RoadVitals

1966 Ford Mustang Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
4
Latest May 12, 2008
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1966 Ford Mustang, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Tires & wheels375.0%
  • Fuel system125.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1966 FORD MUSTANG. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER COBRA RADIAL G/T TIRES, SIZE P215/60R14. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE TREAD SEPARATION WAS DOWN TO THE STEEL BELT. THE TREAD WAS BEATING AGAINST THE FENDER AND DAMAGED AND FLATTENED THE TIRE. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,316.

NHTSA ID 10227429 · filed May 12, 2008

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHEN STEERING WHEEL BECAME SHAKE BACK AND FORTH HARD TO CONTROL. STOPPED AUTO FOUND THAT BELTS HAD BROKEN IN THE TIRES AND THAT TREAD HAD SHIFTED TO WHERE IT WAS NO LONGER STRAIGHT.*AK

NHTSA ID 10091061 · filed Sep 15, 2004

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A REAR IMPACT COLLISION. VEHICLE GAS TANK RUPTURED ON IMPACT, SPEWING FUEL INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. OCCUPANT, MY 16 YEAR OLD SON, DIED OF "EXCESSIVE CHARRING." ON SCENE WITNESS (A FORMER FIREFIGHTER) REPORTED THAT THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. PREVIOUS NHTSA ODI CASE 098 OF DROP-IN-FUEL TANK AND VENT SYSTEM 1960-1970 FALCON, FAIRLANE, COMET, MONTEGO, MUSTANG AND COUGAR PASSENGER CARS APPLICABLE AS CRASH TEST INFORMATION WAS WITH-HELD BY THE MANUFACTURER DURING THE INVESTIGATION (CRASH TEST 301). RECENT 60 MINUTES 2 PROGRAM, TO BE RE-AIRED ON 17 AUGUST, ADDRESSED DETAILS OF THIS AND RELATED INCIDENTS (OVER 70 LAWSUITS FILED AS A RESULT OF POST REAR-IMPACT FIRE RELATED INJURIES/DEATHS IN LATE MODEL FORD MUSTANGS). FORMER HEAD OF NHTSA, MRS. JOAN CLAYBROOK, INTERVIEWED ON PROGRAM CONFIRMING THAT FMC WITH-HELD INFORMATION PERTINENT TO AND REQUESTED FOR THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION ON THE CRASHWORTHINESS OF THE EARLY MODEL FORD MUSTANG DROP IN FUEL TANK SYSTEMS. OVER 2 MILLION MUSTANGS PRODUCED WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM AS WELL AS OTHER MODELS BY THE FMC. THE GREAT POPULARITY OF THE EARLY PRODUCTION FORD MUSTANG MAKES THIS A CONTINUING AND GROWING PROBLEM IN REGARDS TO PASSENGER/HIGHWAY SAFETY. THE CONDUCT OF THE FMC IN THEIR CONTINUEING REFUSAL TO ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THIS DESIGN CONSIDERING THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS, NOT TO MENTION THEIR WILLFULL AND WANTON DISREGARD OF BOTH THE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN THEIR WITH-HOLDING OF INFORMATION ON THEIR OWN CRASH TESTS AFTER HAVING BEEN ASKED FOR THIS INFORMATION BY NHTSA, IS EGGREGIOUS, NOT TO MENTION POSSIBLY CRIMINAL. WHAT IS BEING DONE? APPROXIMATELY 11 MILLION VIEWERS SAW THE 60 MINUTES 2 PROGRAM. WERE NONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA?

NHTSA ID 709917 · filed Aug 12, 1999

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .