Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Ford Mustang owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH with his daughter inside the vehicle, the driver's and passenger's side doors opened unexpectedly. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact declined to pay the cost for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated the failure had occurred approximately twelve times with the driver's side door. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 108,787.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the driver's side door would unlock without warning. The contact stated that the door ajar warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. It is both driver's side and passenger side door that would open not unlock. It would open into the second stage. Happens regularly and at different speeds on different road conditions.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the contact heard an unlatching sound and an alert message of the door being ajar. The contact noticed that the front passenger's side door was slightly opened. The contact pulled over to the side road and closed the door however, the failure recurred several times. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure with the door latches. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,200.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V082000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the backup camera had failed, and the trunk failed to open as needed. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger and driver's side doors would open inadvertently even though the doors were locked. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the Vin. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the Vin. The failure mileage was 85,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the driver's side door latch mechanism malfunctioned, causing the door to unintendedly open. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 95,000.
I would like to file a complaint against Ford in regards to a door latch issue with my 2016 Mustang convertible. Starting in April 2021, the passenger side door will become unlatched on it's own while driving even with doors locked. It doesn't open entirely but enough to trip "door ajar" light and interior lights. Since that time in April it happened in June of 2021 and again in August after which I took car to a dealer. Door came unlatched at normal speeds between 40 and 60 mph. The car is under an extended warranty from Ford and the car now has approximately 37,000 miles on it. I am the original owner. The dealer kept car for about a weeks time and said they could not duplicate it. They told me warranty wouldn't honor it since they couldn't duplicate the issue and it would cost around $600 to fix possible issues. …
The locked doors are randomly unlatching when I hit a bump. It's happened several times on one side or the other and usually when I'm driving at high speed on the freeway. My young daughter was in the front seat when it happened again and it was very scary as the door was barely closed. If she had her arm leaning on it, it would have opened completely. I've had to rush into the emergency lane to close it again. These doors are locked when I start driving. I know there's a recall on the 2015 mustang but I didn't see one for the 2016. This is a convertible so I understand the doors are heavier and maybe this is a factor but it's dangerous and Ford has been anything but conscientious regarding public safety issues with these mustangs including the infamous bank 8 misfires with the engine. …
While on a road trip and driving aprx 70 MPH, the passenger door released to the secondary latch position and the "Passenger Door Ajar" light came on. After stopping and opening and closing (and locking) the door, the light went off. However, later it released again. The driver side door also released in the same manor. There were four occasions of this happening. After returning home, I did some research and found Ford's Customer Satisfaction Program 21N10 dated 12-15-2021, which states criteria in which my vehicle falls (Mustang, model year, assembly plant, build dates). I contacted my dealership and was told that my vehicle's VIN was not included in their "OASIS" VIN report, and that they would not honor the terms of the program.
The passenger door of my 2016 Mustang Convertible keeps opening to the secondary latch while driving. This has happened multiple times, always while driving at a high speed (70 mph+) on the interstate. It is very frightening to hear wind noise and see a "door ajar" warning on the dash while driving at a high speed, and then have to attempt to find a safe place to pull over to open & close the door so it's fully latched. I've found a recall notice on Ford's website. Both my local Ford dealership & Ford Motor Company's Customer Service have stated my VIN Number are not eligible for the program to have this repaired. I am experiencing the exact issue described: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10205726-0001.pdf
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2016 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2016 Ford Mustang, 7% of the model year's 379 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford Mustang door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2016 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 2016 Ford Mustang door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
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.