Home · 2021 Ford Mustang · Complaints

What 55 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Mustang

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (55)Crash / fire / injury (4)Fuel system (15)Transmission & drivetrain (9)Engine (8)Electrical system (6)Brakes (5)Backup camera & sensors (4)Suspension (3)Airbags (2)Engine & cooling (2)Visibility & wipers (2)

1 of 55 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

May 18, 2023Engine & coolingTransmission & drivetrainElectrical systemCrash1 injury

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang GT500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering as the instrument cluster went blank and the charging system error warning message was illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Battery Save Mode, Pull Over, and Turn Car Off and On" message was illuminated. The contact had pulled over to turn off the vehicle and was able to restart. The failure reoccurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the failures could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and that the suspension error warning message was illuminated. The contact then stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the launch control feature was inadvertently activated, causing the contact to lose control of the steering wheel, the vehicle to make a 360-degree turn in the middle of the intersection, and the contact to crash onto the sidewalk. The contact had to receive medical attention and sustained a broken wrist and torn ligament. The vehicle was towed to Sunrise Ford(16005 Valley Blvd, Fontana, CA 92335); however, the mechanic advised for body repairs to be done first, and the vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where the tires, rims, and spoiler were replaced. The vehicle was then towed back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the alternator and catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred, and after the vehicle was towed back to the dealer, the failures could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11522730

Working with the data? Download all 55 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2021 Ford Mustang verdict →