U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Ford MUSTANG problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

181 owner complaints analyzed

5 distinct recall campaigns

40,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 72 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 133 of 181 complaints (73.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	18	9.9%
Transmission and shifting	8	4.4%
Electrical and battery issues	5	2.8%
Steering behavior	4	2.2%
Engine operation	2	1.1%

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

133

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Service Brakes

Power Train

Suspension

Unknown Or Other

Engine

Air Bags: 133; Vehicle Speed Control: 21; Electrical System: 6; Service Brakes: 5; Power Train: 4; Suspension: 4; Unknown Or Other: 4; Engine: 3

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: 22; 25,000 to 49,999: 24; 50,000 to 74,999: 9; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 10; 150,000 and above: 1

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (24). 109 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.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2022

2023

2009: 8; 2010: 11; 2011: 6; 2012: 4; 2013: 2; 2014: 5; 2015: 17; 2016: 33; 2017: 61; 2018: 23; 2019: 5; 2020: 3; 2022: 2; 2023: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 18 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 8 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 5 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 10294318 · 2009-12-02 (December 2, 2009)

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH AND TRYING TO EVADE A DRIVER WHO RAN A STOP SIGN, I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES OF MY 2009 FORD MUSTANG GT. EVEN THOUGH MY VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS), THE BRAKES DID LOCK AND THE CAR SKID LEAVING TIRE MARKS FOR SEVERAL FEET. I HAVE OWNED VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ABS FOR AT LEAST THE PAST 15 YEARS AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BRAKE BEHAVIOR ACROSS ANY OF THOSE VEHICLES AS I DID TODAY.*TR

Owner-reported narrative. 5,822 miles reported. Look up ODI 10294318 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10302146 · 2010-01-25 (January 25, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD MUSTANG. THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED THROUGH THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE ALSO ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE IS RELATED TO THE CURRENT TOYOTA RECALL WITH THE STICKY P…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10302146 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10279300 · 2009-08-04 (August 4, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD MUSTANG. WHILE SHIFTING FROM THIRD INTO FOURTH GEAR, THE RPMS SUDDENLY SURGED ALL THE WAY UP, DECREASED TO 6,000 RPMS, AND FINALLY SURGED ALL THE WAY BACK UP AGAIN. THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 1,000. UPDATED 12/07/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK ON THE FLOOR MAT. UPDATED 12/08/09

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10279300 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10363612 · 2010-11-01 (November 1, 2010)

CLUTCH FAILURE ON MY 2009 FORD MUSTANG GT500 - AT 18,000 MILES THE CLUTCH BEGAN TO SLIP WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I TOOK THE CAR TO M PURCHASING DEALER AND REQUESTED A DIAGNOSTIC, THEY INDEED CONFIRMED THAT THE CAR EXHIBITED THE PROBLEM BUT INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS A WEAR ITEM WITH ONLY A 12 MS/12K WARRANTY. FORD HAS ISSUED A TSB ON THE CLUTCH AND ITS FLYWHEEL INDICATING THAT HEAVY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WILL WARP THE FLYWHEEL AND IN TURN RUIN THE CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION. FORD DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM (IDENTIFIED IN THE TSB,NHTSA 10032615 - TSB…

Owner-reported narrative. 18,427 miles reported. Look up ODI 10363612 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10383998 · 2011-02-22 (February 22, 2011)

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. MY VEHICLE (WHICH I PURCHASED NEW IN JUNE 2010) HAS BEEN TO THE FORD DEALER SEVEN TIME IN AN ATTEMPT TO REPAIR AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE FORD TECH'S HAVE DETERMINED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL RECOVERY SYSTEM HOWEVER THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPAIR. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN MY VEHICLE SINCE I PICKED IT UP THE END OF JAN. 2011 AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 100 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THERE IS EITHER A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL RECOVERY SYSTEM AS THE FORD TECH'S. SAY THE L…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,292 miles reported. Look up ODI 10383998 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10531803 · 2013-07-25 (July 25, 2013)

I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH SENSOR FAULTS PRIOR TO THE FIRST INCIDENT. AROUND MAY 22 I STARTED EXPERIENCING WATER LEAKING UNDER MY DASH BOARD FIRST WHEN I THRU A CAWASH. THEN IT RAINED AND WATER CAME AGAIN. THE TIRE PRESSURE FAULT AGAIN CAME ON AND I WAS OVER DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE SO I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE TECH ADVISED ME TO GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND ADVISED ME THE LEAK WAS A DEFROST EVAPORATOR AND THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR WAS BAD AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY IF EXTENDED. HE SAID I NEEDED TO SET UP AN APPOINTMEN…

Owner-reported narrative. 43,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10531803 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10322464 · 2010-03-27 (March 27, 2010)

2009 MUSTANG GT STEERING WHEEL MAKE NOISE WHEN DRIVING SLOW, SUCH AS DURING PARKING. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER BUT THEY SAY THEY DONT KNOW WHY. I AM CONCERN THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFTEY ISSUE, E.G. STEERING STUCK DURING DRIVING OR STEERING WHEEL OUT OF CONTROL. THANK YOU

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10322464 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10475653 · 2012-09-17 (September 17, 2012)

MY 2009 MUSTANG 6CID, WHEN DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE IN AN UP AND DOWN MOTION. THEN IT STARTED TO BECOME LOOSE IN A SIDE TO SIDE MOTION TO A LESS OF A DEGREE THAN THE UP AND DOWN MOTION. SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND BY THE TIME I ARRIVED THERE IT HAD GOTTEN WORSE! THEY REPLACED THE STEERING WHEEL ON WARRANTY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10475653 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10865579 · 2016-05-18 (May 18, 2016)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND OVERHEATED. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 37,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10865579 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10954867 · 2017-02-15 (February 15, 2017)

MY CAR STALLED A FEW TIMES WHEN I STOPPED AT STOP SIGNS THEN IT DIDNT HAPPEN AGAIN FOR A FEW WEEKS. THIS TIME I WAS RUNNING INTO DUNKINS TO GET A COFFEE SHUT THE CAR OFF CAME OUT 2 MIN LATER STARTED THE CAR WENT TO DRIVE AWAY AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. SHUT OFF CAR WAITED A MIN RESTARTED IT AND NO PROBLEM DROVE ON. A FEW DAYS LATER SAME THING RAN IN STORE CAME OUT AND IT DID IT AGAIN. BROUGHT IT TO A MECHANIC HE HOOKED IT UP TOLD ME IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. HE TOLD ME FORD HAD RECALLS ON MANY…

Owner-reported narrative. 135,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10954867 at NHTSA ↗