FORD MUSTANG · model year

1990 FORD MUSTANG

119 NHTSA complaints, 13 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990FORDMUSTANG carries 119 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 13 crashes, 39 fires, 10 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 1990 MUSTANG is electrical system:ignition:switch with 14 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (7) and vehicle speed control (7). 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 1990 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.

119
Complaints
13
Crashes
39
Fires
10
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

119 filings

Crashes Reported

13 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:SWITCH14
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD4
SEATS3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH3
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR2

Recent Complaints

20130330ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE WINDOWS WON'T ROLL DOWN AND I'VE SPENT A WHOLE DAY AND AROUND $100 TRYING TO FIX IT. ALL I WANT IS WORKING WINDOWS, CAN I GET SOME MANUAL DOORS? *TR

Mileage: 129,000

20130330VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

THE WINDOWS WON'T ROLL DOWN AND I'VE SPENT A WHOLE DAY AND AROUND $100 TRYING TO FIX IT. ALL I WANT IS WORKING WINDOWS, CAN I GET SOME MANUAL DOORS? *TR

Mileage: 129,000

20120330ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE TURN SIGNALS AND AIR CONDITIONER WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BY SLIGHTLY TURNING BACK THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

Mileage: 130,000

20050527ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THE MOTOR CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED THE WIRING UNDER THE HOOD. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK ON THE VEHICLE. PICUTRES ARE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED.

20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THERE ARE 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I BOUGHT THE CAR END OF NOVEMBER WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 49,000 MILES ON IT. THE PAINT IS PEELING VERY BADLY ON THE FRONT BUMPER. I INQUIRED ABOUT A REPAINT AND IT WAS GOING TO BE WELL OVER $5,800. I HAD TO PUT 3 TRANSMISSIONS IN THE CAR (IN ABOUT END OF FEBRUARY, AGAIN IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS ANOTHER ONE HAD TO BE PUT IN) I ONLY PAID ABOUT $1,100.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND THE OTHERS WERE COVERED BY THE MECHANICS WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS IN THERE WAS FRIED WHEN THEY SOLD IT TO ME. A RIM HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS BENT WHICH COSTED $45.00. I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING SYSTEM ($800.00) (JUNE 24 2003) BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. THE ENGINE HAD OVER HEATED CAUSING THE RADIO TO MALFUNCTION. A/C DOES NOT WORK AT ALL, IT BLOWS HOT AIR. HEATER WORKS BUT IT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME BEFORE HEAT COMES OUT. IF THE CAR COULD JUST BE REPAINTED BY FORD, I?LL PAY A DEDUCTABLE IF NECESSARY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY NICE CAR AND I LOVE THE WAY IT DRIVE

20040422UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THERE ARE 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I BOUGHT THE CAR END OF NOVEMBER WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 49,000 MILES ON IT. THE PAINT IS PEELING VERY BADLY ON THE FRONT BUMPER. I INQUIRED ABOUT A REPAINT AND IT WAS GOING TO BE WELL OVER $5,800. I HAD TO PUT 3 TRANSMISSIONS IN THE CAR (IN ABOUT END OF FEBRUARY, AGAIN IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS ANOTHER ONE HAD TO BE PUT IN) I ONLY PAID ABOUT $1,100.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND THE OTHERS WERE COVERED BY THE MECHANICS WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS IN THERE WAS FRIED WHEN THEY SOLD IT TO ME. A RIM HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS BENT WHICH COSTED $45.00. I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING SYSTEM ($800.00) (JUNE 24 2003) BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. THE ENGINE HAD OVER HEATED CAUSING THE RADIO TO MALFUNCTION. A/C DOES NOT WORK AT ALL, IT BLOWS HOT AIR. HEATER WORKS BUT IT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME BEFORE HEAT COMES OUT. IF THE CAR COULD JUST BE REPAINTED BY FORD, I?LL PAY A DEDUCTABLE IF NECESSARY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY NICE CAR AND I LOVE THE WAY IT DRIVE

20040422VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

THERE ARE 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I BOUGHT THE CAR END OF NOVEMBER WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 49,000 MILES ON IT. THE PAINT IS PEELING VERY BADLY ON THE FRONT BUMPER. I INQUIRED ABOUT A REPAINT AND IT WAS GOING TO BE WELL OVER $5,800. I HAD TO PUT 3 TRANSMISSIONS IN THE CAR (IN ABOUT END OF FEBRUARY, AGAIN IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS ANOTHER ONE HAD TO BE PUT IN) I ONLY PAID ABOUT $1,100.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND THE OTHERS WERE COVERED BY THE MECHANICS WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS IN THERE WAS FRIED WHEN THEY SOLD IT TO ME. A RIM HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS BENT WHICH COSTED $45.00. I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING SYSTEM ($800.00) (JUNE 24 2003) BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. THE ENGINE HAD OVER HEATED CAUSING THE RADIO TO MALFUNCTION. A/C DOES NOT WORK AT ALL, IT BLOWS HOT AIR. HEATER WORKS BUT IT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME BEFORE HEAT COMES OUT. IF THE CAR COULD JUST BE REPAINTED BY FORD, I?LL PAY A DEDUCTABLE IF NECESSARY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY NICE CAR AND I LOVE THE WAY IT DRIVE

20040422POWER TRAIN

THERE ARE 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I BOUGHT THE CAR END OF NOVEMBER WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 49,000 MILES ON IT. THE PAINT IS PEELING VERY BADLY ON THE FRONT BUMPER. I INQUIRED ABOUT A REPAINT AND IT WAS GOING TO BE WELL OVER $5,800. I HAD TO PUT 3 TRANSMISSIONS IN THE CAR (IN ABOUT END OF FEBRUARY, AGAIN IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS ANOTHER ONE HAD TO BE PUT IN) I ONLY PAID ABOUT $1,100.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND THE OTHERS WERE COVERED BY THE MECHANICS WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS IN THERE WAS FRIED WHEN THEY SOLD IT TO ME. A RIM HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS BENT WHICH COSTED $45.00. I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING SYSTEM ($800.00) (JUNE 24 2003) BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. THE ENGINE HAD OVER HEATED CAUSING THE RADIO TO MALFUNCTION. A/C DOES NOT WORK AT ALL, IT BLOWS HOT AIR. HEATER WORKS BUT IT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME BEFORE HEAT COMES OUT. IF THE CAR COULD JUST BE REPAINTED BY FORD, I?LL PAY A DEDUCTABLE IF NECESSARY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY NICE CAR AND I LOVE THE WAY IT DRIVE

20040422TIRES

THERE ARE 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I BOUGHT THE CAR END OF NOVEMBER WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 49,000 MILES ON IT. THE PAINT IS PEELING VERY BADLY ON THE FRONT BUMPER. I INQUIRED ABOUT A REPAINT AND IT WAS GOING TO BE WELL OVER $5,800. I HAD TO PUT 3 TRANSMISSIONS IN THE CAR (IN ABOUT END OF FEBRUARY, AGAIN IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS ANOTHER ONE HAD TO BE PUT IN) I ONLY PAID ABOUT $1,100.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND THE OTHERS WERE COVERED BY THE MECHANICS WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS IN THERE WAS FRIED WHEN THEY SOLD IT TO ME. A RIM HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS BENT WHICH COSTED $45.00. I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING SYSTEM ($800.00) (JUNE 24 2003) BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. THE ENGINE HAD OVER HEATED CAUSING THE RADIO TO MALFUNCTION. A/C DOES NOT WORK AT ALL, IT BLOWS HOT AIR. HEATER WORKS BUT IT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME BEFORE HEAT COMES OUT. IF THE CAR COULD JUST BE REPAINTED BY FORD, I?LL PAY A DEDUCTABLE IF NECESSARY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY NICE CAR AND I LOVE THE WAY IT DRIVE

20040422WHEELS

THERE ARE 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I BOUGHT THE CAR END OF NOVEMBER WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 49,000 MILES ON IT. THE PAINT IS PEELING VERY BADLY ON THE FRONT BUMPER. I INQUIRED ABOUT A REPAINT AND IT WAS GOING TO BE WELL OVER $5,800. I HAD TO PUT 3 TRANSMISSIONS IN THE CAR (IN ABOUT END OF FEBRUARY, AGAIN IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS ANOTHER ONE HAD TO BE PUT IN) I ONLY PAID ABOUT $1,100.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND THE OTHERS WERE COVERED BY THE MECHANICS WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS IN THERE WAS FRIED WHEN THEY SOLD IT TO ME. A RIM HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS BENT WHICH COSTED $45.00. I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING SYSTEM ($800.00) (JUNE 24 2003) BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. THE ENGINE HAD OVER HEATED CAUSING THE RADIO TO MALFUNCTION. A/C DOES NOT WORK AT ALL, IT BLOWS HOT AIR. HEATER WORKS BUT IT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME BEFORE HEAT COMES OUT. IF THE CAR COULD JUST BE REPAINTED BY FORD, I?LL PAY A DEDUCTABLE IF NECESSARY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY NICE CAR AND I LOVE THE WAY IT DRIVE

20040205AIR BAGS

AIR BAG EXPLODED INJURING THE CONSUMER. *PH THE AIR BAG EXPLODED IN THE CONSUMERS FACE AND INJURED HER BADLY. *SC *JB

20031106ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I HAVE A FORD MUSTANG 1990. THE ELECTRONICAL SYSTEM HAS GONE DOWN THE TOLIET. BOTH THE ELECTRONICAL FRONT WINDOWS AND THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS BARELY WORK. BOTH THE FRONT WINDOWS WORK BUT AS THEY ARE ROLLING UP THEY SQUEAK LIKE NO OTHER. THE LOCKING MECHANISMS ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HAVE A MIND OF THERE OWN AND RARELY LOCK OR JUST LOCK ONE SIDE. I HAVE TRIED TO FIX THIS ALL IN VAIN. SUCKS TO HAVE ELECTRONICAL LOCKS AND WINDOWS IN A 1990 FORD MUSTANG. THANKS- RUMIT. *AK

Mileage: 90,000

20030711EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HEADLIGHT/FOGLIGHT SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND THE POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM IT CAN CREATE ON 1987-1993, FORD MUSTANG GTS. *AK I, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD MY HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT NIGHT. UPON INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM ON WWW.CORRAL.NET, I FOUND OUT THAT THE REASON THE HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF IS THAT FORD USED AN INSUFFICIENT GAUGE WIRE TO ROUTE POWER TO THE FOGLIGHTS. A TECH ARTICLE (HTTP://WWW.CORRAL.NET/TECH/) WAS WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE CORRAL.NET MEMBERS ON HOW TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION. I WAS JUST BRINGING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THERE WAS NEVER A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED. LOSING YOUR HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM AND HAZARD TO EVERYONE ON THE ROAD.

20030711EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS:SWITCH

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HEADLIGHT/FOGLIGHT SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND THE POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM IT CAN CREATE ON 1987-1993, FORD MUSTANG GTS. *AK I, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD MY HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT NIGHT. UPON INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM ON WWW.CORRAL.NET, I FOUND OUT THAT THE REASON THE HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF IS THAT FORD USED AN INSUFFICIENT GAUGE WIRE TO ROUTE POWER TO THE FOGLIGHTS. A TECH ARTICLE (HTTP://WWW.CORRAL.NET/TECH/) WAS WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE CORRAL.NET MEMBERS ON HOW TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION. I WAS JUST BRINGING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THERE WAS NEVER A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED. LOSING YOUR HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM AND HAZARD TO EVERYONE ON THE ROAD.

20030113ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER STATEED THE WIPERS, LIGHTS, HEATER, RADIO ETC., DOES NOT WORK UNTIL THE KEYS ARE MOVED AROUND. CONSUMER THINKS IT MAY BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

20021031FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN AT A STOP AND WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER AND THE VEHICLE TO BE NON DRIVABLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

20020625WHEELS:RIM

WHILE DRIVING RIGHT FRONT RIM CRACKED, CAUSING WHEEL TO SHAKE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20020514SUSPENSION:REAR

CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE LEFT REAR AXLE SEAL WAS BAD AND DESTROYED THE BRAKES ON THE REAR AXLE. SO A COMPLETE BRAKE OVERHAUL ON THE REAR AXLE, ALONG WITH REPLACING THE SEAL. *YD

20020514POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SAW LARGE SMOKE CLOUD COMING FROM BEHIND THE CAR. WHEN STOPPED, THERE WAS A LARGE PUDDLE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID ON THE GROUND AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. *YD

20020207SUSPENSION:REAR

CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE LEFT REAR AXLE SEAL WAS BAD AND DESTROYED THE BRAKES ON THE REAR AXLE. SO A COMPLETE BRAKE OVERHAUL ON THE REAR AXLE, ALONG WITH REPLACING THE SEAL. *YD

Compare 1990FORDMUSTANG to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 FORD MUSTANG have?
The 1990 FORD MUSTANG has 119 NHTSA complaints, 13 crashes, 39 fires, 10 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 FORD MUSTANG?
The most-complained component for the 1990 FORD MUSTANG is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 14 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1990 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.