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2011 Ford MustangProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 466 owner complaints about the 2011 Ford Mustang, most often about the power train. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-384 the manufacturer reports only 24% of affected cars repaired.

2011 Ford Mustang
37
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.7× the Mustang median · #6 of 41 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 24%Owner complaints46631 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage5kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 16, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2011 Ford Mustang has problems

466 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train2001
Air bags12510
Engine480
Vehicle speed control392
Steering253
Electrical system241
Fuel/propulsion system230
Electronic stability control (ESC)140
Structure103
16 other systems567

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

4 recalls

2011 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.

33%repaired · 2022 Q4

Air bags: frontal

Recall 21V-081 · Feb 16, 2021 · 1,067 vehicles · 355 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

67%repaired · 2020 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 19V-001 · Jan 7, 2019 · 782,384 vehicles · 527,515 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

24%repaired · 2019 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 16V-384 · May 31, 2016 · 1,892,343 vehicles · 462,303 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

45%repaired · 2017 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 15V-319 · May 28, 2015 · 1,018,622 vehicles · 454,087 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…

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.

Mileage at failure

When do power train problems start?

5kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 186 power train complaints. 98% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
151under 30k miles183under 100k miles3100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2011 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

'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

2011 Ford Mustang safety ratings

2011 Ford Mustang C RWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 5 stars (8.7% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2011 Ford Mustang, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Inability to shift gears on accelerationPE11024 · closed Dec 14, 2011
    No recall
In owners' words

What Mustang owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission, on occasion, did not shift into second and third gear. No…
Complaint 11678844 · Aug 6, 2025 · 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was hard shifting with a delay while shifting gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic stated that there was no failure found and that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer…
Complaint 11483546 · Sep 8, 2022 · 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked the contact wife who was in the passenger heard a loud noise coming from the vehicle, when she noticed that the vehicle had shifted into driver and was rolling frontwards crashing into a boulder cause the vehicle…
Complaint 11473393 · Jul 11, 2022 · 68,000 miles

Own a 2011 Mustang?

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