2018 Ford Mustang
2 things going for it, 3 to watch.
Cons
Official recall campaigns exist for this vehicle. See the Safety Recalls section for what failed and how it's fixed.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Safety Recalls
53 of 185 owner complaints are about the engine. Tap it in the heatmap to read the real reports.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Owner Complaints
8 complaint(s) involved a crash and 1 involved a fire.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Owner Complaints
Pros
Earned a strong overall government crash-test rating.
Why we say this — NHTSA — 5-Star Safety Ratings
185 complaints ranks #2 of 24 popular 2018 models we track (fewest first, snapshot 2026-07-10). Raw counts partly reflect how many were sold — see "How it compares" below.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Owner Complaints
Neutral
Official EPA fuel economy. We show this as a neutral fact — whether it's 'good' depends on the vehicle's class.
Why we say this — U.S. EPA / DOE — fueleconomy.gov
ℹ️ Recalls & complaints are reported per model — the same across every trim & engine. Fuel economy (and crash ratings by body style) can vary — use the pickers in those sections.
Safety Recalls
Official recall campaigns. Tap one to see the danger and the fix.
What is a recall, really?
A recall means the government made the manufacturer admit a safety defect — and the fix is free at any dealer, forever, even for used cars. Recalls range from a software update to "the steering wheel can detach," so read the danger line on each one. Buying used? Ask the seller for proof each recall was completed, or have a dealer run the VIN. Recalls also have a quieter cousin worth reading: technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Campaign 18E035000
What's wrong: 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.
The danger: A fuel leak can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: 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.
NHTSA Campaign 17V814000
What's wrong: 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."
The danger: 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.
The fix: 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.
NHTSA Campaign 18V213000
What's wrong: 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.
The danger: 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.
The fix: 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.
NHTSA Campaign 25V572000
What's wrong: 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.
The danger: 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.
The fix: 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.
Source: NHTSA — Safety Recalls · re-checked about every 24 hours
Where Owners Report Problems
Where owners report the most trouble — based on 185 complaints (8 involved a crash, 1 a fire). Tap a part to read the real reports.
Raw count — best-sellers naturally log more complaints than rare cars, so judge it against the peer comparison below, not on its own.
Why don't we show complaints per vehicle sold?
Because no official source publishes sales counts per model — that data is sold by private firms, and the free numbers online are guesses. A rate built on a guessed denominator is a guess wearing a lab coat, so we refuse to show one. Instead we show comparisons where fleet size cancels out or is disclosed: the same model across its own years, the crash/fire severity mix, and the peer ranking below — each with its methodology attached.
Of 53 reports about this part, 1 involved a crash and 1 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 53):
Of 44 reports about this part, 4 involved a crash and 0 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 44):
Of 30 reports about this part, 1 involved a crash and 1 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 30):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 21):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 15):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 12):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 11):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 8):
Of 7 reports about this part, 1 involved a crash and 1 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 7):
Of 5 reports about this part, 1 involved a crash and 0 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 5 of 5):
Of 4 reports about this part, 1 involved a crash and 0 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 4 of 4):
Of 3 reports about this part, 1 involved a crash and 0 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 3 of 3):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 2 of 2):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 2 of 2):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 2 of 2):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 2 of 2):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 2 of 2):
Of 2 reports about this part, 2 involved a crash and 0 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 2 of 2):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 1 of 1):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 1 of 1):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 1 of 1):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 1 of 1):
Color = how serious (crash/fire involvement) · number = how many (share of all this car's reports). Tap any part to read real owner complaints.
How it compares
Lower than most complaint volume — 185 complaints ranks #2 of 24 popular models from the same year (fewest first · median 609).
5% of its complaints involved a crash or fire, vs 5% typical for its year — this one is fair to compare directly, because it doesn't depend on how many were sold.
Why raw complaint counts can mislead (and how we correct for it)
A best-selling car naturally collects more complaints than a rare one simply because there are more of them on the road — so a raw count alone can make a popular, reliable car look worse than a troubled niche one. That's why we show the rank alongside the crash/fire percentage (which doesn't depend on sales volume) and the same model's other years. Read all three together.
Computed by us from NHTSA complaint records for 24 popular same-year models · snapshot 2026-07-10. This comparison set is a sample, not every car sold.
Source: NHTSA — Owner Complaints · re-checked about every 24 hours
Crash-Test Safety Ratings
Official U.S. government 5-star crash-test results.
How to read these stars
These come from the government physically crash-testing this vehicle — front, side, and rollover — and scoring it 1 to 5 stars. Ratings are per body style, so a sedan and its coupe twin can differ. If a vehicle shows no rating, it usually means the government never tested that exact configuration — untested is not the same as unsafe, and we'll never blur that line.
2018 Ford Mustang 2 DR RWD
Source: NHTSA — 5-Star Safety Ratings · re-checked about every 24 hours
Fuel Economy (MPG)
Official EPA estimates — the real numbers, not the brochure.
Across 4 official EPA configurations · Fuel: Regular. Pick an engine/trim above for exact numbers.
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE — fueleconomy.gov · re-checked about every 24 hours