2017 Ford Mustang Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a routine timing cover replacement. The contact believed the engine was damaged while being serviced. Upon retrieval, the check engine light was illuminated. There was an abnormal ticking noise detected. The vehicle had misfired. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11739997

Incident

Mar 26, 2026

Mileage

50,000 mi

Head gasket failure, specifically corrosion of the engine block. One day the car just did not start at all, with no clear indication of head gasket failure until compression test was ran. Symptoms include coolant levels getting lower each week, with constant refills needed. Random misfires. Smoke randomly emitting from the exhaust when idle. Has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance.

NHTSA ID

11737770

Incident

Aug 28, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that after the vehicle was started in the morning, the vehicle was idling rough. The contact stated that later while driving at various speeds, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that while checking the engine oil level, the contact became aware that the coolant reservoir level was low. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir however, the engine misfire continued. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was referred by the manufacturer to contact the NHTSA Safety Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 115,288.

NHTSA ID

11671607

Incident

Jun 23, 2025

Mileage

115,288 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message "High Temperature - Pull Over" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was consistently adding coolant to the coolant reservoir for the vehicle to return to normal operation. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11664957

Incident

Mar 4, 2025

Mileage

80,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where the contact was informed that there was misfire in the engine. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The dealer recommended that the long block be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for information on NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V779000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ID

11657806

Incident

Apr 30, 2025

Mileage

81,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was white smoke coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to TSB: 19-2260; however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA ID

11645918

Incident

Mar 3, 2025

Mileage

25,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000.

NHTSA ID

11622906

Incident

Oct 28, 2024

Mileage

31,000 mi

To provide some context, I purchased my Mustang new in 2018, and it currently has 40,000 miles on it. Approximately four weeks ago, I began experiencing a "shaking" issue when cold-starting the engine, accompanied by the check-engine light turning on. I brought my vehicle into your service department, where I was informed by the service representative that the problem was related to the spark plugs. After paying $600 for what was purported to be a fix, I retrieved my car, which drove fine for about a week before the same issue recurred. The engine began shaking again, and the check-engine light reappeared. I promptly scheduled another appointment, explicitly mentioning that the problem was identical to the previous one. Upon dropping off my car, I was told that the mechanic couldn't determine the issue from the initial diagnostic. After three days without any updates, I reached out to my service representative, Jack, who then informed me that my car required an engine replacement due to a coolant leak—a problem he described as a common issue with EcoBoost engines. The cost quoted for this repair was $9,000, an amount I find exorbitant given that my car's total value is around $12,000-$13,000. My primary concern now is the nature of the engine issue. Given that this problem is apparently common with EcoBoost engines, I believe it is a manufacturing defect that should not be my financial responsibility to fix. Furthermore, during my research, I discovered recalls and class action lawsuits related to this exact issue—information that was never communicated to me by your team or at the time of purchase. Unfortunately, my vehicle is not included in these recalls. Coolant leaking into the engine will eventually make my engine overheat and potentially crack the engine. This is a manufacturing issue, and should not be my financial responsibility.

NHTSA ID

11604065

Incident

Jun 26, 2024

The overheat light came on in the car a 2017 Mustang Ecoboost with only 82,000 miles. Had the car towed to the Greenway Ford dealership in Orlando and they said that there was evidence of coolant in one of the cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The Service Advisor at the dealership said that this was a known issue with the 2.3 liter Ecoboost engine and premature engine failures. An engine overheat could be a safety hazard or create an issue if the engine failed in traffic or on the highway.

NHTSA ID

11600629

Incident

Jun 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH and making a U-turn, the engine overheated, and the vehicle stalled. There was smoke coming from the tail pipe. There was an abnormal odor of coolant in the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and noticed that the engine oil was milky, and the coolant reservoir was empty. The engine overheated, and the message “Limited Power Due to Overheating” was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact researched the failure and indicated that the failure was due to the head gasket and engine. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

NHTSA ID

11590641

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

Mileage

83,000 mi

UNKNOWN, suddenly needs a new transmission. very upsetting

NHTSA ID

11581462

Incident

Apr 12, 2023

I was driving and the vehicle jerked, the check engine came on and I immediately pulled over. The car was towed to a local mechanic who said take it to ford because this is a known issue with 6 cylinder engines. Today, ford called and said it’s a catastrophic engine failure and nothing I did. The cost to replace the engine is $10,000. My car had 97,000 miles and was always well cared for. If ford knows this is an issue, it should be a recall.

NHTSA ID

11578774

Incident

Mar 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that cylinder #1 had misfired and that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the spark plugs, and ignition coils had previously been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ID

11571674

Incident

Jan 26, 2024

Mileage

88,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, white smoke started coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test; however, the diagnostic test was not performed. A friend later informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V779000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and the contact linked the failure to the recall. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA ID

11563053

Incident

Sep 1, 2023

Mileage

15,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power while driving sluggishly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined an increased bore size for cylinder #2, which was allowing an abnormal amount of coolant to flow into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 101,000.

NHTSA ID

11553104

Incident

Jun 15, 2023

Mileage

101,000 mi

June 2022, approx. 53000 miles, misfire codes. Replaced spark plugs. Codes continued intermittently. January 2023 car was inspected due to heater inop at 61228 miles. Coolant low and misfires. No repairs, just coolant added. I topped off coolant 3X until April of 2023 at 61631 miles, white smoke and damp smell from exhaust along with continuing misfires. Dealer stated water intrusion, engine and turbo bad. No warranty, less than 50% of cost covered by manufacturer. June 2023 car was returned to me. Back at dealer 4 days later, 61691 miles, rear end shudder. Bad rear differential. Manufacturer covered less than 50% of cost. All maintenance was performed at or earlier than warranty required including rear differential service at 33283 miles with Ford.

NHTSA ID

11548832

Incident

Jun 14, 2022

I was driving at 60mph when the transmission automatically downshifted to second gear while all sport modes were OFF and T/C was ON. Car was simply on drive, and after merging onto freeway and had completely let go of the accelerator pedal the car downshifted by itself no down shifting was done by the paddles. This is the 4th time my car does this and I have to upshift as fast as possible because RPMs go up as high at 7000. i’ve made some reading and looked at some TSBs looks like this issue has happened to other owners who their vehicle is equipped with the 6R80 transmission.

NHTSA ID

11548790

Incident

Oct 6, 2023

Car leaking Freon for years causing black mold throughout the car and directly in my face for years. It’s otorless but does smell musky like black mold the technician said. Repair shop stated Freon leak but can’t locate it resulting in me losing my job from being too sick to work from black mold overgrowth in my body from this car. My son and I have brain fog, digestion issues, clumsy, sinus and throat always has mucus, fatigue and overall feeling of being unwell. This has caused my now 4 year old son and I to be in and out of the hospital for about 2 years but the last year was really bad. Ford is not acknowledging this is a problem however I found a TSB listed online. Please help me get this car fixed or help me get out of this car as it is killing us resulting in poor quality of life and life long health issues that affect our lives every day. NHTSA ID Number: 10144920 Manufacturer Communication Number: TSB 18-2256

NHTSA ID

11531665

Incident

Jan 1, 2021

My mustang with approximately 41,000 miles now needs a NEW engine ($8,100) because of these known issues with these EcoBoost engines. How come they are allowed to sell lemons to the American people??

NHTSA ID

11515600

Incident

Mar 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, he detected smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact noticed that oil was leaking from the headers. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the valve cover gasket was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts being backordered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

NHTSA ID

11493719

Incident

Nov 11, 2022

Mileage

6,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently experienced surging, hesitation, and a loss of motive power. On one occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the air compressor and battery had failed, causing two engine belts to malfunction. No further information was available. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 13,000.

NHTSA ID

11486912

Incident

Jul 28, 2022

Mileage

13,000 mi

AC COMPRESSOR AND SYSTEM FAILURE 2 TIME IN 24000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

11327071

Incident

Jun 1, 2020

Mileage

24,000 mi

THERE IS OIL LEAK FROM VALVE COVER GASKET AND S550 ECOBOOST MUSTANG AND DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT EVEN REPAIR THE CAR UNDER WARRANTY UNLESS ITS A RUNNING OIL LEAK. THERE IS MULTIPLE POST OF THIS SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

11326282

Incident

Jan 2, 2020

Mileage

49,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FORD MUSTANG. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS FUELED, IT STALLED WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PURGE VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TALLAHASSEE FORD LINCOLN (243 N MAGNOLIA DR, TALLAHASSEE, FL 32301, (850) 877-1171) WAS CALLED AND THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A CALL BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

NHTSA ID

11278634

Incident

Aug 1, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

2017 FORD MUSTANG GT PREMIUM WITH LESS THAN 20K MILES WHILE DRIVING STALLED AND ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. NO PRIOR WARNINGS, SMELLS OR LEAKS ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. I HAVE THE FIRE REPORT AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS BUT COULDN'T GET THEM TO UPLOAD.

NHTSA ID

11241377

Incident

Jun 30, 2019

Mileage

19,400 mi