U.S. public vehicle records

1999 Ford MUSTANG problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

178 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

60,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 36 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags:Frontal is the most frequently named component, appearing in 16 of 178 complaints (9.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	53	29.8%
Transmission and shifting	14	7.9%
Steering behavior	12	6.7%
Engine operation	9	5.1%
Electrical and battery issues	2	1.1%
Fuel system concerns	1	0.6%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags:Frontal

Parking Brake:Conventional

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Air Bags

Seat Belts

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Air Bags:Frontal	16
Parking Brake:Conventional	13
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	12
Vehicle Speed Control	12
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	10
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	10
Air Bags	8
Seat Belts	6

Air Bags:Frontal: 16; Parking Brake:Conventional: 13; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 12; Vehicle Speed Control: 12; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 10; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 10; Air Bags: 8; Seat Belts: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 7; 50,000 to 74,999: 13; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 6; 150,000 and above: 2

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 142 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2013

2014

2015

2018

2021

2000: 55; 2001: 52; 2002: 20; 2003: 12; 2004: 10; 2005: 6; 2006: 2; 2007: 4; 2008: 2; 2009: 1; 2010: 1; 2011: 5; 2013: 1; 2014: 2; 2015: 1; 2018: 3; 2021: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags:Frontal leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 53 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 14 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 12 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10000981 · 2003-01-12 (January 12, 2003)

DRIVING AT 75 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL. NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN SO TAPPED BRAKE PEDAL. CRUISE WOULD NOT RELEASE. HIT BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN. NO RESPONSE. POUNDED BRAKE PEDAL AND FINALLY CRUISE CANCELLED. DEALERSHIP FOUND CAUSE TO BE A BROKEN WIRE ON THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. LUCKILY HAD ROOM IN TRAFFIC TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM. NEXT STEP WAS TO HIT CRUISE OFF BUTTON.

Owner-reported narrative. 74,170 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000981 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10017900 · 2003-04-30 (April 30, 2003)

WHILE TRAVELING AT 15 MPH, THE CONSUMER HAD TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE AHEAD. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017900 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10028530 · 2003-07-17 (July 17, 2003)

25,000 MILES ON 1999 FORD MUSTANG 5-SPEED DIFFICULTLY SHIFTING INTO REVERSE - PILOT BUSHING DEFECTIVE - TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE PULLED & REPAIRED - VERY COSTLY 3 YR WARRANTY EXPIRED 4 MOS. AGO . *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10028530 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10067866 · 2004-04-26 (April 26, 2004)

I HAD A HARD TIME SHIFTING SO I BROUGHT IT IN FOR A CHECK AND AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE FOUND THIS WRONG: INPUT SHAFT RETAINER...I ALSO NEED MY CLUTCH REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THIS.*AK MY CAR ONLY HAD AROUND 25,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. THE SERVICE PERSON TOLD ME THAT THIS PART WAS INSTALLED WRONG AND HUMAN ERROR CAUSED THE PROBLEM. MY BILL WAS $751.12 AND I CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS AND THEY TOLD ME BASICALLY TOUGH LUCK. THERE IS NO WAY A TRANSMISSION SHOULD GO BAD AT 25,000 MILES. CAN YOU LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME? I ST…

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10067866 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 737638 · 2000-12-11 (December 11, 2000)

RECALL 00S33 HAVING TO DO WITH STEERING GEAR RETAINING BOLTS. STATES THIS CAN CAUSE MISALIGNMENT. BROUGHT IN TO HAVE FIXED. MY TIRES ON THE FRONT WERE BALD ON OUTSIDE. TOLD BY DEALER THIS IS CAUSED BY MISALIGNMENT. MISALIGNMENT CAUSED BY RECALL. DEALER OR FORD MOTOR CO., SHOULD PAY FOR NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT WHICH WAS CAUSED BY RECALL TO BEGIN WITH. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MY RIGHTS AND COURSE OF ACTION AS DEALER IS HEDGING ABOUT PICKING UP COST.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 737638 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 738543 · 2000-12-31 (December 31, 2000)

CAR HAS STALLED ON ME ON FOUR OCCATIONS. THREE TIMES WERE DURING TURNS AND I LOST ALL POWER (BRAKES AND STEERING). I ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE STALLING. LAST OCCURANCE WAS ON 12/30/99. IT STALLED WHENEVER MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF EARLIER INCIDENCES AND COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY CHILDREN, OTHERS, OR MYSELF COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED SINCE I HAVE NO CONTROL ONCE THE CAR STALLS. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 738543 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 733566 · 2000-10-06 (October 6, 2000)

CAR STALLS OUT WHILE IN MOTION. HAS HAPPENED TURNING A CORNER, ON A BUMPY ROAD (2" ROAD CONSTRUCTION DROP OFF), AND FOR NO APPARANT REASON. DOES NOT HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, BUT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. 2) WHEN TRYING TO PUT CAR IN REVERSE WHILE STOPPED (COMING OUT OF MY GARAGE OR A PARKING SPACE, FOR EXAMPLE) GEAR SHIFT REFUSES TO GO INTO REVERSE. PUTTING INTO FIRST DOES NOT HELP. I HAVE FOUND THAT LETTING UP ON THE CLUTCH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT WILL USUALLY LET IT GO INTO REVERSE. 3) SEATBELTS ARE MUCH TO SENSITIVE. JUST DRIVING D…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 733566 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11067021 · 2018-02-05 (February 5, 2018)

I HAVE HAVING ISSUES WITH WIRING. WIDE SHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK, MULTIPLE HEAD LIGHTS ARE OUT AND DOME LIGHT STAYS ON SOMETIMES

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11067021 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 856020 · 2000-02-02 (February 2, 2000)

NOTHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WORKS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. DEALER HAS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE INSTRUMENT PANEL. OVERDRIVE NOR TRACTION CONTROL FUNCTIONED IN THE SNOW. VEHICLE CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. *AK *ML

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 856020 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 869361 · 2000-09-01 (September 1, 2000)

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FILL GAS TANK TANK WILL NOT HOLD A FULL LEVEL OF FUEL. CONSUMER WAS PROVIDED WITH TSB INSTRUCTIONS ON REFILLING, CONSUMER NOTE WHEN FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS GAS LEAKED AT THE NASAL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 869361 at NHTSA ↗