Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 13% | — |
| 2025 | 2 | 11% | 14,000 miles |
| 2024 | 10 | 12% | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2022 | 4 | 8% | — |
| 2021 | 9 | 16% | — |
| 2020 | 25 | 21% | 19,000 miles |
| 2019 | 28 | 19% | 17,000 miles |
| 2018 | 46 | 23% | 10,000 miles |
| 2017 | 22 | 8% | 38,000 miles |
| 2016 | 29 | 8% | 6,000 miles |
| 2015 | 42 | 10% | 12,000 miles |
| 2014 | 30 | 8% | 19,000 miles |
| 2013 | 48 | 18% | 57,000 miles |
| 2012 | 177 | 38% | 13,000 miles |
| 2011 | 200 | 43% | 5,000 miles |
| 2010 | 13 | 5% | 18,000 miles |
| 2009 | 7 | 4% | 20,000 miles |
| 2008 | 30 | 9% | 10,000 miles |
| 2007 | 35 | 6% | 17,000 miles |
| 2006 | 40 | 7% | 31,000 miles |
| 2005 | 32 | 4% | 30,000 miles |
| 2004 | 9 | 7% | 18,000 miles |
| 2003 | 31 | 13% | 6,000 miles |
| 2002 | 14 | 8% | 20,000 miles |
| 2001 | 20 | 8% | 21,000 miles |
| 2000 | 45 | 11% | 61,000 miles |
| 1999 | 30 | 12% | 35,000 miles |
| 1998 | 22 | 7% | 90,000 miles |
| 1997 | 30 | 14% | 59,000 miles |
| 1996 | 27 | 9% | 128,000 miles |
| 1995 | 57 | 9% | 95,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
2024 Ford Mustang has shown severe defects since September of 2025. Vehicle has been in and out of shop every month since first incident of vehicle going completely dead without cause or warning. Vehicle has since produced escalating engine misfires, loss of acceleration while driving on highway, and occasional antifreeze seeping through a/c vents on startup. Dash has started to glitch upon startup as well and fuel economy has dropped 7mpg in one month. Every Ford dealership I have went to for repairs, except for Town and Country Ford, has told me, "there's no issue with your vehicle". After a year of issues that are getting worse, and trying to receive answers from my Ford case manager, I went to check on any recalls myself and found there is a recall for my vehicle that has no remedy until December 21st, 2026. …
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. …
Yes, if the NHTSA communicates with me that they need to look at my transmission, and I am either provided another equal mode of transportation or paid for my lack of ability to use my vehicle during inspection/possession/out of service by the NHTSA. 10R80 10 speed transmission was finally replaced under warranty by FORD in January. The new transmission has been problematic and getting worse since march. Transmission flairs/slips. Transmission acts as if the brakes are put on at times/acceleration is greatly decreased for no reason. Hard shifts at times... I and other others are put at risk due my car, responds erratically and this could become a safety issue by causing a crash or loss of control by the Ford MACH 1 Mustang. Transmission often is too high gear and the as a result, the engine is lugging too much. No idiot, lights or warning lights have come on this go round. …
On April 6th, the AC in the car began stalling and a few days after the engine started making all sorts of noise and failing and ultimately stopped working. I kept the car in my garage until I was able to obtain the money to replace the engine. I just yesterday picked up my car from the shop that replaced the engine (where I paid $13,000). The car is back in the shop and having same stalling issues.
1st dealer visit: at low speeds car acted like it was in neutral and then surged when trying to accelerate. Dealer said they corrected the issue. they did not. 2nd dealer visit: car was still doing the same as number 1. While on the highway with cruise control set at 75 mph, I lost power and smoke started billowing from under the car. transmission was shifting erratically, went into limp mode and i made it off the highway to call a tow truck. Dealer said they repaired the issue. 3rd dealer visit: car is still doing the same as number 1. now the car is also very jerky in 3, 5, 8 gears. I almost ran into my own car while parking due to the random lunging. It hesitates and stumbles in most gears and I have no confidence when pulling out onto a street or trying to pass on the highway. It shifts extremely hard from 4th to 5th gear; feels like I ran over something or got rear ended. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang GT500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering as the instrument cluster went blank and the charging system error warning message was illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Battery Save Mode, Pull Over, and Turn Car Off and On" message was illuminated. The contact had pulled over to turn off the vehicle and was able to restart. The failure reoccurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the failures could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and that the suspension error warning message was illuminated. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle was jerking and shaking uncontrollably. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred increasingly while driving on the interstate. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. Then the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a second dealer; Don Rich Ford Co Inc (221 E Montgomery St, Villa Rica, GA 30180) who diagnosed the grille shutter and the sensor fuel injectors had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. …
Caught in stop and go traffic at night for 45 minutes. Car started moving forward even though my foot was only on the brake pedal. My first thought was I'd accidentally pressed both the brake and gas pedals, but I could see my foot on the brake pedal since the under-dash area is lit in the Premium model. It happened for about one minute the first time, then happened again a couple minutes later. I hit the bumper of a tour bus during the second instance at about two mph. The tour bus driver apparently didn't notice the hit and changed lanes a few minutes later. I didn't see any damage to the tour bus, but my license plate bracket and license plate were bent, and the middle part of my bumper didn't snap back together correctly. The Ford dealer was unable to duplicate the problem, and the brakes and vacuum pressure module didn't show any leaks. …
Related recalls (6)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Fluid/lubricant › Valves/valve body
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Power train › Clutch assembly › Linkage › Hydraulic hose/fittings
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 Mustang vehicles. The clutch pressure line may be improperly secured and contact hot exhaust components, which can result in melting of the clutch pressure line and cause a brake fluid leak.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the clutch pressure line and repair it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 14, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2023 F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Bronco, and 2023 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The transmission may contain a loose bolt which could prevent the transmission from engaging the park gear, although the gear shifter position may indicate that the…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transmissions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 25, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Mustang vehicles equipped with 5.0L engines and manual transmissions. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) may broadcast an unintended faulted signal to the modules controlling the reverse camera, reverse light, and driver assist features, which may disable all of these…
Remedy: Dealers will update the PCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 15, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S37.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018.
Show 1 more recall
Power train › Automatic transmission
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016.
NHTSA investigations
Inability to shift gears on acceleration
The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Ford as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers.In total, there were 364 unique reports indicating various shift quality issues while driving.Ford identified several factors that may contribute to shift quality concerns in the subject vehicles, including cold transmission, clutch stay-out at high engine speeds, gear clash or…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Mustang years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2011 (200), 2012 (177), 1995 (57), 2013 (48) and 2018 (46) model years. Transmission complaints make up 43% of all complaints for the 2011.
Is there a recall for Ford Mustang transmission problems?
Yes — 6 recalls, including 25V-164 (valves/valve body, Mar 14, 2025); 24V-394 (hydraulic hose/fittings, Jun 3, 2024); 23V-070 (automatic transmission, Feb 10, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Mustang transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 17,000 miles; 77% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the manual transmission (207 mentions), followed by the automatic transmission (130).
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.