2011 Ford Mustang Owner Complaints

This is a common issue with these S197 Mustangs. The steering position sensor failed. While driving, this can cause the "Service Advancetrac" warning to come on, meanwhile the wheels spin at different speeds as the car attempts to correct a low traction scenario that isn't happening, causing the driver to crash. This caused me to temporarily lose control of my vehicle. Luckily I didn't hit anything. The sensor itself can be replaced for $20-$40, but Ford has sealed it inside the EPAS system, making it non-servicable and escalating the repair cost to over $1300.

NHTSA ID

11738280

Incident

Nov 20, 2025

Steering angle sensor has malfunctioned, sometimes when i turn the traction and stability control completely turns off, abs randomly activates while im driving.

NHTSA ID

11711226

Incident

Nov 20, 2025

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission, on occasion, did not shift into second and third gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed clutch pad. The contact was informed that the clutch pad needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and did not assist. The contact was informed to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

NHTSA ID

11678844

Incident

Jul 3, 2025

Mileage

48,000 mi

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while attempting to service the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 174,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 298,000.

NHTSA ID

11669174

Incident

Jun 25, 2025

Mileage

298,000 mi

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the front driver’s side seat air bag deployed upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

NHTSA ID

11562568

Incident

Dec 18, 2023

Mileage

123,000 mi

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Service Auto Advancetrac" was displayed. The contact stated that she continued to depress the brake pedal until the vehicle responded. The contact stated that there was a significant stopping distance delay. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring more frequently while driving, and the vehicle was sliding while stopping, nearly causing a crash. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11557400

Incident

Nov 29, 2020

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle was slow to respond. The contact stated that she noticed that an unknown fluid was leaking from the vehicle. The traction control, oil, and brake warning lights were illuminated. The check brake fluid and check oil messages were displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 164,877.

NHTSA ID

11551055

Incident

Sep 11, 2023

Mileage

164,877 mi

MIKE RICKENBACK Ford dealership service shop declined me a tire rotation because they assessed my OEM lug nuts to be swollen and in need of replacement. Unbeknownst to me this is a well documented safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11544199

Incident

Sep 8, 2023

I have a beautiful 2011 Ford Mustang that has been rendered useless because the brake lights and turn signals continually blow a fuse. The car cannot be repaired because Ford quit making the needed part after the car was 8 years old. This not only creates an unnecessary expense of purchasing a new car it is also a safety hazard. After extensively searching for the part on the internet I found many cases of people needing that part with no luck finding it. As info the part number is AR3Z13C788F. How many people will be driving around without brake lights and turn signals because Ford decided brake lights aren't necessary after a car is 8 years old.

NHTSA ID

11521977

Incident

Apr 19, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. After turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ID

11488400

Incident

Sep 26, 2022

Mileage

125,000 mi

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 55 MPH, the front end of the vehicle would violently shake and vibrate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the brake pads and brake calipers however, the failure persisted. The mechanic later informed the contact that the steering box was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 93,000.

NHTSA ID

11487197

Incident

Sep 19, 2022

Mileage

93,000 mi

Leaking fumes from plastic fuel tank. Micro cracks on top and seam. Had to replace the fuel tank and the sender and fuel pump inserts because of cracks.

NHTSA ID

11487067

Incident

Sep 29, 2022

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was hard shifting with a delay while shifting gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic stated that there was no failure found and that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ID

11483546

Incident

Sep 8, 2021

Mileage

90,000 mi

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked the contact wife who was in the passenger heard a loud noise coming from the vehicle, when she noticed that the vehicle had shifted into driver and was rolling frontwards crashing into a boulder cause the vehicle to stop completely. No one was injured, a police report was filed. The dealer was contacted, and they stated there was nothing they could. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 68,000. VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11473393

Incident

Feb 21, 2022

Mileage

68,000 mi

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and hesitated to accelerate. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: AS-21687 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

NHTSA ID

11453873

Incident

Feb 24, 2022

Mileage

58,000 mi

Ford knew that the transmission was going bad on these Mustangs. When I attempt to accelerate my car does not move. Imagine this happening in traffic and me being killed

NHTSA ID

11423442

Incident

Jul 1, 2021

ELECTRIC SEAT WON'T MOVE. HAVE READ COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM ONLINE. THE ISSUE IS A FACTORY DEFECT. MAGNETS INSIDE ELECTRIC MOTOR OF POWER SEATS ARE PUT IN PLACE WITH GLUE THAT COMES UNDONE EASILY INSIDE MOTOR CAUSING IT TO BE UNABLE TO MOVE. DEALERSHIPS AND SHOPS COST TO REPLACE IS INSANE, NEVER BELOW $1000. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS I MOVED MY SEAT FAR BACK WHILE RELAXING BEFORE WORK AND WHEN I GOT OFF LATER THE SEAT WOULD NOT MOVE. FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA ID

11387695

Incident

Jan 5, 2021

Mileage

95,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MY 2011 FORD MUSTANG (WITH A V6 ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) AT 40MPH ON A LOCAL STREET, I EXPERIENCED THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY LOSING POWER AND A FAULT LIGHT IN THE FORM OF A WRENCH APPEARING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ENGINE SPEED DROPPED DOWN TO IDLE AND DID NOT RESPOND TO ANY GAS PEDAL OPERATION. THE CARS ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHLY AS EVIDENCE OF IT SHAKING THE ENTIRE CAR. THE INCIDENT PLACED MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ME IN DANGER, AS I HAD TO MOVE QUICKLY TO GET MY VEHICLE OUT OF THE MOVING TRAFFIC AND INTO A SAFE PLACE OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID

11382878

Incident

Dec 1, 2020

Mileage

53,434 mi

THE LAST TWO MUSTANGS I PURCHASED (BOTH WERE NEW CARS) DEVELOPED ELECTRICAL ISSUES AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. MY CURRENT 2011 MUSTANG HAS HAD NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITHIN THE CABIN OF THE CAR. IN ADDITION TO THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES, THE HOOD DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE PAINT SUCH AS BUBBLING, PEELING AND RUSTING. MY FRUSTRATION WITH FORD GROWS MORE INTENSE EACH TIME THE AIR-CONDITIONER, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS OTHER DEVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DASHBOARD, QUITS OPERATING AND THE WINDOWS WILL NOT FUNCTION. I OFTEN FIND MYSELF ENCOUNTERING THIS ISSUE ON A NINETY PLUS DEGREE DAY. THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE CAN OCCUR WHEN MOVING OR AT A COMPLETE STOP. THERE IS NO PATTERN TO WHEN IT HAPPENS, OR WHICH ELECTRICAL ITEMS WILL QUIT FUNCTIONING. IT DOES HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES AND THE AIR-CONDITIONER IS IN USE. HOWEVER, IT ALSO OCCURS WHEN THE AIR-CONDITIONER IS NOT IN USE.

NHTSA ID

11376633

Incident

Nov 1, 2016

Mileage

85,000 mi

VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN ONE YEAR SINCE IT BROKE DOWN LAST AND NOW I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM. THE SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAS FAILED AND LEAD TO SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN FAILURE BROKEN ROCKER ARM AND MAYBE DAMAGE TO THE PISTON IT HAS BEEN PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED I WAS DRIVING THROUGH AND INTERSECTION AND MY CAR STALLED LUCKILY IT STARTED ONCE MORE JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET IT OFF THE BUSY ROAD. THERE WAS BOLTS ON THE VALVE COVER THAT'S WEREN'T EVEN DRILLED THROUGH THE PLASTIC VALVE COVER. THERE IS NO REASON A FAIRLY NEW MOTOR SHOULD HAVE MALFUNCTIONED LIKE THIS.

NHTSA ID

11342905

Incident

Jul 27, 2020

Mileage

90,000 mi

MT82 TRANSMISSION IS HARD TO SHIFT INTO 1ST AND 2ND, ALSO GRINDS GOING INTO SECOND. STARTED TO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11340787

Incident

Jul 13, 2020

Mileage

48,000 mi

THE STEERING WHEEL WILL TURN FROM RIGHT AND LEFT UNCONTROLLABLE DRIVING INTO A RAIN STORM THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT L COULD NOT HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL SPUN ME AROUND THREE TIMES AND HIT A GUARD RAIL

NHTSA ID

11331297

Incident

Jun 5, 2020

Mileage

15,000 mi

I HAVE HAD THIS RECALL FIXED LAST FEB. I HAVE CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS COMPLETED AND PRESTON SAYS THAT IT WAS COMPLETED ON 2/16/19 AT PRESTON FORD IN HERMITAGE AND THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND CORRECT ON THE FORD WEBSITE.

NHTSA ID

11309245

Incident

Feb 16, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT'S WIFE OWNED A 2011 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A STOP SIGN AND HIT HER ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE PILLAR. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT TOOK HIS WIFE TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE SHE SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND TWO HERNIATED DISCS; IT WAS UNKNOWN IF THE OTHER DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED (#159951319-M). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE REMAINED UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED BUT HAD NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE REPLACED IN DECEMBER OF 2018 UNDER A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,105.

NHTSA ID

11300699

Incident

Dec 5, 2019

Mileage

101,105 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD MUSTANG. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL TICKING NOISE DETECTED FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED METRO FORD 9000 NW (7TH AVE, MIAMI, FL 33150, (305) 751-9711) HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,800.

NHTSA ID

11300041

Incident

Jan 17, 2020

Mileage

92,800 mi