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2012 Ford MustangProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 470 owner complaints about the 2012 Ford Mustang, most often about the power train. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 17V-024 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Ford Mustang
37
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.7× the Mustang median · #4 of 41 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 22%Owner complaints47031 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage12kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 5, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Ford Mustang has problems

470 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 train1779
Air bags1599
Vehicle speed control353
Engine301
Structure232
Electrical system213
Fuel/propulsion system180
Steering162
Suspension160
14 other systems608

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

6 recalls

2012 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 →

22%repaired · 2019 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 17V-024 · Jan 10, 2017 · 654,695 vehicles · 144,579 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 →

69%repaired · 2017 Q4

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 16V-248 · Apr 27, 2016 · 153,581 vehicles · 105,836 repaired

Risk. An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
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 →

–no report yet

Exterior lighting: back up lights

Recall 12V-190 · May 3, 2012 · 10,500 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT GO INTO REVERSE OR WHEN THE DRIVER PUSHES THE SHIFT LEVER IN THE REVERSE “R” POSITION AND THE VEHICLE’S…

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?

12kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 160 power train complaints. 94% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
100under 30k miles151under 100k miles9100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2012 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

2012 Ford Mustang safety ratings

2012 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 2012 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.

Transmission seems to lose power while driving, the car will barely pull itself but the rpms increase if I accelerate. This has happened several times while driving and occasionally there are dash lights lighting and speedometer/gas gauge doesn’t work but that doesn’t happen every time. When it…
Complaint 11620253 · Oct 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started stalling. The contact pulled over to the side of the road; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission range sensor…
Complaint 11588503 · May 13, 2024 · 180,000 miles
Recently started having erratic shifting issues. Will downshift randomly out of nowhere while driving. Sometimes will just be stuck in 1st gear and won’t go anywhere until I pull over and shut off/start up again. Dangerous because I never know when it will do it. Might seem like everything is fine…
Complaint 11573018 · Feb 20, 2024

Own a 2012 Mustang?

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