2018 Ford Mustang

Family: Mustang · filed with NHTSA as MUSTANG

Summary

In its first three years the 2018 Mustang drew 54 complaints — 0.8× the median of its generation (2015–2023). It does not stand out from the other years of this generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Engine, holds 36% of the 181 that name a component.
4 recalls filed for this model year.
No federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 196
Recalls: 4
Investigations: 0
NCAP overall: 5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG: 16–25
Annual fuel cost: $2,500–$4,850
Median mileage at complaint: 28,890 mi (n = 93)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 8 / 1 / 5 / 0

What owners report

Engine

65 complaints · 36% of complaints that name a component · median 20,000 mi (n = 31)

Owner report The engine has a head gasket defect that leaked coolant into the engine causing misfires and requires a very expensive repair for a defect that came with the engine when it was made. Two Ford dealerships have inspected and confirmed the issue. The car threw codes six months ago and we immediately stopped driving it and…

Owner report Check engine light came on Sunday night. Monday had AutoZone check the codes - indicated misfire on two cylinders recommended spark plug replacement - Spark plugs purchased with intent to change Tuesday evening- Tuesday morning -Engine overheated on the way to class added more coolant - got the vehicle home and towed t…

Powertrain

46 complaints · 25% of complaints that name a component · median 10,000 mi (n = 29)

Owner report Was driving my vehicle roughly 10-15mph after a stop, noticed vehicle wasn’t shifting into the gears properly as it was only in 2nd gear and the RPMs kept climbing, when it finally shifted into 3rd gear my transmission proceeded to lockup cause my rear tires to skid and stop in the middle of traffic and in the middle o…

Owner report My 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost with the 10R80 automatic transmission began experiencing hesitation, delayed engagement, and harsh jerking during low-speed acceleration (15-20 mph), especially when cold. Engine RPM would increase, but the vehicle would hesitate before engaging. The condition worsened over time and eventu…

Electrical System

31 complaints · 17% of complaints that name a component · median 33,000 mi (n = 14)

Owner report Touch screen system has completely stopped turning on (and wont turn on) any time the outside temperature drops below about 70 degrees fahrenheit. Per online research this is a common, known issue and given that this prevents the use of key saftey features such as the backup camera and climate controls I am unsure why …

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

8% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2015–2023)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 68.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2015	439	94
2016	380	68
2017	268	41	not compared
2018	196	54
2019	151	37	not compared
2020	121	29	not compared
2021	55	20	not compared
2022	50	22	not compared
2023	15	14	not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

25V572000 · BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Filed 2025-09-03 · 1,456,417 vehicles

Defect: 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 distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Risk: A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.

18E035000 · FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

Filed 2018-05-24 · 146 vehicles

Defect: 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 resulting in a fuel leak.

Risk: A fuel leak can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Roush will notify the known owners and replace the defective fuel rail subassemblies, free of charge. The recall began on May 31, 2018. Owners may contact Roush customer service at 1-800-597-6874. Roush's number for this recall is REMay2018.

18V213000 · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Filed 2018-04-04 · 142 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Risk: Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.

17V814000 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Filed 2017-12-18 · 2,100 vehicles

Defect: 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 operator may not receive the "Key in Ignition" chime when the driver's door is opened. As such, these vehicles fails to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence/Starter Interlock/Transmission Braking Effect," and number 114, "Theft Protection."

Risk: Without a visual or audible warning to the driver that the vehicle is in PARK, the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C21.

Federal investigations

None on file.

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Mustang	2.3L 4cyl	Manual 6-spd	Rear-Wheel Drive	21	31	25	$2500
Mustang	2.3L 4cyl	Automatic (S10)	Rear-Wheel Drive	21	32	25	$2500
Mustang	5.0L 8cyl	Manual 6-spd	Rear-Wheel Drive	15	25	18	$3450
Mustang	5.0L 8cyl	Automatic (S10)	Rear-Wheel Drive	16	25	19	$3300
Mustang Convertible	2.3L 4cyl	Manual 6-spd	Rear-Wheel Drive	20	28	23	$2700
Mustang Convertible	2.3L 4cyl	Automatic (S10)	Rear-Wheel Drive	20	29	23	$2700
Mustang Convertible	5.0L 8cyl	Automatic (S10)	Rear-Wheel Drive	15	24	18	$3450
Mustang Performance Package	2.3L 4cyl	Manual 6-spd	Rear-Wheel Drive	20	28	23	$2700
Mustang Performance Package	2.3L 4cyl	Automatic (S10)	Rear-Wheel Drive	20	29	23	$2700
Shelby GT350 Mustang	5.2L 8cyl	Manual 6-spd	Rear-Wheel Drive	14	21	16	$4850

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2018 Ford Mustang C RWD	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	★★★★★
2018 Ford Mustang 2 DR RWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
2018 Ford Mustang GT350R 2 DR RWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★

Service bulletins

Ford issued 198 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about power train.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-04-29	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	Harvest Program 25H05 – Supplement #1 Certain 2011-2021 Model Year Vehicles Software Verification Harvest Program
2026-04-20	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Customer Satisfaction Program 25N15 - Supplement #1 Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacement
2026-02-24	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access…
2026-01-05	VISIBILITY/WIPER	Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacemen
2025-12-22	VISIBILITY/WIPER	Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacement
2025-12-02	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	Special Field Action 25L02 Certain 2017-2024 Model Year California Emissions-Certified Vehicles Transmission Control Assembly Reimbursement
2025-11-26	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Na…
2025-11-19	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected vehicles that are customer-owned. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to evaluate the software currently installed on one or m…
2025-11-12	POWER TRAIN	Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Contro…
2025-10-30	POWER TRAIN	This bulletin supersedes TSB 25-2301. Reason for update: update the Part List Description. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: * Harsh engagement * Delayed engagemen…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Mustang, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Mustang model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.