FORD MUSTANG · model year

2011 FORD MUSTANG

582 NHTSA complaints, 27 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011FORDMUSTANG carries 582 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 27 crashes, 1 fire, 28 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 5/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 MUSTANG is air bags with 125 filings, followed by power train (100) and power train:manual transmission (95). 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. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2011 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.

582
Complaints
27
Crashes
1
Fires
28
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

582 filings

Crashes Reported

27 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 5/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS125
POWER TRAIN100
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION95
ENGINE48
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL38
STEERING24
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM23
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM21
UNKNOWN OR OTHER15
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)14
STRUCTURE:BODY9
SEATS8
SERVICE BRAKES8
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION6
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC6

Recalls (5)

16V38400031/05/2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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 register

15V31900028/05/2015

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

21V08100016/02/2021

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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

21E01300016/02/2021

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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 i

19V00100007/01/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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. Vi

Recent Complaints

20260115STEERING

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

20250806POWER TRAIN

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.

Mileage: 48,000

20250625ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

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.

Mileage: 298,000

20231229AIR BAGS

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.

Mileage: 123,000

20231129SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

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.

20231129TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM

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.

20231020SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT

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.

Mileage: 164,877

20231020SERVICE BRAKES

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.

Mileage: 164,877

20230912WHEELS

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.

20230515SERVICE BRAKES

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.

20221007ENGINE

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.

Mileage: 125,000

20220930STEERING

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 55 MPH, the front end of the vehicle would violently shake and vibrate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the brake pads and brake calipers however, the failure persisted. The mechanic later informed the contact that the steering box was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 93,000.

Mileage: 93,000

20220929FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Leaking fumes from plastic fuel tank. Micro cracks on top and seam. Had to replace the fuel tank and the sender and fuel pump inserts because of cracks.

20220908POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was hard shifting with a delay while shifting gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic stated that there was no failure found and that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Mileage: 90,000

20220711POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked the contact wife who was in the passenger heard a loud noise coming from the vehicle, when she noticed that the vehicle had shifted into driver and was rolling frontwards crashing into a boulder cause the vehicle to stop completely. No one was injured, a police report was filed. The dealer was contacted, and they stated there was nothing they could. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 68,000. VIN was not available.

Mileage: 68,000

20220224POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and hesitated to accelerate. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: AS-21687 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

Mileage: 58,000

20210705UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Ford knew that the transmission was going bad on these Mustangs. When I attempt to accelerate my car does not move. Imagine this happening in traffic and me being killed

20210112ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ELECTRIC SEAT WON'T MOVE. HAVE READ COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM ONLINE. THE ISSUE IS A FACTORY DEFECT. MAGNETS INSIDE ELECTRIC MOTOR OF POWER SEATS ARE PUT IN PLACE WITH GLUE THAT COMES UNDONE EASILY INSIDE MOTOR CAUSING IT TO BE UNABLE TO MOVE. DEALERSHIPS AND SHOPS COST TO REPLACE IS INSANE, NEVER BELOW $1000. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS I MOVED MY SEAT FAR BACK WHILE RELAXING BEFORE WORK AND WHEN I GOT OFF LATER THE SEAT WOULD NOT MOVE. FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS IMMEDIATELY.

Mileage: 95,000

20210112SEATS

ELECTRIC SEAT WON'T MOVE. HAVE READ COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM ONLINE. THE ISSUE IS A FACTORY DEFECT. MAGNETS INSIDE ELECTRIC MOTOR OF POWER SEATS ARE PUT IN PLACE WITH GLUE THAT COMES UNDONE EASILY INSIDE MOTOR CAUSING IT TO BE UNABLE TO MOVE. DEALERSHIPS AND SHOPS COST TO REPLACE IS INSANE, NEVER BELOW $1000. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS I MOVED MY SEAT FAR BACK WHILE RELAXING BEFORE WORK AND WHEN I GOT OFF LATER THE SEAT WOULD NOT MOVE. FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS IMMEDIATELY.

Mileage: 95,000

20201210VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING MY 2011 FORD MUSTANG (WITH A V6 ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) AT 40MPH ON A LOCAL STREET, I EXPERIENCED THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY LOSING POWER AND A FAULT LIGHT IN THE FORM OF A WRENCH APPEARING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ENGINE SPEED DROPPED DOWN TO IDLE AND DID NOT RESPOND TO ANY GAS PEDAL OPERATION. THE CARS ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHLY AS EVIDENCE OF IT SHAKING THE ENTIRE CAR. THE INCIDENT PLACED MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ME IN DANGER, AS I HAD TO MOVE QUICKLY TO GET MY VEHICLE OUT OF THE MOVING TRAFFIC AND INTO A SAFE PLACE OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

Mileage: 53,434

Compare 2011FORDMUSTANG to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 FORD MUSTANG have?
The 2011 FORD MUSTANG has 582 NHTSA complaints, 27 crashes, 1 fires, 28 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 FORD MUSTANG?
The 2011 FORD MUSTANG received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 5/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 FORD MUSTANG?
Yes, the 2011 FORD MUSTANG has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 FORD MUSTANG?
The most-complained component for the 2011 FORD MUSTANG is AIR BAGS with 125 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2011 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. The 2011 FORD MUSTANG has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. 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.