FORD MUSTANG · model year

2018 FORD MUSTANG

221 NHTSA complaints, 12 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018FORDMUSTANG carries 221 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 12 crashes, 3 fires, 7 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 2018 MUSTANG is engine with 48 filings, followed by power train (39) and electrical system (25). 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 4 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 2018 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.

221
Complaints
12
Crashes
3
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

221 filings

Crashes Reported

12 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
ENGINE48
POWER TRAIN39
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM25
UNKNOWN OR OTHER20
STRUCTURE:BODY15
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH10
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM6
SERVICE BRAKES5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL5
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING5
STEERING4
BACK OVER PREVENTION4
WHEELS3
AIR BAGS2

Recalls (4)

18E03500024/05/2018

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

Roush Performance Products, Inc. (Roush) is recalling certain aftermarket supercharger kits, part number R1318-6006P1-AA, sold for installation on 2018 Ford Mustangs. The hose barb fittings on the supercharger kits may be manufactured incorrectly, possibly causing damage to the fuel lines and resul

17V81400018/12/2017

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2018 Ford Mustang vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and a 12.4" digital instrument cluster. If the ignition is turned off when the transmission is not in PARK, the instrument cluster may not illuminate the PRNDL gear position display and the op

25V57200004/09/2025

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distort

18V21300004/04/2018

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.

Recent Complaints

20260128ENGINE

Engine stopped working while traveling down a major interstate. Upon further inspection, the engine (EcoBoost) was defective and had to be replaced at my expense. This type of engine is known to have a manufacturing defect and was barely out of warranty. Ford would not replace the engine. Thank you

20260128STEERING

Recall

20260128LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

Recall

20260128UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Recall

20260110ENGINE

Random/multiple misfires and cyl 3 misfire (P0300 and P0303). Mechanic used a borescope and found coolant on the walls; visible coolant intrusion in cylinder 3. Coolant has gotten to low levels. Very rough cold start. Mechanic highly recommends to get the engine replaced.

20251231UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Transmission would hesitate and jerk very aggressively. If trying to accelerate, the car wouldn’t move at all. Constantly jerking or pulling forward very hard when shifting from park to drive or even while trying to accelerate. Problems started occurring near 30k miles. The problem was attempted to be fixed by the ford dealership before by replacing the valve body but due to poor inspection another service center confirmed it is a failed CDF drum.

20251231CrashPOWER TRAIN

I was driving down the road in my 2018 Mustang ecoboost. When all of the sudden slowing down it locked the rear wheels up. I slid off the road and fortunately I didn’t hit anything but it did pop my side skirt off in the rear of the car. Thankfully the person behind me reacted in quick enough time to get around me considering the rainy weather conditions. This is very dangerous. It’s throwing a code for a solenoid B. Had traction control lights. And says see manual. But they all illuminated after the problem first happened. The car has been parked for a while. However someone suggested I try this website. There were no pre warnings to what was going on. The car drove fine up until the point of it just randomly deciding to lock the rear wheels up. I still owe money on the car and have been paying for it for almost two years since it happened. The car has around 100k miles. I saw online where my car is not the only case. One of the cases the car almost got hit by a train. Yikes.

20251231CrashWHEELS

I was driving down the road in my 2018 Mustang ecoboost. When all of the sudden slowing down it locked the rear wheels up. I slid off the road and fortunately I didn’t hit anything but it did pop my side skirt off in the rear of the car. Thankfully the person behind me reacted in quick enough time to get around me considering the rainy weather conditions. This is very dangerous. It’s throwing a code for a solenoid B. Had traction control lights. And says see manual. But they all illuminated after the problem first happened. The car has been parked for a while. However someone suggested I try this website. There were no pre warnings to what was going on. The car drove fine up until the point of it just randomly deciding to lock the rear wheels up. I still owe money on the car and have been paying for it for almost two years since it happened. The car has around 100k miles. I saw online where my car is not the only case. One of the cases the car almost got hit by a train. Yikes.

20251231CrashSERVICE BRAKES

I was driving down the road in my 2018 Mustang ecoboost. When all of the sudden slowing down it locked the rear wheels up. I slid off the road and fortunately I didn’t hit anything but it did pop my side skirt off in the rear of the car. Thankfully the person behind me reacted in quick enough time to get around me considering the rainy weather conditions. This is very dangerous. It’s throwing a code for a solenoid B. Had traction control lights. And says see manual. But they all illuminated after the problem first happened. The car has been parked for a while. However someone suggested I try this website. There were no pre warnings to what was going on. The car drove fine up until the point of it just randomly deciding to lock the rear wheels up. I still owe money on the car and have been paying for it for almost two years since it happened. The car has around 100k miles. I saw online where my car is not the only case. One of the cases the car almost got hit by a train. Yikes.

20251222BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse (R), the rear-view camera screen displayed a cloudy image. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

Mileage: 44,000

20251216BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that occasionally the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. In addition, the contact was unable to activate the heater while the screen was black. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

20251208UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The vehicle is subject to NHTSA Safety Recall 25V572 (Manufacturer Recall Number 25S89) regarding the rear-view camera wiring harness. The manufacturer has notified owners of the safety risk but indicates that the remedy parts are currently unavailable and has failed to provide a specific timeline for repair. I have contacted the authorized dealer and the manufacturer requesting a remedy or an interim inspection, as the rear-view camera is currently functioning correctly with no blank screen or distortion. However, the manufacturer and dealer have refused to perform an inspection to verify the system's safety and close the recall status temporarily. Because the manufacturer cannot provide parts and refuses to offer an inspection-based solution, the vehicle remains flagged with an open safety recall indefinitely. This represents an unreasonable delay in the remedy process, rendering the vehicle unusable for its intended purpose while the manufacturer fails to address the safety defect

20251128ENGINE

My 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost experienced sudden engine failure at 70,915 miles. The dealership documented misfire codes P0300, P0301, and P0316, which match the known 2.3L EcoBoost coolant-intrusion defect. This defect causes loss of power, rough operation, misfires, and potential stalling, creating a safety risk during driving. Ford Customer Relationship Center instructed me that the dealership must escalate the defect to the Regional Field Service Engineer. However, the dealer refused to do so, leaving the failure unresolved. This appears to be part of a widespread safety-related defect involving 2.3L EcoBoost engines, with risk of sudden loss of power, stalling, and internal engine failure

20251117BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the infotainment screen displayed a black screen. The touchscreen icons failed to function as intended. The contact was unable to use the radio, and the A/C buttons failed to function. The radio would not turn on or would take approximately ten minutes for the radio to function. The contact stated that the infotainment screen failed to display if the A/C or heater was functionin

Mileage: 65,000

20251117ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the infotainment screen displayed a black screen. The touchscreen icons failed to function as intended. The contact was unable to use the radio, and the A/C buttons failed to function. The radio would not turn on or would take approximately ten minutes for the radio to function. The contact stated that the infotainment screen failed to display if the A/C or heater was functionin

Mileage: 65,000

20251022POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly came to a stop while attempting to shift to second gear. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving in second gear, which required the contact to release the accelerator pedal before the vehicle could shift to second gear. The vehicle was taken to O'Reilly’s, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

20251010UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Rear camera safety recall. I've contacted the local dealerships of Galpin Ford and Santa Monica Ford to fix and been denied. This recall is over 1-month now, and they say they do not have the parts to fix and cannot help. This is affecting my safety and a financial inconvenience. Please advise, thank you.

20251006ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the message "Front Passenger Door Ajar" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and opened and closed the door. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The message was displayed three times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

20251006LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the message "Front Passenger Door Ajar" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and opened and closed the door. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The message was displayed three times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

20251002ENGINE

There is a coolant intrusion on my vehicle, which resulted in either cracking the engine block or head gasket. In turn, this has caused a costly repair on a car with only 56,000 miles on it. Ford is aware of the issues with these engines and the seals on them. It’s a 2018 Ecoboost! It also happened to my mom’s Ecoboost around the same mileage. This isn’t normal and Ford is literally turning a blind eye to a very serious issue which results in total engine failure. On top of that the repair for this issue is costing $12,000 to repair at the dealership. This is absolutely absurd for a company as big as Ford, to build a faulty engine and then not offer any support/recalls to help all of those affected by it, including me.

Compare 2018FORDMUSTANG to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 FORD MUSTANG have?
The 2018 FORD MUSTANG has 221 NHTSA complaints, 12 crashes, 3 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2018 FORD MUSTANG?
The 2018 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 2018 FORD MUSTANG?
Yes, the 2018 FORD MUSTANG has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 FORD MUSTANG?
The most-complained component for the 2018 FORD MUSTANG is ENGINE with 48 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2018 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 2018 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.