- Safety
- 0
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 5
- on record
- MPG
- 25
- combined
Fatalities reported
Owner complaints to NHTSA include 2 reports involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.
Vehicle Summary
2016 Ford Mustang
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 5
- Owner complaints
- 367
- Complaints citing a crash
- 13
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
5 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
5 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 15V707000high
Safety restraint issue
SEAT BELTS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Mustang vehicles manufactured September 26, 2015, to October 1, 2015. The front and rear seat belts and child seat tether anchors may have been damaged in shipping from the supplier to the vehicle assembly plant and may not adequately restrain the occupant in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems."
Consequence
If the restraint components do not function as intended, the occupants may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front and rear seat belt assemblies and the child seat tether anchors, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C13.
- 16V779000high
Engine issue
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles manufactured February 24, 2015, to August 30, 2016. A hose may separate from the engine oil cooler tube assembly causing an oil leak.
Consequence
A sudden loss of engine oil may cause engine failure, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, an oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil cooler tube assembly, free of charge. The recall began on March 23, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S40.
- 22V082000high
Rear-visibility system issue
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera wiring may be loose or damaged, which can result in a blank or distorted image.
Consequence
A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the decklid wiring harness and/or replace the rearview camera, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2022 and June 26, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the 4th Quarter of 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S06.
- 25V572000high
Rear-visibility system issue
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Consequence
A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.
- 25V614000high
Safety restraint issue
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. Water and road salt may corrode the front seat belt anchor pretensioner cables.
Consequence
A corroded cable can break, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining an occupant, and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and replace both front seat belt anchor pretensioner assemblies, as necessary. In addition, dealers will remove sections of the carpet and underlayment that contact the cables. Dealers will also inspect the A-pillar sealing patches, and as necessary, install A-pillar body plugs, and/or inspect and replace the front outboard seat bolts. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed October 20, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S92. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov September 17, 2025.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2016 Ford Mustang.
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 8.1%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- No
What the ratings mean
NHTSA published rollover resistance for this vehicle but not frontal crash, side crash and side pole. An untested area is not a poor result — it means no published data exists, and the overall star rating is calculated without it.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 8.1% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2016 Ford Mustang, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
21
City
31
Hwy
25
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,450
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 356 g/mi
How this compares
At 25 MPG combined, the 2016 Ford Mustang ranks 4th of 6 subcompact cars EPA rated for 2016 — 1 MPG short of the 26 MPG median for that group.
That places it a little below the middle of its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,450, within $0 of the $2,450 typical for the class — roughly $12,250 over five years.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 356 grams per mile — about 5.3 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
367 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 367
- Total
- 13
- Crashes
- 6
- Fires
- 11
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE101
- OTHER98
- ELECTRICAL59
- STRUCTURE25
- BRAKES15
Serious Concerns
367 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 2 reports involve a death. 11 reports involve injuries. 13 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Ford Mustang, newest first.
- Recall
A corroded cable can break, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining an occupant, and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Recall
A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
- Recall
A sudden loss of engine oil may cause engine failure, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, an oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
- Recall
If the restraint components do not function as intended, the occupants may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sedan
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
21
City
31
Hwy
25
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,450
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
A corroded cable can break, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining an occupant, and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Recall
A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
- Recall
A sudden loss of engine oil may cause engine failure, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, an oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.