What 184 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Mustang Mach-e Bev Bev

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.

NHTSA ODI 11691085

The vehicle jolts when placed from park or reverse to Drive after being driven 30 or more minutes or driving 10+ miles. I had previously sent it to 3 different dealerships and only one was able to temporarily resolve the issue. They had to adjust the issue through a computer system. However, after 6-12 months, it is happening again. I feel that is a property or safety issue for drivers because, the transmission or shift change makes the vehicle jump forward and if not carefully could possibly hit another vehicle or person that passes through the front side of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11687193

Over the past year, we've had this car into the Ford of Clermont Florida dealer 5 times about a leak. Whenever we have a storm, the back footwell fills with water. Their leak specialist has said he has found the source of the issue multiple times and after each "repair", we still have a leak. They've replaced the rubber around both side windows and they've asked us to have the front windshield replaced. Even with all of this work, we still have a leak. In the longer term, this could compromise the structural integrity of the car. I don't know what else to do beyond bringing the car back again. I am listing [XXX] as the date the "incident occurred" because this is the latest water breach. But, it's been happening over the past year. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11684927

My engine began experiencing misfires at around 40,000 miles. They were on and off. The check engine light would pop up and go away for around a month. Then the vehicle began having a rough start and check engine light would not go away. I sent the vehicle back to the dealer where they determined that my engine was having misfires due to a coolant leak into cylinder one, stemming from a poor engine design. The engine needed to be replaced. The repair was covered under my warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11685148

For roughly 4mths beginning in April 2025, my 2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost has been suffering from a sporadic misfire, with it the system reporting the misfire and the check engine light coming on, the Ford App identifying the misfire occurring. It was initially repaired with replacing all spark plugs, ignition leads. The sporadic misfire would continue to occur, Ford dealership kept the car for 2 days in late July, took everything apart said they were unable to replicate the misfire, cleared the codes (P0303 being the main one that appears consistently) and said to come back if it occurred again. Roughly 2 weeks later the issue occurred again, took the vehicle back to Ford where they kept the car for 2 days, went through the same process and could not replicate the issue. They dug deeper into the issue and found that the coolant would not hold pressure and with the use of a video scope found that the Intake Valve had fractured and was leaking coolant into the engine as well as distributing multiple shards and pieces of metal from the Valve Intake Fracture. Informed me that the only option was to replace with a new engine and turboboost. They reviewed and found that there were no recalls related to this issue for this vehicle. After undertaking my own research, I found this to be a known issue for Ford and that roughly 100k vehicles had been recalled starting with the 2020 vehicles for the same issue. The out of pocket expense is around 14k, and the vehicle is currently waiting on a replacement engine to arrive. Currently Ford are not offering any assistance in the cost of the replacement, been though they have been servicing the car since 2020 and it is regularly maintained per their guidelines of vehicle needs based on the mileage driven.

NHTSA ODI 11682090

My car engine made a huge boom at only 40,000 miles while on the interstate and I lost all power and almost got ran over by other vehicle because of this. The engine had blown up under normal driving conditions

NHTSA ODI 11681922

While parked all day with the ignition off and lights off, I returned to find the brake lights and third brake light illuminated. The lights stayed on even after moving the brake pedal. I discovered a small broken plastic bumper on the floorboard, which appears to be the brake pedal stop bumper associated with recall 22V011. This failure causes the brake light circuit to remain closed, leaving the brake lamps on continuously, potentially confusing other drivers and draining the battery. No crash occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11680544

I have a 2018 Mustang GT with the 10R80 transmission. The transmission started giving me problems like slamming and slipping while shifting and sometimes jumping in and out of gear when drinking in the highway.The problem came from an engineering is with the CDF Drum... Ford has updated the CDF Drum and has fixed the problem. Ford never issues a recall to fix this problem with the vehicles produced with this issue but instead just used the updated production parts in the later models leaving the customers like myself to have to either pay out of pocket or rely on a warranty or after market warranty company to have this very expensive issue fixed. Right now as I am writing this, my car is in the transmission shop. Please help me. When I did a Google search of the CDF Drum issue, this is what was quoted: "The 2018 Ford Mustang GT with the 10R80 transmission can experience issues with the CDF (Clutch-Drum-Forward) drum, specifically with its bushing. This problem can lead to slippage, harsh shifting, and potential transmission failure. Ford has addressed this issue with design revisions to the CDF drum, including adding a lip to the bushing to prevent it from moving and causing fluid leaks."

NHTSA ODI 11679886

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact found oil underneath the engine compartment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.

NHTSA ODI 11674242

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pushed to a nearby independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a ruptured cylinder #1, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673497

I own a 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost with a Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine. At around 100,000 miles, the engine developed severe carbon buildup, resulting in cylinder scoring and catastrophic engine failure. Despite following Ford’s recommended maintenance schedule (including a 100,000-mile GDI cleaning service performed by the dealership), my car now has one cylinder with only 70 psi compression (confirmed by borescope and mechanical test). Other cylinders measure 135–160 psi. I have learned Ford is aware of this issue and has made design changes in later models (adding extra fuel pumps/dual injection systems) to address it, but no recall or owner warning has been issued for earlier EcoBoost Mustangs. My research and discussions with BG Products and independent experts show this is a common flaw with GDI-only systems, and Ford has failed to inform owners or provide a lasting solution. The dealership and Ford have offered limited goodwill, but the engine is beyond repair and requires a full replacement. I believe Ford’s failure to warn owners about this well-known defect constitutes a safety and reliability risk. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this widespread issue and require Ford to take responsibility for affected vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11670898

Sync to my phone works off and on. The radio stays on even when the vehicle is shut off, and media button stopped working.

NHTSA ODI 11669657

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the front driver’s side and front passenger’s side seat belts failed to retract and failed to properly secure the occupants seated in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the seat belts, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11668802

Check engine light came on. Took car to dealership where I learned that the car needs a new engine due to coolant leaking into the cylinders. I later learned this is a "known issue" with this engine, yet Ford has refused to fix or do a recall. The engine could fail or catch on fire if not replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11665795

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking abnormally, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the head gasket had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,637.

NHTSA ODI 11665107

Clutch pedal is making a creaking sound when pressed and released. This is known on online forums to lead to failure of the welds near the top of the pedal arm where it pivots. This can cause the pedal to come off while driving and is not safe.

NHTSA ODI 11663295

Took Mustang Ecoboost to Ford dealership as result of steady check engine light. Prior to check engine light rough idle at start up that smooths out after 10 to 15 seconds. Dealer identified CYL 3 misfire as well as random misfires. They also observed carbon tracking on plugs. Dealer replaced plugs and performed GDI cleaning service. About three weeks following repair same conditions reappeared rough idle and check engine light. Upon dealer inspection and use of bore scope discovered coolant intrusion in cylinder and recommended long block engine replacement. The second dealer appointment was several days after my warranty expired and mileage was 30,106 miles. Although the dealership was very supportive and understanding Ford would not provide any assistance even after I also pursued relief directly. As a result the long block engine replacement cost is $8,200. After considerable research was able to identify that ecoboost 2.3 engines as well as other small ecoboost engines all had a block defect that has since been corrected. The defect tends to permit, over time, coolant to leak into cylinders. Although a new head gasket may correct the condition, Ford normally recommends long block engine replacement as a long term fix. This condition if not attended to or if coming on suddenly will cause total engine failure. And, as failure can only occur when operating an engine failure under any driving condition is fraught with danger. To my knowledge Ford has not taken any steps to address this issue with the 2.3 liter engine built prior to about February 2020. And, at that time made an engineering change to the engine block addressing the design defect. Additionally, Ford did provide relief to owners of other smaller ecoboost engines having a similar design defect. At the present time there are several class actions suits pending for this 2.3 coolant intrusion issue. One final point should an ecoboost experience CYL or random misfires ensure bore scope is employed.

NHTSA ODI 11661473

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle jerked until shifting into gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the CDF drum and the main control were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Technical Service Bulletin: 25-2126 as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 102,000.

NHTSA ODI 11659987

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse properly, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11659199

Backup camera fails frequently. Screen turns blue and error message of backup camera not available is displayed on the screen.

NHTSA ODI 11657679

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a misfire in cylinder #1, and coolant leaking into the engine. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the diagnosis and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.

NHTSA ODI 11656746

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the contact attempted to warm up the vehicle; however, when the contact returned to the vehicle, the vehicle was off. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the engine sounded like it was losing power with an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. The message to “Shift to Park” was displayed; however, the gear shifter was already in park(P). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure due to a lack of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

NHTSA ODI 11655943

Car has issues with SYNC software and Radio Module and the display screen goes black while reverse parking or using the navigation system. Car is with the dealership and they are not able to do diagnosis as ford sync system has issues.

NHTSA ODI 11655949

2018 Ford Mustang Echo boost. Engine light came on code P0420 which is the Catalytic Converter and we already new this when bringing it into Ford dealership. We informed the check in Advisor the Transmission feels like it's slipping or jerks when in 2nd Geer which slows down the vehicle. Took it to Ford and was first informed the Transmission was good nothing wrong with it just need to change my Catalytic Converter because that was the code. We changed the Catalytic Converter but when driving still was experiencing the same thing we originally brought it in for which is the Jerking and slowing down upon accelaration. Took it back to Ford they re checked it and said the CDF Drum is failing and to repair it would cost $4000. I don't have $4000 and my vehicle is out of warranty because of the mileage.

NHTSA ODI 11654673

Car jerking,Rpm needle jumps alot,feel like im going to run into someone or something, not getting gas mileage like before.

NHTSA ODI 11654386