"How reliable is the 2001 Ford Mustang?"

"Based on 219 NHTSA complaints, the 2001 Ford Mustang has a median complaint mileage of 60000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL."

"What are common problems with the 2001 Ford Mustang?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2001 Ford Mustang is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL, accounting for a significant portion of the 219 total complaints filed."

2001 Ford Mustang: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 219 complaints

219

Total Complaints

60,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

33,290 25th Percentile

60,000 Median Mileage

80,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

SEAT BELTS

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

SEATS

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE COASTING OUT OF CAR WASH VEHICLE SLID ON ICE, BUMPED INTO VACUUM. AT THAT TIME, BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK THERE WAS NO NOTICABLE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE OR PLAT FORM. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE AIR BAG SYSTEM MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE TO HAVE DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT. *YH"

"WHEN DRIVING THERE IS A VIBRATION WHEN THE CAR SHIFTS INTO A HIGHER GEAR. IT DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, THERE IS A GRINDING VIBRATION. THE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN SAID " THEY ALL DO IT, THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USE TO".*AK"

"INITIALLY BRAKE PEDAL WAS STICKING THEN IT STARTED SINKING TO THE FLOOR ON APPLICATION. HAPPENED AT ALL SPEEDS AND WHILE COMING AT A STANDSTILL. DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER, BUT THE COMPONENT IS UNAVAILABLE (AND NO DATE OF POSSIBLE AVAILABILITY IS FORTHCOMING FROM FORD). THE VEHICE I..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28