RoadVitals

2006 Ford Mustang

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

NHTSA has issued a “do not drive” advisory affecting this model year.

Campaign 17V024000. Confirm whether your specific vehicle is covered using its VIN before acting on this.

Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov
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.
422
Latest Dec 28, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
9
Latest Feb 16, 2021
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
3
1 currently open
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.
22
15 injuries, 2 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 422 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2006 Ford Mustang, most frequently naming the airbags, fuel system and driver assistance categories. 9 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 3 NHTSA investigations name it; and 27 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

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

Safety recalls

9 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Feb 16, 2021
249 units potentially affected
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also includes certain passenger-side air bag inflators and/or modules designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang, 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion, 2010-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2011 Ford Ranger, and 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX vehicles. Please see Ford's recall report for the specific part numbers. These parts may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy: Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
Ford Motor CompanyManufacturer number 21S05View on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Feb 16, 2021
1,067 units potentially affected
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
Ford Motor CompanyManufacturer number 21S05View on NHTSA.gov
17V024000NHTSA advisory: do not drive

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Jan 10, 2017
654,695 units potentially affected
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
The risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
Ford Motor CompanyManufacturer number 19S01View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA15001OpenEngineering Analysis

Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Opened Feb 24, 2015

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.Nonetheless, at ODI's insistence, all 10 vehicle manufacturers initiated a regional recall within approximately two weeks of the opening of the investigation.The regions recalled initially included Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas with high absolute humidity and climatic conditions believed to be a significant factor in the inflator ruptures.As part of the recall actions, inflators removed from remedied vehicles are to be returned to Takata for testing.Takata's initial test results on passenger inflators from remedied vehicles indicated a much higher than anticipated rupture frequency for inflators returned from Florida.Accordingly ODI requested all 10 manufacturers expand the regional recalls for passenger inflators to include other geographic areas where high absolute humidity conditions exist, including the Gulf States and other coastal areas.Takata's testing of the passenger inflators to date continues to indicate this geographic area as having the highest risk, with no ruptures occurring from inflators returned from outside the expanded recall regions.During PE14-016 four additional passenger inflator field events occurred, all in vehicles from the same expanded geographic region.Also during PE14-016 four additional driver inflator field events occurred including two in vehicles from regions not known for high absolute humidity, specifically California and North Carolina.Accordingly, ODI requested all five of the affected vehicle manufacturers currently using the subject Takata driver inflators expand to nationwide recalls.Significantly, neither of the affected vehicle manufacturers or Takata provided any explanation to account for these two driver air bag inflator ruptures outside the area of high absolute humidity.Takata testing of returned driver inflators indicates a lower rupture frequency as compared to passenger inflator testing.All test ruptures reported by Takata to date have occurred on inflators returned from high absolute humidity areas.The investigation now includes all manufacturers and vehicles known to be affected at this time.ODI's investigation will focus on, among other things, root cause analysis, other potential defect consequences, identification of affected vehicles scope, and adequacy of the remedy.The five ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10537899, 10568848, 10585224, 10605877, 10651492

AIR BAGS:FRONTALLed to recall 14V668
PE14016ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Opened Jun 11, 2014
Closed Mar 2, 2015

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.Nonetheless, at ODI's insistence, all 10 vehicle manufacturers initiated a regional recall within approximately two weeks of the opening of the investigation.The regions recalled initially included Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas with consistently high absolute humidity and climatic conditions believed to be a significant factor in the inflator ruptures.As part of the recall actions, inflators removed from remedied vehicles are to be returned to Takata for testing.Takata's initial test results on passenger inflators from remedied vehicles indicated a much higher than anticipated rupture frequency for inflators returned from Florida.Accordingly, ODI requested all 10 manufacturers expand the regional recalls for passenger inflators to include other geographic areas where high absolute humidity conditions exist, including the Gulf States and other coastal areas.Takata's testing of the passenger inflators to date continues to indicate this geographic area as having the highest risk, with no ruptures occurring from inflators returned from outside the expanded recall regions.During PE14-016, four additional passenger inflator field events occurred, all in vehicles from the same expanded geographic region.Also during PE14-016, four additional driver inflator field events occurred including two in vehicles from regions not known for high absolute humidity, specifically California and North Carolina.Accordingly, ODI requested all five of the affected vehicle manufacturers currently using the subject Takata driver inflators expand to nationwide recalls.Significantly, neither of the affected vehicle manufacturers or Takata provided any explanation to account for these two driver air bag inflator ruptures outside the area of high absolute humidity.Takata testing of returned driver inflators indicates a lower rupture frequency as compared to passenger inflator testing.All test ruptures reported by Takata to date have occurred on inflators returned from high absolute humidity areas.The PE is now closed/upgraded to an Engineering Evaluation (EA15-001) to include all manufacturersand vehicles known to be affected at this time.ODI's EA investigation will focus on, among other things, root cause analysis, other potential defect consequences, identification of affected vehicles scope, and adequacy of the remedy.The recalls related to this PE are: 14V343, 14V344, 14V348, 14V351, 14V353, 14V655, 14V700, 14V701, 14V752, 14V763, 14V770, 14V773, 14V787, 14V802 and 14V817.The number of vehicles affected are an estimate since some vehicles may have both the driver and passenger side inflators recalled. The five ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10537899, 10568848, 10585224, 10605877, 10651492

AIR BAGS:FRONTALLed to recall 13V172000
AQ10001ClosedAudit Query

Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit

Opened Nov 18, 2010
Closed Dec 28, 2015

On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Fuel system
Filed Dec 28, 2025

This has happened since purchasing my personal 2006 Mustang GT new in 2006. I also see early S-197 Mustangs (2005—2007) in my shop that cannot be reliably refilled because fuel shoots out of the filler neck, splashes the operator, the side of the Mustang, and puddles on the ground. The defective On-board Refueling and Vapor Recovery (ORVR) system causes high internal fuel tank pressures that will also cause the filling station pump to cut off and prevent putting fuel in the tank. This creates a fire hazard as the spillage contacts the left hot tail pipe and muffler as well as a puddle of fuel that can be ignited by a spark, cigarette, etc. This problem is in direct violation of the Environmental Protection Agency emission standards that clearly state the operator is “expected to fill the fuel tank without spit back or spillage during the refueling event.” EPA emission regulations also require that service vents, also known as safety and vacuum relief valves, be installed in tanks to prevent excessive pressure or vacuum that can build up “due to tank filling or emptying.” The parts of the Ford ORVR system that contribute to the fuel tank pressure spikes and fuel spills include: 1.Poor fuel filler design. The filler pipe is narrow (5/8” to 3/4”) with a severe an S-bend before it reaches the tank. There is a spring-loaded plug at the top of tank built into the fill neck that closes the fill pipe until fuel pushes the plug down to open the fuel tank. 2.Poor fuel tank design. The saddle style tank has two sections that “saddle bag” over the drive shaft making the opening between the two tanks very narrow and at the top of the tank. 3.Insufficient tank venting system. The capacity of this vent system is not sufficient to vent the fuel tank during refueling. Please see attached file that documents the problem and possible solutions. I also recommend sharing your many complaints on this problem with the EPA as the problem is also in their area.

NHTSA ID
11707368
Incident
Nov 3, 2025
Airbags
Filed Jul 24, 2025
1 injury reported

Driver side air bag randomly deployed after hitting bump at 40 miles an hour

NHTSA ID
11675785
Incident
Jul 24, 2025
Airbags
Filed May 23, 2025

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that she purchased a vehicle that was not working. The contact had the engine replaced by an independent mechanic. While starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V319000 (Air Bags) and 19V001000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was repaired at the local dealer, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 230,272.

NHTSA ID
11662831
Incident
May 18, 2025
Mileage
230,272 mi
Airbags
Filed Jan 17, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID
11636507
Incident
Dec 18, 2024
Airbags
Filed Oct 24, 2024

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V001000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that several local dealers declined to perform the recall repair on the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID
11621809
Incident
Oct 24, 2024
Engine
Filed Jun 14, 2024

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while in reverse, he observed a grinding sound emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the timing chain guides needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

NHTSA ID
11594407
Incident
May 1, 2023
Mileage
116,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 11, 2024

Did not sustain some sort of accident in order for me to notice thank God, I simply noticed thanks to multiple virtual methods which told me-considering how stupidly fast this car is and how important air bags are whe combined with that I thought id do this. Ford doesn't really care unless it can somehow bleed more money from something so...kinda just letting y'all know. Not much else I can do..other than drive really carefully (5-speed and I suck with Manual :()

NHTSA ID
11588232
Incident
May 11, 2024
Airbags
Filed Apr 5, 2024

Dealership refuses to do recall

NHTSA ID
11581266
Incident
Apr 5, 2024

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

22B05 S1

AIR BAGS

Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion and MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT • Updated Ranger Technical Information to include images of a pass and fail airbag inflator inspection for 2007-2011 model years.

SSM 51536

STRUCTURE

For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a different vehicle. Most modules on these affected vehicles are VIN/vehicle specific and hardware variations between modules do exist. Swapping a module from a vehicle or ordering a module using a different vehicle/VIN can cause ineffective repairs and additional vehicle down time. Make sure all appropriate Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures are followed when diagnosing the condition prior to all module replacements and only order modules using the correct VIN.

22B05

AIR BAGS

Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection: Ford Motor Company has determined that some vehicles claimed by dealers as repaired under Takata Airbag Safety Recalls 15S21, 17S42, 18S02, 19S01, and 21S12 may not have received the claimed repairs. The propellant in certain Takata airbag inflators can experience an alteration over time with exposure to certain climate conditions. A combination of time, high temperature fluctuations, and humidity contribute to the degradation of the propellant in the inflators. This degradation can cause the propellant to burn too quickly, creating high pressure inside the inflator, and in extreme cases causing the inflator to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating airbag deployment. A ruptured inflator can send inflator parts toward vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death. Additional information regarding Takata recalls can be found at www.nhtsa.gov and www.safercar.gov.

TSB 20-2233

STRUCTURE

This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended.

TSB 19-2026

EQUIPMENT; STRUCTURE

Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition

TSB 19-2026

STRUCTURE

Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Ford Mustang by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026530
2025145057.1
20247311058.9
2023156062.7
2022499060.2
2021556059.4
20201178170.4
20191426056.1
20181864056.4
20172646163.4
20163715158.4
201543611363.5
20143594054.6
20132716052.2
20124697154.0
20114665153.0
20102606052.5
20091816055.6
20083478462.7
20076159462.7
2006Viewing4229358.8
20057059358.2
20041166364.9
20031456368.0
20021186161.3
20011738162.6
20003119163.8
199921310163.9
199823614265.3
199717611261.3
199624612361.8
199560216466.0
199435613464.3
19931017168.6
1992695372.1
1991776269.6
1990855372.8
19891095472.0
19881085573.3
1987385673.3
1986302568.0
1985163470.8
1984184467.0
1983513
1982114
1981024
1980422
1979072
1978350
1977030
1976230
1975001
1974010
1973010
1972010
1971010
1970020
1969340
1968120
1967250
1966410
1965410

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.