Steering complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2024 | 4 | 5% | — |
| 2023 | 5 | 33% | 3,000 miles |
| 2022 | 8 | 16% | 6,000 miles |
| 2021 | 1 | 2% | 6,000 miles |
| 2020 | 2 | 2% | 37,000 miles |
| 2019 | 6 | 4% | — |
| 2018 | 4 | 2% | 46,000 miles |
| 2017 | 11 | 4% | 31,000 miles |
| 2016 | 12 | 3% | 9,000 miles |
| 2015 | 18 | 4% | 40,000 miles |
| 2014 | 22 | 6% | 40,000 miles |
| 2013 | 10 | 4% | 42,000 miles |
| 2012 | 16 | 3% | 37,000 miles |
| 2011 | 25 | 5% | 60,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 1% | 11,000 miles |
| 2009 | 3 | 2% | 111,000 miles |
| 2008 | 6 | 2% | 11,000 miles |
| 2007 | 12 | 2% | 56,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 1% | 9,000 miles |
| 2005 | 8 | 1% | 15,000 miles |
| 2004 | 3 | 2% | 28,000 miles |
| 2003 | 6 | 3% | 10,000 miles |
| 2002 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2001 | 10 | 4% | — |
| 2000 | 16 | 4% | 43,000 miles |
| 1999 | 10 | 4% | — |
| 1998 | 23 | 8% | 54,000 miles |
| 1997 | 9 | 4% | 70,000 miles |
| 1996 | 13 | 5% | 83,000 miles |
| 1995 | 30 | 5% | 174,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
COMPONENT / SYSTEM FAILED: The Electronic Power Steering Assist / Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) and vehicle electrical ground system failed. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. RISK TO SAFETY & NEAR-MISS INCIDENT: While driving on the highway at 62 mph in light rain, the electronic power steering assist cut out completely without warning. The steering wheel instantly became extremely stiff and heavy, giving the immediate sensation of locked steering. Because power assist cut out without warning, the vehicle drifted toward a concrete side wall and adjacent highway lanes with heavy semi-truck traffic. I had to exert significant manual force to keep the car straight, gradually decelerate, and bring the vehicle to a safe stop. This failure created an imminent risk of a high-speed rollover or collision with surrounding tractor-trailers. …
*While driving at a normal, non-excessive speed, another vehicle began pulling out of a neighborhood ahead of me. I attempted to slow down, but the vehicle did not respond to braking as expected - it continued moving despite my attempt to stop. When I tried to turn the steering wheel to avoid the situation, the wheel felt stuck/resistant and did not respond normally. As a result, I began sliding and lost control, crossing into the oncoming lane of traffic. I was able to regain enough control of the steering to pull back into my own lane. Fortunately, there was no oncoming traffic at that moment, or this could have resulted in a head-on collision. Weather conditions were dry and clear; it was not raining. This occurred after I received a recall notice (NHTSA Recall 26V547 / Ford Compliance Recall 26C40) for my vehicle stating that engine wire harness grounds may fAil. …
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V493000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The local dealer was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I was driving and my steering wheel turned to the right all of a sudden and I hit a curb. The curb caused my tire to blow, messed up my wheel, and who knows how bad anything else was that was messed up from this incident.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V493000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 6,220. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The lane assist kept pulling to the right when the lane markings were unclear. Entering highway, lanes go from 2 to 1. We were merging when a car tried to merge into us. We moved over to the right and the lane assist pulled us into a curb. We ended up in a roll over accident and NO air bags opened or went off.
On 11/27/21 I was driving my 2019 mustang GT convertible with approx 15,000 miles. While going around a curve (not at an excessive speed) on dry pavement, the car became uncontrollable and began to spin out. As much as I tried to brake and steer into the slide, the car became more and more uncontrollable and felt as though it were speeding up. I only came to a stop after slamming into a tree and rolling over to the other side of the road. Vehicle is a total loss. I was lucky and only suffered minor injuries, but it very easily could have been much worse. The police and paramedics who arrived at the scene were expecting a fatality or severe injuries. In the end I was ticketed for failure to reduce speed. I'm losing my mind explaining to the police and insurance that the car sped up on its own and all control of the vehicle were lost. …
Power steering went out. Made turning very difficult. Then when you would turn either way it would jerk the steering wheel the opposite way. Caused me to run off the road. Car was towed to repair shop. According to repair shop the rack is not available my car has been in the shop almost a month. The labor is 4 hours but there is no available parts to repair it.
Related recalls (4)
Steering › Electric power assist system
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Ford Mustang vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V-493. The secondary steering torque sensor may not be calibrated properly, which can cause the steering wheel to turn side to side against the driver's intentions.
Remedy: Dealers will update the power steering control module (PSCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332.
Steering › Electric power assist system
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Ford Mustang vehicles. The secondary steering torque sensor may not be calibrated properly, which can cause the steering wheel to turn side to side against the driver's intentions.
Remedy: Dealers will update the power steering control module (PSCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and Mini-vans. The rack and pinion steering gears May have damaged input shaft bearings.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code on the rack and pinion steering gear, and, if necessary, replace those rack and pinion assemblies that fall within the suspect date code range.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
The affected vehicles were built with outer tie rod ends with incorrect taper ball studs. The incorrect tapered ball studs can fracture within 50,000 miles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the outer tie rod ends and replace the incorrectly tapered ball studs.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Mustang years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (30), 2011 (25), 1998 (23), 2014 (22) and 2015 (18) model years. Steering complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Ford Mustang steering problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 25V-096 (electric power assist system, Feb 14, 2025); 24V-493 (electric power assist system, Jun 28, 2024); 97V-165 (shaft sector, Sep 30, 1997). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Mustang steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles; 66% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the rack and pinion (21 mentions), followed by the steering wheel/handle bar (17).
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.