1998 FORD MUSTANG — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 230 complaints · 14 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (34 complaints · 14.8%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 43
  • Fires 12
  • Injuries 30
  • Deaths 1
Compare with 1997 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 34 of 230 owner complaints (14.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 34 complaints, 14.8% of reports ENGINE 34 · 14.8% · 2 crash reports 3 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 29 complaints, 12.6% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 29 · 12.6% · 2 crash reports 2 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 18 complaints, 7.8% of reports POWER TRAIN 18 · 7.8% PARKING BRAKE: 17 complaints, 7.4% of reports PARKING BRAKE 17 · 7.4% · 5 crash reports SEAT BELTS: 17 complaints, 7.4% of reports SEAT BELTS 17 · 7.4% · 3 crash reports STEERING: 17 complaints, 7.4% of reports STEERING 17 · 7.4% · 5 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 15 complaints, 6.5% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 15 · 6.5% · 5 crash reports 1 fire reports AIR BAGS: 13 complaints, 5.7% of reports AIR BAGS 13 · 5.7% · 9 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 12 complaints, 5.2% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 12 · 5.2% · 4 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 177 complaints, 77.0% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 177 · 77.0% · 29 crash reports 9 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 34 14.8% 2 crashes · 3 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 29 12.6% 2 crashes · 2 fires
POWER TRAIN 18 7.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
PARKING BRAKE 17 7.4% 5 crashes · 0 fires
SEAT BELTS 17 7.4% 3 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 17 7.4% 5 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 15 6.5% 5 crashes · 1 fires
AIR BAGS 13 5.7% 9 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 12 5.2% 4 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 177 77.0% 29 crashes · 9 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 1997; the first recall shown was reported in Sep 1997. 1997-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1998-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 1998-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 1998-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 1999-Q1: 29 owner reports 29 1999-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 1999-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 1999-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2000-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2000-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2000-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2001-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2001-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2001-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2001-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2002-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2002-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2002-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2004-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Sep 1997 Apr 2021 Recall campaign 97V165000 ◆ Recall campaign 97V165000 Recall campaign 97V216000 ◆ Recall campaign 97V216000 Recall campaign 99V062001 ◆ Recall campaign 99V062001 Recall campaign 00V349000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V349000 Recall campaign 06E023000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E023000 Recall campaign 06E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E025000 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 06E056000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E056000 Recall campaign 06E060000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E060000 Recall campaign 06E064000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E064000 Recall campaign 08E050000 ◆ Recall campaign 08E050000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Investigation PE99029 ● Investigation PE99029 Investigation DP05005 ● Investigation DP05005
  • Campaign 00V349000 was reported 738 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 06E023000 was reported 1,585 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 06E025000 was reported 1,593 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 08E050000 was reported 2,467 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 2,740 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1997-Q4 Owner reports 1
1998-Q1 Owner reports 2
1998-Q2 Owner reports 6
1998-Q3 Owner reports 8
1998-Q4 Owner reports 11
1999-Q1 Owner reports 29
1999-Q2 Owner reports 11
1999-Q3 Owner reports 16
1999-Q4 Owner reports 8
2000-Q1 Owner reports 8
2000-Q2 Owner reports 2
2000-Q3 Owner reports 8
2000-Q4 Owner reports 10
2001-Q1 Owner reports 15
2001-Q2 Owner reports 9
2001-Q3 Owner reports 9
2001-Q4 Owner reports 6
2002-Q1 Owner reports 5
2002-Q2 Owner reports 5
2002-Q3 Owner reports 4
2002-Q4 Owner reports 7
2003-Q1 Owner reports 2
2003-Q2 Owner reports 4
2003-Q3 Owner reports 3
2004-Q1 Owner reports 3
2004-Q2 Owner reports 2
2004-Q3 Owner reports 4
2004-Q4 Owner reports 5
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 3
2005-Q3 Owner reports 1
2005-Q4 Owner reports 2
2006-Q3 Owner reports 2
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 2
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 97V165000
Recall campaign 1 97V216000
Recall campaign 1 99V062001
Recall campaign 1 00V349000
Recall campaign 1 06E023000
Recall campaign 1 06E025000
Recall campaign 1 06E026000
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Recall campaign 1 06E056000
Recall campaign 1 06E060000
Recall campaign 1 06E064000
Recall campaign 1 08E050000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Defect investigation 1 PE99029
Defect investigation 1 DP05005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (14)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V349000

    Report date
    Component:
    PARKING BRAKE
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD RESULT IN UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT AND A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE PARKING BRAKE CONTROL AND INSTALL A PLATE OR OVER-BRACKET TO THE CONTROL TO LOCK THE SELF ADJUST MECHANISM IN POSITION FOLLOWING ADJUSTMENT.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E023000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E025000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    POLI-AUTO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE HEADLAMPS AT ITS ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT POLI-AUTO AT 305-477-1356.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E026000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E049000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E056000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E060000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH
    Remedy:
    AAI MOTORSPORTS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AAI MOTORSPORTS AT 909-923-9188.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E064000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 08E050000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTORS, THE LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY BE AFFECTED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  11. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09E025000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  12. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 97V165000

    Report date
    Component:
    STEERING
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION CAN INCREASE STEERING EFFORTS, AFFECTING STEERING CONTROL.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE ON THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR, AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THOSE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLIES THAT FALL WITHIN THE SUSPECT DATE CODE RANGE. THE DATE CODES FOR WINDSTAR MODEL VEHICLES ARE 97JB09 OR 97JC08; THE DATE CODES FOR MUSTANG MODEL VEHICLES ARE 97J09B OR 97J08B.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  13. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 97V216000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    IF THE BRACKET SEPARATES FROM THE RAIL, THE RAIL CAN LIFT ONE OR MORE OF THE INJECTORS, AND FUEL LEAKAGE WILL RESULT. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL RAIL ON THESE VEHICLES.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  14. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 99V062001

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    IF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS USED AND THIS CONDITION IS PRESENT, A STUCK THROTTLE COULD RESULT, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLES. AT THE PRESENT TIME, THE REPLACEMENT CABLES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. CUSTOMERS ARE BEING ADVISED NOT TO USE THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM UNTIL A REPLACEMENT CAN BE MADE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 230 complaints · page 1 of 10

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources