FORD MUSTANG · model year

1993 FORD MUSTANG

132 NHTSA complaints, 24 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1993FORDMUSTANG carries 132 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 24 crashes, 33 fires, 15 injuries, and 2 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 1993 MUSTANG is air bags:frontal with 12 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:switch (6) and electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (6). 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 1993 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.

132
Complaints
24
Crashes
33
Fires
15
Injuries
2
Deaths

Total Complaints

132 filings

Crashes Reported

24 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL12
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE4
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD4
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION3
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION3
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH3
AIR BAGS3

Recent Complaints

20141217CrashAIR BAGS

MY NAME IS [XXX] AS [XXX] I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN 1997 WHILE DRIVING MY SON IN LAWS FORD MUSTANG THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND SEAT BELT GRABBED WELL THE AIRBAG EXPLODED IN MY FACE CAUSE GREAT DAMAGE I LOST SITE IN RIGHT EYE BECAUSE OF IT PLUS THE SEAT BELT CUT ME INTO ON THE INSIDE AND I STILL HAVE MEDICAL ISSUES SON IN LAWS NAME IS [XXX] OF MUSK MICH HE HAD FULL COVERAGE THROUGH FARMERS GROUP BUT I RECEIVE NOTHING NOT EVEN MEDICAL CARE FROM THIS ACCIDENT OTHER THEN WHAT I PAID FOR. DO U HAVE ANY ADVISE ON THIS? I'M BLIND FOR LIFE I LOST GALLBLADDER AND STILL HAVE AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM IN STOMACH! I DON'T SEE HOW IT IS FAIR TO HAVE THOSE TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE STYLE OF AUTO AND ALL OF MY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THEM PLEASE HELP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

20080223STRUCTURE

I BOUGHT A 93 MUSTANG 4 CYLINDER WITH 12,000 MILES ON IT IN 12\93. THE CAR NOW ONLY HAS 28,000 MILES ON IT TOTAL. THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK, THE HATCHBACK LATCH DOESN'T ENGAGE CORRECTLY, WHEN I GO TO LOCK THE IGNITION SWITCH, I HAVE TO CONTINUALLY JIGGLE THE GEARSHIFTER BEFORE THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL LOCK, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS A LEAK IN IT SOMEWHERE. THESE PROBLEMS STARTED OCCURRING IN JUNE OF 2000, BUT DUE TO WARRANTY ONLY BEING GOOD FOR 3 YEARS, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS UNLESS I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR ONLY HAD ~ 17,000 MILES ON IT AT THAT TIME. THE PAINT STARTED FADING OUT IN 1998. *TR

Mileage: 17,000

20080223LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

I BOUGHT A 93 MUSTANG 4 CYLINDER WITH 12,000 MILES ON IT IN 12\93. THE CAR NOW ONLY HAS 28,000 MILES ON IT TOTAL. THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK, THE HATCHBACK LATCH DOESN'T ENGAGE CORRECTLY, WHEN I GO TO LOCK THE IGNITION SWITCH, I HAVE TO CONTINUALLY JIGGLE THE GEARSHIFTER BEFORE THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL LOCK, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS A LEAK IN IT SOMEWHERE. THESE PROBLEMS STARTED OCCURRING IN JUNE OF 2000, BUT DUE TO WARRANTY ONLY BEING GOOD FOR 3 YEARS, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS UNLESS I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR ONLY HAD ~ 17,000 MILES ON IT AT THAT TIME. THE PAINT STARTED FADING OUT IN 1998. *TR

Mileage: 17,000

20080223ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I BOUGHT A 93 MUSTANG 4 CYLINDER WITH 12,000 MILES ON IT IN 12\93. THE CAR NOW ONLY HAS 28,000 MILES ON IT TOTAL. THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK, THE HATCHBACK LATCH DOESN'T ENGAGE CORRECTLY, WHEN I GO TO LOCK THE IGNITION SWITCH, I HAVE TO CONTINUALLY JIGGLE THE GEARSHIFTER BEFORE THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL LOCK, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS A LEAK IN IT SOMEWHERE. THESE PROBLEMS STARTED OCCURRING IN JUNE OF 2000, BUT DUE TO WARRANTY ONLY BEING GOOD FOR 3 YEARS, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS UNLESS I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR ONLY HAD ~ 17,000 MILES ON IT AT THAT TIME. THE PAINT STARTED FADING OUT IN 1998. *TR

Mileage: 17,000

20060822FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

1993 FORD MUSTANG IGNITION SYSTEM FIRE VEHICLE WAS IN GARAGE AFTER BEING DRIVEN THE DAY BEFORE. ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE STARTER THEN SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL FROM IGNITION WIRES BURNING UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A CLOTH AND I NOTICED THAT THE COATING ON THE WIRES UNDER THE WHEEL WERE BURNT OFF AND THE WIRE WAS CHARRED WHICH HAS RENDERED THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. AFTER SEARCHING THE WEB I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE FOR THE VERY PROBLEM THAT I EXPERIENCED (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V071000) I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT MY VEHICLE (EARLY 1993 MODEL) WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND SINCE IT WAS OVER 10 YEARS OLD THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT ANYWAY UNDER THE RECALL. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND NEED TO WAIT FOR THEIR RESPONSE. SO FAR THE FORD DEALERSHIPS LACK OF CONCERN OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS ISSUE ASTOUNDS ME. MY GARAGE

Mileage: 50,548

20060725POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *JB

20050907VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

STUCK GAS PEDAL THROTTLE LINKAGE CAUSING CONTINUOUS FULL THROTTLE TRANSMISSION KICK DOWN CABLE ON 1993 FORD MUSTANG 5.0 LX MUSTANG THAT CONTROLS FLUID DELIVERY TO TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE AND IS ATTACHED TO THROTTLE CONTROLS BY A GROMMET CAME OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE GROMMET FAILED PROBABLY DUE TO AGE, AND THE TRANSMISSION DESTROYS THE OVERDRIVE PORTION OF ITS SELF LEAVING THE DRIVER ONLY ABLE TO GO APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH IN OVERDRIVE POSITION AND ANYTHING OVER THE SHIFTING SPEED INTO OVERDRIVE JUST LETS THE ENGINE RPM RUN AWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION TO SLIP. THE REAL PROBLEM THEN OCCURS IF THE DRIVER USES THE DRIVE POSITION TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND NO SLIPPING OF THE TRANSMISSION. IF THE ACCELERATOR IS PUSHED CLOSE TO THE FLOOR, IT ALLOWS THE NOW FLOATING FREE KICK DOWN CABLE TO JAM THE THROTTLE TO FULL OPEN CAUSING A STUCK ACCELERATOR AND THE ONLY WAY TO FREE IT IS TO GET TO NEUTRAL QUICKLY AND TURN OFF IGNITION SWITCH, THEN UNJAM THE CABLE AND THROTTLE LINKAGE BY

Mileage: 82,000

20050620FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DT: THE VEHICLE BLEW UP AND CAUGHT ON FIRE DAMAGING 3 OTHER VEHICLE AROUND IT. THE FIRE MARSHAL CAME OUT AND SAID IT WAS MECHIANICAL AND ELECTRICAL DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS COMING TO INVESTAGATE. *AK *NM

Mileage: 100,000

20050407VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

VEHICLE COMMENCED TO ACCELERATE WHILE THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AT 55 MPH. VEHICLE SPEED UP TO 80 MPH BEFORE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. CONSUMER SHIFTE D THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND COASTED OUT OF TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING AND SMOKING BEFORE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK

Mileage: 62,000

20040831FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE 30 TO 40 MILES TO A DOCTOR. PARKED FOR 10 MINUTES, AND CAR WAS REPORTED ON FIRE. FIRE FIGHTER SAID ALTENATOR STARTED THE FIRE. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE ALTENATOR HAD BEEN REPLACED 2 YEARS AGO.*AK

20040831FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE 30 TO 40 MILES TO A DOCTOR. PARKED FOR 10 MINUTES, AND CAR WAS REPORTED ON FIRE. FIRE FIGHTER SAID ALTENATOR STARTED THE FIRE. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE ALTENATOR HAD BEEN REPLACED 2 YEARS AGO.*AK

20040420VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE CLOSING THE DOORS WINDOWS SHATTERED, FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED ON DRIVER'S SIDE. 2 MONTHS LATER, WINDOW ON PASSENGER'S SIDE SHATTERED. *AK

20040405FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

I'VE CALLED FORD AND MY FORD DEALERS ABOUT THIS. THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE 79-93 MUSTANG. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY DON'T OFFER A FIX EITHER, BUT I'VE DISCOVERED A KERNEL OF TRUTH THAT IS QUITE DIFFERENT WHILE LOOKING AT MUSTANG ACCIDENT FIRES ON THE INTERNET. I DIDN'T FIND MORE THAN A DOZEN REAL EXAMPLES AND ONLY FOUND A FEW PICTURES OF THE BURNT MUSTANGS AND ACTUAL ARTICLES OF SPECIFIC DEAD VICTIMS BUT THE FIRES WERE HORRIBLE AND SOME DIED WHILE OTHERS LIVED WITH SEVERE GASOLINE BURNS ALL OVER THEIR BODIES. THE 79-93 MUSTANGS LIKE MY 93 MUSTANG HAVE GONE UP IN FLAMES WHEN REAR ENDED AT SPEEDS UNDER 50 MPH AND HAVE LEAKED FUEL WHEN HIT UNDER 30 MPH. IRONICALLY, IT APPEARS THAT THE 79-93 MUSTANG IS MORE LIKELY TO GO UP IN FLAMES THAN THE 92-2001 CROWN VICTORIA BECAUSE IT IS MUCH LIGHTER AND FLIMSIER THAN THE FULL FRAMED CROWN VIC WITH ITS HUGE FULL SIZE TRUNK. THE MUSTANG GAS TANK IS ONLY A FEW INCHES FROM THE BUMPER, AND IT'S SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE REAR AXLE AND

Mileage: 130,129

20040402FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

WHEN FUELING, GASOLINE LEAKS FROM THE FILLER NECK. THE FUEL TANK SEAL HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BUT HAS NOT REMEDIED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

Mileage: 5,000

20031103TIRES

THE TIRES SHOWED SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE WEAR AND TREAD SEPARATION. DEALER REPLACED TIRES ONCE. SECOND DEALER WON'T DO IT. DUNLOP MODEL SA2, SIZE UNKNOWN, DOT NUMBER UNKNOWN. *AK

20030131LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

1) THE HOOD LATCH CABLE HAS CORRODED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO THE BATTERY CONNECTIONS. THIS HAS BEEN REPAIRED ONCE ALREADY AND THE REPLACEMENT IS NEEDED AGAIN. 2) THE HOOD LATCH HAS BEEN REPLACED BEFORE AS WELL. THE HOOD JUST WON'T CATCH AND SHUT COMPLETELY. AGAIN, THIS REPLACEMENT IS BEING PERFORMED.

Mileage: 126,490

20030131EQUIPMENT

1) THE HOOD LATCH CABLE HAS CORRODED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO THE BATTERY CONNECTIONS. THIS HAS BEEN REPAIRED ONCE ALREADY AND THE REPLACEMENT IS NEEDED AGAIN. 2) THE HOOD LATCH HAS BEEN REPLACED BEFORE AS WELL. THE HOOD JUST WON'T CATCH AND SHUT COMPLETELY. AGAIN, THIS REPLACEMENT IS BEING PERFORMED.

Mileage: 126,490

20021106CrashFireFatalFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

THE GAS TANK EXPLODED WHEN THE MUSTANG WAS HIT FROM BEHIND, PASSENGEER GOT OUT THE DOOR, BUT DRIVER WAS SATURATED WITH FLAMING GASOLINE AND WAS INSTANTLY BURNED TO DEATH GA. DT

20021023CrashFireFatalFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

CONSUMER'S SON AND A PASSENGER WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL COLLISION. THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR. UPON IMPACT THE GAS TANK EXPLODED, CATCHING THE PASSENGER ON FIRE AND THE DRIVER WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED. THE DRIVER WAS PRONOUNCED AS A DOA. THE GAS TANK COMPLETELY MELTED. THE FATALITY WAS CAUSED BY THE GAS TANK EXPLODING, NOT BY THE CRASH ITSELF. *JG

Mileage: 100,000

20020719FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

WHILE DRIVING ALTERNATOR, BEGINNING WITH THE ORIGINAL, HAS BURST INTO FLAMES 4 TIMES. EACH TIME, CONSUMER HAS HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE NEAREST BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT TO BORROW FIRE EXTINGUISHER. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE CHECKED FOR ELECTRICAL SHORTS AND REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR BUT PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THIS HAPPENS WHILE ILDING OR TRAVELING AT LOW RPMS WHILE HAVING THE HEADLIGHTS, RADIO, AND A/C ON. THE ELECTRIC FAN WOULD KICK ON AND ALL COMPONENTS WOULD SEND THE BATTERY GAUGE UNDER 10 VOLTS CATCHING FIRE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. *TT

Compare 1993FORDMUSTANG to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1993 FORD MUSTANG have?
The 1993 FORD MUSTANG has 132 NHTSA complaints, 24 crashes, 33 fires, 15 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 FORD MUSTANG?
The most-complained component for the 1993 FORD MUSTANG is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 12 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR.
Is the 1993 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.