RoadVitals

2013 Ford Mustang Steering Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Steering reportsComplaints 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.
10
Latest Apr 6, 2024
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 271 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Ford Mustang submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming steering

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalSteering
Filed Apr 6, 2024

While driving on the interstate the steering control module stopped working resulting in total loss of no power steering assist. Vehicle only has 1,4711 miles. Second time this incident has occurred. Major hazardous malfunction of control module possible resulting in a accident. No warning was give on dashboard indicator. This vehicle is a hazard on roadways and putting other drivers and citizens at risk of serious bodily injury. Vehicle should not this problem with the current miles. Contacted Ford Motors Corp. refuse to acknowledge my safety concerns and refuse reimbursement for repairs. This will happen to other Ford and will result in possible injuries or deaths.

NHTSA ID
11581514
Incident
Mar 26, 2024
Steering
Filed Nov 2, 2023

When starting the vehicle when cold, power steering assist fault appears on the gauge cluster. There is no power steering at this point. Once the vehicle is warmed up, and the engine is turned off and restarted, the problem goes away. The problem has been reproduced by an independent service center. The service center inspected the steering components and found no obvious visible fault with the components.

NHTSA ID
11553138
Incident
Nov 1, 2023
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Oct 31, 2022

My son was driving and noticed a stiffness in the steering along with an occasional intermittent “ clicking” felt while turning the wheel. While going around a sharp curve the power steering failed completely and locked the steering wheel hard left forcefully. He was able to get it off the road safely and I was following him in another vehicle so I drove it the rest of the way home with no power steering. Online I found that numerous other ford owners over all models 2010-2015 have experienced the same epas failure due to a design flaw. https://youtu.be/szHMXwcp9fo This you tube video is what lead me here. Not only is the video informative of the problem, but in the comments countless others have experienced the same nightmare experience. We have parked the car as the repair can cost $3000, but worse than that if replaced under warranty the new parts fail again within 6 months and are not covered by Ford.

NHTSA ID
11491631
Incident
Sep 27, 2022
Steering
Filed Nov 4, 2020

LOSE ALL POWER STEERING JUST STARTED HAPPENING DURING COLD WEATHER DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A COINCIDENCE OR NOT . USUALLY HAPPENS DURING PARKING LOT MANEUVER OR DURING A TURN. TURN CAR OF AND BACK ON GOES AWAY SOMETIMES (VERY ANNOYING) STEERING IS COMPLETE LOCKED UP VERY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ID
11373087
Incident
Oct 29, 2020
Mileage
118,000 mi
Steering
Filed Dec 4, 2019
Crash reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD MUSTANG. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A CURB. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION AND THE MESSAGE "POWER STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" WAS DISPLAYED. APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND COULD NOT BE TURNED AT ALL. DOWLING FORD (1011 S. MAIN ST, CHESHIRE, CT) WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 25026398. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD ONLY OPERATE IN THE HIGH SETTING. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. *DT *TR

NHTSA ID
11286810
Incident
Nov 15, 2019
Mileage
88,000 mi
Steering
Filed Sep 28, 2019

WITHOUT WARNING MY ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED. THIS RESULTED IN THE STEERING SHAKING AND THEN LOCKING UP WHILE I WAS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I THEN ONLY HAD MANUAL STEERING. WHEN I RESEARCHED THIS ONLINE, IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MUSTANGS OF THESE YEARS AND ADJACENT YEARS.

NHTSA ID
11258710
Incident
Sep 27, 2019
Mileage
85,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalSteering
Filed Jan 18, 2018

I'M A LONG TIME FORD OWNER. IN JULY, 2017 THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ON MY 2013 MUSTANG GT WHICH HAD LESS THAN 40K MILES, MALFUNCTIONED WHICH IN TURN RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF TRACTION CONTROL, ABS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC ASSIST FUNCTIONS. AFTER BEING INFORMED THAT MY WARRANTY WAS EXPIRE, I WAS QUOTED OVER $2.2K. ANNOYED THAT A LOW MILEAGE CAR WHICH WAS LESS THAN 4 YEARS OLD COULD HAVE AN ISSUE LIKE THIS, I CHOSE TO DRIVE IT WITHOUT POWER STEERING. FAST FORWARD TO JANUARY 2018, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE WHICH HAPPENED TO LOSE ALL STEERING FUNCTION WHILE IN THEIR POSSESSION. THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THAT THE CAR WAS A TICKING TIME BOMB AND THAT I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT THE STEERING DIDN'T GO OUT WHILE I WAS ON THE ROAD. I WAS BLOWN AWAY BECAUSE THEY NEVER INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD LOSE ALL STEERING IN THE ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS 6 MONTHS EARLIER. I CONTACTED FORD CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY JUST FILED IT AWAY AND DON'T WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE DUE TO THE POTENTIAL LIABILITY IT CAN FACE FOR SELLING CARS WITH FAULTY STEERING THAT ARE LIKELY TO FAIL ON THE ROAD. FORD'S POWER STEERING ISSUES ARE WELL-KNOWN, BUT THE ASSOCIATED CATASTROPHIC STEERING FAILURE IS NOT. BASICALLY, IF YOU DRIVE A FORD PRODUCT AND THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT, YOU ARE DRIVING A DEATH TRAP.

NHTSA ID
11063515
Incident
Jan 6, 2018
Mileage
42,000 mi
Steering
Filed Aug 31, 2017

MY MUSTANG HAS THE SAME EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING AS THE FUSION AND TAURUS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY ON RECALL..... INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING LOSS DUE TO AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE STEERING GEAR...I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO LOOK INTO INCLUDING THE 2013 MUSTANG IN THIS RECALL.. MY MUSTANG ONLY HAS 40,026 MILES

NHTSA ID
11020977
Incident
Aug 29, 2017
Mileage
40,026 mi
Steering
Filed Dec 2, 2015

EVERY MORNING WHEN I TURN ON MY CAR IN COLD WEATHER I GET THE ERROR MESSAGE "POWER ASSEMBLY FAULT" AND AN INDICATOR THAT TRACTION CONTROL IS SHUT OFF. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I NO LONGER HAVE POWER STEERING OR TRACTION CONTROL. THIS CLEARS UP ONCE I WARM UP THE ENGINE AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON. IT HAPPENS EVERY MORNING NOW THAT WE ARE IN COLDER WEATHER AND CLEARS UP ONCE I HEAT UP THE CAR SO IT SEEMS THAT THESE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS BECOME FAULTY AT 30-40 DEGREE FAHRENHEIT WEATHER.

NHTSA ID
10807994
Incident
Nov 23, 2015
Mileage
37,000 mi
BrakesSteering
Filed Sep 17, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 7 MPH, THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO NECK, LEFT WRIST AND BACK WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

NHTSA ID
10636995
Incident
Sep 16, 2014
Mileage
18,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .