The Lemon Index

All cars · Ford Mustang

2019 Ford Mustang.

The 2019 Ford Mustang is better than average by owner complaints: 48 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 65, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about electrical, it has 6 recalls, and it gets 18 to 25 mpg combined. The best Ford Mustang year is 2010.

65Lemon Index · 100 = average car

Better than average. 1.5× fewer complaints than average.

Best year 2010 · Worst year 2014

Ford Mustang
Photo shows a 2018 Ford Mustang. Vauxford, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Before you buy. What matters most for this car.

Owner complaints48first 3 years
Fuel economy18–25 mpgcombined, EPA
Crash test★★★★★NHTSA overall

Fixes owners look up most.

From 100 YouTube videos about the 2015–2023 Ford Mustang, 69.7M views. The 2019 is the same generation.

  1. Infotainment, battery & electrical777K views
    DIY - 2017/2016 Ford Mustang - How to change SmartKey Key fob Battery on Ford MustangDIY - 2017/2016 Ford Mustang - How to change SmartKey Key fob Battery on Ford MustangKey Fob Rob · 506K views · 2 videos
  2. Timing chain & engine289K views
    Watch This Guide BEFORE You Buy A 2020 Ford Mustang!Watch This Guide BEFORE You Buy A 2020 Ford Mustang!TFLnow · 289K views
  3. Windows, doors & mirrors202K views
    2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible Soft Top Open Close2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible Soft Top Open CloseLoonyGarage · 202K views

Before you buy, watch

Views show how many people looked up each fix, not how often it breaks. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.

How serious. Out of 150 owner complaints, owners reported:

3crashes
1injuries
1fires
8tows

What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.

electrical35%
transmission & drivetrain17%
engine12%
body structure10%
automatic emergency braking10%

Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.

Transmission problems in every Ford Mustang year →

When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.

half by 20K
0K50K100K150K200K

Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 3K to 54K miles on the car (55 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.

Recalls 6

  • electrical 2026

    At vehicle start-up, the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC) may not function, showing a blank display.

  • back over prevention 2025

    The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

  • back over prevention 2025

    A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.

Show all 6 recalls
  • transmission & drivetrain 2022

    The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) may broadcast an unintended faulted signal to the modules controlling the reverse camera, reverse light, and driver assist features, which may disable all of these functions.

  • transmission & drivetrain 2020

    The "Transmission Not In Park" warning message and associated chime duration are shorter than intended.

  • electrical 2019

    At vehicle start-up, the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC) may not function, showing a blank display.

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.

Check a VIN for open recalls

Problems Ford told dealers about

Ford sent dealers 184 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:

  • Some 2017-2018 F-150, 2018 Expedition/Navigator, 2018-2019 Mustang vehicles equipped with a 10R80
  • For 2010-2019 vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines, when diagnosing and/or replacing…

Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.

Safety

Stability controlStandard
Collision warningOptional
Lane departure warningOptional
NHTSA front crash test of the 2019 Ford Mustang
Front crash test · NHTSA
Crash test details
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Ford Mustang 2 DR RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Ford Mustang C RWDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★★★
Ford Mustang GT350R 2 DR RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Fuel cost and engines

About $2550–3550 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.3L 4-cyl, 5.0L 8-cyl.

In owners' words

The instrument panel, which is entirely digital with no actual dials or needles, stopped working and went totally black for a short period of time while I was driving.

2019 Ford Mustang owner · NHTSA complaint 11483344
More owner reports

when i start my car the digital dash would just be black so i cant see how fast im going at all

NHTSA complaint 11427102

Heated/cooled driver's seat stopped functioning due to a shorted or overloaded wiring harness causing a small electrical fire at the harness.

NHTSA complaint 11483347

Quick answers

Is the 2019 Ford Mustang reliable?

Yes, better than average by government complaints. It drew 1.5× fewer complaints than average filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 65; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Ford Mustang year by this measure is 2010.

What are the most common 2019 Ford Mustang problems?

In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are electrical (35%), transmission & drivetrain (17%) and engine (12%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.

How many recalls does the 2019 Ford Mustang have?

6 safety recalls (latest: electrical). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2019 Ford Mustang get?

18 to 25 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).

Is the 2019 Ford Mustang safe?

NHTSA gave it 5 out of 5 stars overall in its best tested version. Ratings differ by body style, and the full table is on the advanced page.

At what mileage do 2019 Ford Mustang problems start?

Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 3,700 and 54,800 miles. The middle report was at 20,000 miles, from 55 complaints.

Does the 2019 Ford Mustang have transmission problems?

Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 17% of its owner complaints.

How much does the 2019 Ford Mustang cost in fuel a year?

About $2550 to $3550 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.

What engines does the 2019 Ford Mustang have?

2.3L 4-cyl, 5.0L 8-cyl.

What Ford Mustang year is better than the 2019?

By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2010, 2021 and 2022.

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data