FORD MUSTANG · model year

1987 FORD MUSTANG

44 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1987FORDMUSTANG carries 44 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 14 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1987 MUSTANG is electrical system:ignition:switch with 6 filings, followed by exterior lighting:headlights (3) and vehicle speed control (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1987 MUSTANG, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

44
Complaints
4
Crashes
14
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

44 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH6
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2
STRUCTURE:BODY1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING1

Recent Complaints

20200410VISIBILITY/WIPER

MY COMPLAINT DOESN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT IT WAS REQUIRED. MY COMPLAINT IS WITH NEW CARS NEW CARS COMING OUT NOW WHERE THEIR HEADLIGHTS ARE THERE LOW BEAMS ARE UNBELIEVABLY BRIGHT AND I CANNOT BELIEVE IF YOU'VE EVER DRIVEN AT NIGHT YOU DON'T SEE THE SAME PROBLEM IT'S BLINDING IT'S RIDICULOUS. I MEAN HONESTLY LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. YOU GUYS ARE ALL WORRIED ABOUT SPEED AND WHAT NOT BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN SEE A STREAK OF ME GOING BY GOING FAST BUT YOU'RE BLINDED WITH THOSE LIGHTS I THINK THAT'S A WAY OF MORE OF A SAFETY HAZARD THAN SPEED.

Mileage: 126,000

20200410EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY COMPLAINT DOESN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT IT WAS REQUIRED. MY COMPLAINT IS WITH NEW CARS NEW CARS COMING OUT NOW WHERE THEIR HEADLIGHTS ARE THERE LOW BEAMS ARE UNBELIEVABLY BRIGHT AND I CANNOT BELIEVE IF YOU'VE EVER DRIVEN AT NIGHT YOU DON'T SEE THE SAME PROBLEM IT'S BLINDING IT'S RIDICULOUS. I MEAN HONESTLY LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. YOU GUYS ARE ALL WORRIED ABOUT SPEED AND WHAT NOT BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN SEE A STREAK OF ME GOING BY GOING FAST BUT YOU'RE BLINDED WITH THOSE LIGHTS I THINK THAT'S A WAY OF MORE OF A SAFETY HAZARD THAN SPEED.

Mileage: 126,000

20100204ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ENGINE RACES TO 3000-4000 RPM SUDDENLY, WHILE DRIVING OR IDLING. WHEN IGNITION IS SWITCHED OFF AND THEN BACK ON, ENGINE RETURNS TO NORMAL IDLE. THIS OCCURS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE ABOUT 1992. *TR

Mileage: 48,000

20040403EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEAD LIGHT SYSTEM. THE HEADLIGHTS ON SEVERAL FORD CARS LEAK AND ALLOW WATER TO ENTER RESULTING IN DIM LIGHTS THAT ARE UNSAFE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THESE ON SEVERAL CARS. 1987 MUSTANG, 1988 THUNDERBIRD AND 1993 CROWN VICTORIA. *NM

20030124FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

THE ALTERNATOR ON MY WIFE'S 1987 MUSTANG GT CAUGHT FIRE, DAMAGING ENGINE COMPARTMENT COMPONETS BEFORE FIRE COULD BE EXTINGUISHED.

Mileage: 65,000

20021018EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS .PLEASE ADD MORE DETAILS. MR

20020607ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

TFI MODULE FAILED WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY. AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE, ALL POWER WAS LOST WITH DRIVER STRANDED ON HIGHWAY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AKI

20020322CrashFireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT A TREE. FUEL CUT OFF SYSTEM SHUT OFF, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20020322CrashFireSTEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT A TREE. FUEL CUT OFF SYSTEM SHUT OFF, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20011101ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

ENGINE QUIT IN SUMMER OF 91.WAS ABLE TO DRIVE 2 MILES BY ENGAGING STARTER ON AND OFF.REPLACED THICK FILM IGN MODULE. *AK

20010123VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE CRUISE CONTROL STUCK AND DID NOT RELEASE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL AND RESULT IN COLLISION. *MJS

20001218ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

A "FLOATING SHORT" HAS RUINED TO DIFFERENT HORNS, THE MAP LIGHT, THE RPM GAUGE, THE FUEL GUAGE, AND TWO STEREOS. IN ADDITION, THE HEAT/AIR ONLY WORK ON HIGH, AND THE DASH LIGHTS NOW ONLY WORK ON THE BRIGHTEST SETTING AND ARE STILL FADED TO THE POINT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO READ.

20001218ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

THICK FILM IGNITION MODULE REPEATEDLY FAILS - CAR SIMPLY QUITS WHEN FAILING. *AK

20000630FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

ALTERNATOR HAS CAUGHTON FIRE TWICE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT, HARNESS HOT.*AK

20000310ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

WHILE DRIVING CAR WOULD SHUT OFF AT ANY TIME. CONSUMER WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT TWICE BECAUSE OF THE CAR CUTTING OFF. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH. *AK

19991116EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

WHEN OPERATING THE FOG LIGHTS HEADLIGHTS BECOME INOPERATIVE, CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

19991116EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

WHEN OPERATING THE FOG LIGHTS HEADLIGHTS BECOME INOPERATIVE, CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

19990920FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

WAS DRIVING AND VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. IT WAS TOTALLED. FORD DENIED THEY WERE ARE FAULT. YEARS LATER IT WAS PROVEN THERE WAS A VEHICLE DEFECT. INSURANCE HAD TO PAY OFF BALANCE AND I AM STILL WITHOUT A CAR 9 YEARS LATER.

19990819FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:SOLENOID

FORD SOLENOID SWITCH HAS WEAK SPRING WHICH, OVER TIME, WEARS OUT AND ALLOWS VECHICLE TO CRANK OVER ON ITS OWN. THIS CAUSED FIRE AND EXPLOSION WHICH INJURED TWO PEOPLE AND DESTROYED GARAGE.

19990315ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

THE HEADLIGHT AND FOG LIGHT SWITCHES BURNED AND MELTED, WHICH CAUSED MY FOG LIGHTS TO NOT WORK. THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WOULD NOT LET MY LIGHTS TURN ON SOMETIMES AND ALSO CAUSE THEM TO TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING. I ALSO CANNOT USE MY BRIGHTS BECAUSE OF THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH.

Compare 1987FORDMUSTANG to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1987 FORD MUSTANG have?
The 1987 FORD MUSTANG has 44 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 14 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 FORD MUSTANG?
The most-complained component for the 1987 FORD MUSTANG is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1987 FORD MUSTANG safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.