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 while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shifted out of gear and loss motive power. The "Vehicle Not in Park" message was displayed and the service warning light illuminated. The contact engaged the manual transmission and was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and shifting gear, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall and referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
The new purge valve is faulty in my car. It has been replaced once in 2017, and another time in 2022 (possibly 2021), due to a total engine rebuild under powertrain warranty. This valve is a known common issue on online forums. For the model cars 2018 and 2019, this is an open recall. I strongly believe this should be investigated. In the past, this faulty valve caused my car to stall and die on a busy road. Both Ford customer service and the dealer have given me conflicting information whether or not this part is covered under emissions warranty, causing a headache. The dealer stated that if given a sequence of codes, the dealer has been instructed by Ford to replace the part for free. This indicates that Ford is aware of the common hazard that the faulty purge valve is causing. …
2016 Ford Mustang V6 This is EXTREMELY concerning as it's a SAFETY issue losing power features while the vehicle is in motion. While driving the car provides an error message with a wrench sign/icon stating the transmission is not in Park, then it proceeds to shut down the car leaving us without power steering. The car need stopped, move the transmission to Park, and start the engine. Doing this clears the warning and you are able to drive the car without any problem. The two incidents occurrences were about 1 or 2 months apart. Below link shows other people having the same issue [redacted]
At about 75k miles my mustang started misfiring at about 2,500 rpm's and higher. Turns out it was a blown head gasket. This engine model is prone to what happened to it. Ford should have a recall for these engine and a solution as they're ticking time bombs. I wish I could drive with the peace of mind of not worrying about it. I couldn't drive my car for months because of the warranty not even wanting to cover it. The warranty from the used car dealership. Got unlucky.
Periodically when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, with manual transmission, I am unable to engage 3rd gear, like I am locked out of 3rd gear. My safety (and vehicles around me) is at risk because I am unable to continue accelerating and have to either go back to 2nd gear or into 4th gear. This problem has not been addressed at service center as it is intermittent. I have had this happen dozens of times. There is no warning when this happens.
Clutch pedal failed. Welds broke away from break clutch housing. Resulting in the inability to disengage transmission. I was forced to use the breaks to stall the vehicle. Towed to repair shop. Replacement part was not available. Had the shop weld clutch pedal back to the assembly. See pictures.
When putting the manual transmission in gear (1-5 and R) the transmission makes a clunk noise. The noise appeared when the car was less than one year old. Also experienced a few gear clash during shifting while clutch properly disengaged.
Since I have purchased the car with 300 miles I had to take the vehicle in because the transmission was at times, hard to shift, would grind a gear. Locked me out of a gear, and in general can shake and produce loud thumping noises when engaging gears while sitting at a standstill or even while driving down the road. I was told at the time that this was normal behavior. I had test drove more than one car before purchasing this one. None of the others behaved this way. I have done more research and discovered that this is a very intermittent issue between builds of the transmission. I took it in again for service. They had removed the transmission and serviced some parts. Upon getting the car back it almost immediately went back to doing the same thing. …
While driving in rush hour traffic on my way to work, I attempted to change lanes, but the car stalled and started flashing the message "see manual". Thankfully, I was able to navigate at a very reduced speed (more like a coast) into a gas station parking lot. The car is only six (6) months old with a little over 8,000 miles. I had to have it towed into the dealership where it was determined that a new throttle body was needed. I am very disappointed in Ford as I learned that the throttle bodies have been going out for years in many of the Ford models and still the same problematic throttle bodies are being installed into new vehicles. I am thankful that I had already exited the interstate when this happened because the outcome might have been very bad had I been traveling at 70 MPH when this occurred. …
Transmission complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2016 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2016 Ford Mustang, 8% of the model year's 379 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford Mustang transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 6,000 miles, and 70% 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.