1994 Ford MustangProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 356 owner complaints about the 1994 Ford Mustang, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 4 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.5× the Mustang median · #9 of 41 years by complaints

Safety recalls4Free fix at dealers Owner complaints35657 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage59kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 12, 2020. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1994 Ford Mustang has problems

356 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

160Engine and engine cooling4 crash/fire/injury

50Power train

35Air bags16 crash/fire/injury

25Seats

22Electrical system

22Service brakes, hydraulic

17Suspension

14Structure

13Seat belts

6713 other systems7 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling	160	4
Power train	50	0
Air bags	35	16
Seats	25	6
Electrical system	22	8
Service brakes, hydraulic	22	6
Suspension	17	0
Structure	14	1
Seat belts	13	0
13 other systems	67	7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

1994 Ford Mustang recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 01V-318 · Oct 3, 2001 · 911 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MAY NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN LESS THAN THE INTENDED LEVEL OF OCCUPANT PROTECTION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Parking brake: conventional

Recall 00V-349 · Oct 30, 2000 · 434,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT AND A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Body: hood

Recall 97V-180 · Oct 20, 1997 · 769,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN TOTAL SEPARATION OF THE OUTER HOOD PANEL.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Seats

Recall 95V-062 · Mar 27, 1995 · 54,000 vehicles

Risk. OVERHEATING CAN RESULT, AND MELTING, SMOKE AND POSSIBLE IGNITION OF THE SURROUNDING MATERIALS CAN OCCUR.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

11 owners mentioned a cost

$1,000median

Middle half: $875 – $2,000

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1994 vs. every other Mustang year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Mustang median. How we score

2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 1 5 18 16 30 38 10810985 77 69 10135660224617623621331117311814511670542461534718126146647027135944038126919715412255 51 15 85 20 8

'67'68'69'70'71'72'73'74'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

NHTSA crash tests

1994 Ford Mustang safety ratings

1994 Ford Mustang 2-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

Stability control: No
Forward collision warning: No
Lane departure warning: No

4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1994 Ford Mustang, and the recalls they led to.

Sep 30, 1997
OUTER HOOD PANEL DETACHMENTEA97018 · closed Oct 22, 1997
Led to recall 97V-180
May 27, 1998
PARKING BRAKEEA98013 · closed Oct 31, 2000
Led to recall 00V-349
Mar 13, 1997
OUTER HOOD PANEL DETACHMENTPE97011 · closed Sep 30, 1997
No recall
Dec 23, 1997
PARKING BRAKE FAILUREPE97051 · closed May 27, 1998
No recall

In owners' words

What Mustang owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

BLOWN HEAD GASKETS AND CRACKED ALUMINUM HEADS. FOUND THAT REPLACING THERMOSTAT 15 DEGREES COOLER IE(195 FACTORY CHANGE TO 108 DEGREE) WORKS MUCH BETTER. ALSO NEVER USE 50/50 OR WATER WITH ALUMINUM HEADS. *TR
Complaint 10314985 · Feb 28, 2010 · 125,000 miles

DT: CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED ALL THE SENSORS WERE IN PLACE. THE DEALER WAS OFFERING NO FREE REMEDY. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE…
Complaint 10142357 · Nov 10, 2005 · 138,144 miles

THE MOUNT UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAS BROKEN AND IS UNABLE TO BE FIXED WITH A BOLT. THIS OCCURED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROADWAY. WHEN THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE MAKES A LEFT TURN, THE SEAT LEANS TO THE RIGHT. THIS CAUSES A SAFETY HAZARD. THE REAR END OF THE CAR ALSO MAKES A…
Complaint 10096166 · Oct 21, 2004

Own a 1994 Mustang?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.