2026 Ford Mustang
Gas Compact car
The 2026 Ford Mustang is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Mustang, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustang | Gas | RWD | 2.3L 4-cyl turbo | 22 | 33 | 26 | $2,400 |
| Mustang | Gas | RWD | 5.0L 8-cyl | 16 | 24 | 19 | $3,300 |
| Mustang | Gas | RWD | 5.0L 8-cyl | 15 | 23 | 18 | $3,450 |
| Mustang Dark Horse | Gas | RWD | 5.0L 8-cyl | 14 | 22 | 17 | $3,650 |
| Mustang Dark Horse | Gas | RWD | 5.0L 8-cyl | 14 | 22 | 17 | $3,650 |
| Mustang GTD | Gas | RWD | 5.2L 8-cyl | 10 | 17 | 12 | $6,450 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (5)
Engine And Engine Cooling
highProblem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.
Risk: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
Electrical System
highProblem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang vehicles. The engine compartment wiring harness ground connections may fracture and result in a loss of drive power, or a loss of function in the windshield washing system, headlights, air conditioning, or engine cooling fan. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment," and 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
Risk: A loss of driver power increases the risk of a crash. In addition, a loss of headlight function or windshield washing system function can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engine compartment wiring harness ground terminals, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed August 31, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in March 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C40. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
Visibility
highProblem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Mustang and 2025-2026 Mustang GTD vehicles. During certain cold temperature conditions, the windshield wipers may function only at their high-speed setting and the washing system may fail to function properly.
Risk: Windshield wipers or a washing system that fails to function as intended can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the wiper motor as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C32. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 2, 2026.
Engine And Engine Cooling
highProblem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.
Risk: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine for missing or mis-installed circlips and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S23. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Engine
criticalProblem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Corsair, and 2025 Maverick vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components increases the risk of a fire. In addition, the loss of oil can result in engine seizure and loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly, free of charge. All affected vehicles are still within dealership inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 24, 2025.
Owner complaints
5 complaints filed
1 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2026: 5
Most-cited components
- Service Brakes — 1
- Electrical System — 1
- Visibility/Wiper — 1
- Engine — 1
- Unknown Or Other — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 DR RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 8% |
| 2 DR RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 8% |
| 2 DR RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 8% |
| C RWD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★★★ | 8% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Compare the 2026 Mustang with
Other Mustang model years
2025 Mustang
6 recalls · 14 complaints
F2024 Mustang
12 recalls · 74 complaints
F2023 Mustang
6 recalls · 15 complaints
F2022 Mustang
9 recalls · 49 complaints
F2021 Mustang
6 recalls · 55 complaints
F2020 Mustang
8 recalls · 118 complaints
F2019 Mustang
6 recalls · 147 complaints
C2018 Mustang
3 recalls · 188 complaints
F2017 Mustang
6 recalls · 265 complaints
F2016 Mustang
5 recalls · 375 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 49794, 49792, 49793, 49795, 49796, 50279). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.