What breaks most · 1996 to 2006 model years
Ford Mustang GT problems by year
Owners have filed 694 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Mustang GT across model years 1996 to 2006. Two years stand out: 2005 for electrical system complaints and 2006 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 1997, 1996 and 1999.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2006
- Fewest complaints: 1997, 1996, 1999
- Complaints on file
- 6941996 to 2006, all trims
- Worst year
- 2005163 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 549 fires · 45 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 53kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 3Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (24) | |
| 23 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (16) | |
| 53 | 2 | 0 | Engine and cooling (44) | |
| 36 | 3 | 0 | Engine and cooling (21) | |
| 64 | 5 | 1 | Engine and cooling (21) | |
| 59 | 11 | 0 | Engine and cooling (13) | |
| 48 | 5 | 0 | Engine and cooling (16) | |
| 51 | 3 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (15) | |
| 14 | 4 | 0 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 163 | 9 | 1 | Electrical system (58) | |
| 151 | 10 | 1 | Air bags (64) |
What fails on the 2005 Ford Mustang GT
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 36% |
58 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2005 Ford Mustang GT |
| Air bags | 30% |
49 | 6 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
12 | 2 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2005 Ford Mustang GT |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
12 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2005 Ford Mustang GT |
| Parking Brake | 5% |
8 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
8 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2005 Ford Mustang GT |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 5% |
8 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2005 Ford Mustang GT |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
7 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2005 Ford Mustang GT |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Most gauges are out had this prob for a while no temp reading no fuel reading now ttach is about to say good bye i wish FORD will acknowledge this is a drivability prob and very expensive to fix thanks for your time it happens in motion or stationary
-
There is bubbling in the paint in the tip of the hood which i have been told is corrosion on the exterior and interior. FORD will not take care of it saying it is out of warranty. This is a manufacturer's problem as there are many complaints and class action lawsuit pending.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Mustang GT years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2006 carry the most filings on the Ford Mustang GT. The 2005 alone has 163 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Ford Mustang GT problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 58 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Mustang GT problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Mustang GT complaints that include mileage is about 53,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.