a very minor impact but my airbag deployed and exploded/ruptured over my lap. It shattered my iphone and burned my left leg about 6 inches above my knee. Upon inspection of the front end of my car I saw virtually no visible damage, only a 2cm paint chip and a very slightly bent license plate. My car drives perfectly, there are no indicator lights except for the airbag light. This leads me to believe that I am dealing with a faulty defective Takata airbag. I also want to add that I already had my passenger side airbag replaced due to a recall notice I received about 6 months ago.
The 2012 Mustang collided with a large commercial truck. The Mustang's brakes were not applied, so there were no skid marks. None of the airbags ever deployed. During this accident, the Mustang was traveling the posted speed limit of 40 MPH and we believe that the airbags should have deployed.
Takata my car has different manufacturing issues including the convertible roofing it does openly by itself, I got scared and chocked the first time it happened, also the transmission seemed to sent a lower speed to the motor. Airbag didn't explode in a crash. Driving is when it happens.
Takata recall, my car isn't safe to drive with zero remedy available for recall and cannot sell vehicle for anything near what I paid or what it is worth if problem was fixed, been almost a year and still no remedy.
Vehicle turned right from a stop, onto a texas state highway. Shifting manually from first gear to second gear, the vehicle went out of control (apparently due to loss of traction because there was a coating of fine sand on the tires). The vehicle crossed 3 lanes of traffic, and in doing so, went into a roll-over, reports stating the vehicle rolled 4 times, and striking a utility poll that stopped the roll. The utility poll was struck on the passenger side, by the windshield pillar, causing terrific damage and cave in. The utility poll was broken, almost snapped in half (the utility pole was replaced). While there was no passenger other than the driver, the only airbag in the car that deployed was the driver side curtain. The severity of the crash would indicate that all of the airbags should have deployed, to shield the driver and potential passengers. …
Takata recall - in early November 2015 I was driving my 2012 Ford Mustang when I experienced a minor fender bender, less that 10 MPH. Surprisingly, the airbags deployed causing my passenger, a young boy with a stomach bag and other illnesses to have to get checked in the hospital. Thank god he was not injured but he was very shaken up for many days because of his autism. The car was towed to bodyart collision center ([phone]) to replace the airbags, which they have done. However, three months later my car is still sitting there because, although they were able to install the proper airbags, Ford has not yet been able to get approval for a newly designed replacement dashboard. Several mechanics have called to find after market dashboard but no one has them. Ford has also stopped manufacturing them, most likely because of the airbag recall. …
Takata recall: received recall mar2016. Contacted Ford dealer regarding fix. I asked him 1. Is the car safe to drive. His answer was the NHTSA said it was cleared to drive. 2. Is it OK to have a passenger in the affected seat. Same answer as in #1. 3. When will the part become available? No clue. He actually said it could be years since Takata was bankrupt and they were looking for other manufacturers to make the part. The NHTSA website states recalls are issued when equipment creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards. Since the Ford dealer stated that the NHTSA cleared vehicles under this recall as 'safe to drive', could I get it in writing that my vehicle is safe to drive? I also live in florida where the 50% increase in probability exists due to temp and humidity. …
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 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S.
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 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 › 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.
Airbag complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2012 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 158 complaints about the air bags of the 2012 Ford Mustang, 34% of the model year's 469 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Ford Mustang airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-081 (frontal, Feb 16, 2021); NHTSA recall 19V-001 (inflator module, Jan 7, 2019); NHTSA recall 17V-024 (inflator module, Jan 10, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Mustang airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 42% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 0 fires and 6 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.