2018 Ford Mustang: What to check before buying

Coolant leaking into the cylinders dominates these reports, almost all on the 2.3L EcoBoost. It shows up as a rough cold start, a steady check engine light, and misfire codes such as P0300 and P0303. New plugs and GDI cleaning often fail to stop it, and dealers then recommend a full engine replacement. Several failures land between about 40,000 and 70,915 miles, and one owner quotes $12,000 for the repair. Some engines lose power or die on the highway. Other owners describe ticking or knocking, and a manual GT stalls when shifted into neutral.

Coolant getting into cylinder 1 or 3 is the recurring failure, usually leading to a dealer recommendation to replace the engine. Warning signs include a check engine light, misfire codes, an overheating message, and coolant coming out of the exhaust. Reported failure mileages run from about 23,000 to 72,212 miles. Separate reports describe an oil leak with knocking at 49,000 miles and a rear active exhaust valve rubbing the subframe, blowing a fuse and damaging its wiring.

Harsh, delayed, or slipping shifts lead these reports. Automatic cars jolt or lurch from park or reverse into drive, hesitate before moving, then jump forward. Several owners say shops traced the problem to a failed CDF drum and main control, with failures reported near 70,000 and 102,000 miles. Some computer adjustments do not last. Other reports describe the car rolling away while parked, a manual clutch pedal sticking to the floor, and rear wheels locking up while slowing. Four complaints involve crashes.

Screens going dark is the main complaint. The optional digital instrument cluster can blank out while driving, hiding speed and warning lights. The center touchscreen fails too, taking the radio, climate display, and backup camera with it, and dealers quote APIM module replacement at $740 to $1412.70. Backup camera images turn blue or black, tied in some cases to a trunk wiring harness under a recall whose parts are not yet available. Some door ajar warnings and doors unlatching while driving also land here. One crash with fire is on file.

Doors unlatching while driving fill nearly every report. The passenger door is the usual culprit, though driver doors do it as well. It happens at 70 mph on highways, at city speeds, and even over railroad tracks, sometimes while the door is locked. Wind rushes in and the door ajar chime sounds, forcing a stop. One owner notes Ford handles this through Customer Satisfaction Program 21N10 rather than a recall. Convertible rear windows that will not reseal and repeated water leaks into the rear footwell make up the rest.

The backup camera shows a black, cloudy, distorted, or no-signal image in reverse. Some owners link this to the wiring harness running to the trunk lid, which is the subject of recall 25V572, and report that repair parts are not yet available and the wait has dragged on. Other cases trace to a failed APIM module that also kills the radio, navigation, and Bluetooth, sometimes only until the car warms up. Out of warranty, that repair runs about $1,000.

Front doors unlatch or swing open while the car is moving, most often the passenger side and frequently at highway speed. The door ajar warning comes on and wind noise follows, and the driver has to pull over and slam the door. Many owners say it repeats. Reported mileages range from about 27,000 to 70,000 miles. One owner was told the coverage program, 21N10, had expired days before calling, and one dealer diagnosed a door spring needing replacement.

Power steering assist can quit suddenly with the car in motion and no warning, making the car hard to control at interstate speed. One failure came at 16523 miles, and the replacement part was on national back order. A single crash report describes the wheel turning left on its own at 63 mph before the car hit a concrete barrier. With only four complaints, this is a small but serious pattern.

Only two complaints exist, both from crashes, with four injuries reported. In one, the side air bags did not deploy when another car struck the driver side at about 30 mph, and the car was totaled. In the other, the driver attributes a fractured left leg to the air bag in two separate city crashes at 35 miles per hour. No clear pattern emerges from so few reports.