Problems · by component

2016 Ford Mustang power train problems

29 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Mustang cite power train, 8% of all 380 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
29
8% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“At about 75k miles my mustang started misfiring at about 2,500 rpm’s and higher. Turns out it was a blown head gasket. This engine model is prone to what happened to it. Ford should have a recall for these engine and a solution as they’re ticking time bombs. I wish I could drive with the peace of mind of not worrying about it. I couldn’t drive my car for months because of the warranty not even wanting to cover it. The warranty from the used car dealership. Got unlucky.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 1, 2026Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11714747
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and shifting gear, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall and referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 23, 2023Power trainODI 11540262
“2016 Ford Mustang V6 This is EXTREMELY concerning as it's a SAFETY issue losing power features while the vehicle is in motion. While driving the car provides an error message with a wrench sign/icon stating the transmission is not in Park, then it proceeds to shut down the car leaving us without power steering. The car need stopped, move the transmission to Park, and start the engine. Doing this clears the warning and you are able to drive the car without any problem. The two incidents occurrences were about 1 or 2 months apart. Below link shows other people having the same issue [XXX]”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 27, 2023Steering, Power train, EngineODI 11534722
“The new purge valve is faulty in my car. It has been replaced once in 2017, and another time in 2022 (possibly 2021), due to a total engine rebuild under powertrain warranty. This valve is a known common issue on online forums. For the model cars 2018 and 2019, this is an open recall. I strongly believe this should be investigated. In the past, this faulty valve caused my car to stall and die on a busy road. Both Ford customer service and the dealer have given me conflicting information whether or not this part is covered under emissions warranty, causing a headache. The dealer stated that if given a sequence of codes, the dealer has been instructed by Ford to replace the part for free. This indicates that Ford is aware of the common hazard that the faulty purge valve is causing. Considering this part is less than 2 years old, it should at least be covered by the 2 year emissions warranty. However, I believe others, like me, have suffered the nuisance and safety risk of this faulty part, and have paid unnecessary expenses due to Ford's negligence to address this known issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 17, 2023Power train, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11527518
“When putting the manual transmission in gear (1-5 and R) the transmission makes a clunk noise. The noise appeared when the car was less than one year old. Also experienced a few gear clash during shifting while clutch properly disengaged.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 18, 2022Power trainODI 11474411
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shifted out of gear and loss motive power. The “Vehicle Not in Park" message was displayed and the service warning light illuminated. The contact engaged the manual transmission and was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 15, 2022Power trainODI 11460909

Showing 6 of 29 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.