NHTSA vehicle safety data

2011 Ford Mustang Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2011 Ford Mustang has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns and 466 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Ford dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2011 Ford Mustang, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2011 Ford Mustang owner complaints

Owners have filed 466 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Mustang, describing incidents dated July 12, 2010 to November 20, 2025.

Most-cited components

Power Train 200 complaints
Air Bags 125 complaints
Engine 55 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 39 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 26 complaints
Steering 25 complaints

Of the 466 complaints on file, 20 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 466 complaints, owners report 17 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11738280 · Filed May 16, 2026
This is a common issue with these S197 Mustangs. The steering position sensor failed. While driving, this can cause the "Service Advancetrac" warning to come on, meanwhile the wheels spin at different speeds as the car attempts to correct a low traction scenario that isn't happening, causing the…
ODI #11711226 · Filed January 15, 2026
Steering angle sensor has malfunctioned, sometimes when i turn the traction and stability control completely turns off, abs randomly activates while im driving.
ODI #11678844 · Filed August 6, 2025
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 warning…

Read all 466 complaints

Owner-reported

2011 Ford Mustang mileage at failure

335 of the 466 complaints on file for the 2011 Ford Mustang give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Power Train	Median 5,000 miles	Middle half 1,000–20,000 miles	Based on 186 complaints
Engine	Median 55,000 miles	Middle half 40,000–70,000 miles	Based on 53 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control	Median 45,000 miles	Middle half 35,000–55,000 miles	Based on 37 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2011 Ford Mustang in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Preliminary Evaluation PE11-024: Inability to shift gears on acceleration
Closed December 14, 2011

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA #21V081000 · Air Bags — Frontal · NHTSA notice

Reported February 16, 2021 · Ford Motor Company

Potentially affected: 1,067 vehicles

Repair completion: 42.83% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Ford campaign 21S05 · Owners notified March 17, 2021 · Vehicles built September 23, 2006 – June 20, 2014 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

Defect description

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Safety consequence

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 occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA #21E013000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported February 16, 2021 · Ford Motor Company

Potentially affected: 249 vehicles

Repair completion: 0% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Ford campaign 21S05 · Owners notified March 17, 2021 · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also includes certain passenger-side air bag inflators and/or modules designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang, 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion, 2010-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2011 Ford Ranger, and 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX vehicles. Please see Ford's recall report for the specific part numbers. These parts may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Safety consequence

Manufacturer remedy

Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA #19V001000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported January 7, 2019 · Ford Motor Company

Potentially affected: 782,384 vehicles

Repair completion: 72.62% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Ford campaign 19S01 · Owners notified February 13, 2019 · Vehicles built August 14, 2008 – June 21, 2014 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

DO NOT DRIVE — this recall carries a "do not drive" advisory. Contact a Ford dealer immediately.

Defect description

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Safety consequence

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

Manufacturer remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture

NHTSA #16V384000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported May 31, 2016 · Ford Motor Company

Potentially affected: 1,892,343 vehicles

Repair completion: 24.55% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Ford campaign 19S01 · Owners notified February 2, 2018 · Vehicles built July 26, 2004 – February 3, 2011 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

DO NOT DRIVE — this recall carries a "do not drive" advisory. Contact a Ford dealer immediately.

Defect description

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Safety consequence

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

Manufacturer remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Driver Side Frontal Air Bag May Rupture

NHTSA #15V319000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported May 28, 2015 · Ford Motor Company

Potentially affected: 1,018,622 vehicles

Repair completion: 45.15% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Ford campaign 15S21 · Owners notified June 10, 2016 · Vehicles built April 6, 2004 – June 21, 2014 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

DO NOT DRIVE — this recall carries a "do not drive" advisory. Contact a Ford dealer immediately.

Defect description

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2014 Mustang vehicles manufactured April 6, 2004, to June 21, 2014, and 2005-2006 GT vehicles manufactured February 20, 2004, to September 22, 2006. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Safety consequence

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 occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 10, 2016. Even if interim repairs were performed under safety recall 14V-802, owners must bring their vehicles in for the final remedy. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S21. Note: This recall supersedes safety recall 14V-802.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2011 Ford Mustang 2 DR RWD

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

9% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control

1 investigation

2011 Ford Mustang C RWD

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

9% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control

1 investigation

466 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Ford Mustang.

Steering

ODI #11738280

Incident: November 20, 2025 · Filed: May 16, 2026

This is a common issue with these S197 Mustangs. The steering position sensor failed. While driving, this can cause the "Service Advancetrac" warning to come on, meanwhile the wheels spin at different speeds as the car attempts to correct a low traction scenario that isn't happening, causing the driver to crash. This caused me to temporarily lose control of my vehicle. Luckily I didn't hit anything. The sensor itself can be replaced for $20-$40, but Ford has sealed it inside the EPAS system, making it non-servicable and escalating the repair cost to over $1300.

Steering

ODI #11711226

Incident: November 20, 2025 · Filed: January 15, 2026

Steering angle sensor has malfunctioned, sometimes when i turn the traction and stability control completely turns off, abs randomly activates while im driving.

Power Train

ODI #11678844

Incident: July 3, 2025 · Filed: August 6, 2025

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 warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed clutch pad. The contact was informed that the clutch pad needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and did not assist. The contact was informed to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

Electrical System

ODI #11669174

Incident: June 25, 2025 · Filed: June 25, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while attempting to service the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 174,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 298,000.

Air Bags

ODI #11562568

Incident: December 18, 2023 · Filed: December 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the front driver’s side seat air bag deployed upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Traction Control System

ODI #11557400

Incident: November 29, 2020 · Filed: November 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Service Auto Advancetrac" was displayed. The contact stated that she continued to depress the brake pedal until the vehicle responded. The contact stated that there was a significant stopping distance delay. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring more frequently while driving, and the vehicle was sliding while stopping, nearly causing a crash. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Service Brakes, Air; Service Brakes

ODI #11551055

Incident: September 11, 2023 · Filed: October 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle was slow to respond. The contact stated that she noticed that an unknown fluid was leaking from the vehicle. The traction control, oil, and brake warning lights were illuminated. The check brake fluid and check oil messages were displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 164,877.

Wheels

ODI #11544199

Incident: September 8, 2023 · Filed: September 12, 2023

MIKE RICKENBACK Ford dealership service shop declined me a tire rotation because they assessed my OEM lug nuts to be swollen and in need of replacement. Unbeknownst to me this is a well documented safety hazard.

Service Brakes

ODI #11521977

Incident: April 19, 2023 · Filed: May 15, 2023

I have a beautiful 2011 Ford Mustang that has been rendered useless because the brake lights and turn signals continually blow a fuse. The car cannot be repaired because Ford quit making the needed part after the car was 8 years old. This not only creates an unnecessary expense of purchasing a new car it is also a safety hazard. After extensively searching for the part on the internet I found many cases of people needing that part with no luck finding it. As info the part number is AR3Z13C788F. How many people will be driving around without brake lights and turn signals because Ford decided brake lights aren't necessary after a car is 8 years old.

Engine

ODI #11488400

Incident: September 26, 2022 · Filed: October 7, 2022

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. After turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

Other Ford Mustang model years

Check your 2011 Ford Mustang VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Ford Mustang at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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