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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 2
Average Mileage:
44,834 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Ford Mustang engine problems

engine problem

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2006 Ford Mustang Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #31

Nov 202014

Mustang

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car suddenly went into limp mode, no reason. Just started it up one day and it just did not want to move. No one knows how to get it out of the mode. Many mechanics have tried with no luck. Now a mechanic says I have a faulty computer. 3 years of it acting this way.. computer diagnosis showed many things messed up, even after replacing all of those (and I am sure some were uneeded) the car is still in limp mode, has no power at all and has been basically down for 3 years. Beautiful lawn ornament but it being all I have left of my late husband, I'm not happy it just sits there. No mechanic wants to even touch it!

- Modesto, CA, USA

problem #30

Oct 312013

Mustang

  • miles
PCM module/crash data report says that the throttle position sensor went to 100% with accelerator at 60% and then the throttle stayed wide open until accelerator pedal was released to approx 23% percent. Why is there a 40% difference in the PCM data from accelerator pedal position to the throttle position. At the trial a guy from Ford said this is normal and the throttle is designed this way. My husband is now on his way to prison. Is this true and can anyone help or advise us.

- Oak Harbor, WA, USA

problem #29

Nov 192012

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 29,000 miles
Some years prior to this incident, the cruise control would cause pulling of the car. What I mean by this is that the vehicle would pull forward as if someone were towing it from the front. This would take place after the cruise control had been used minutes or hours prior to the vehicle being shut off. Once the car was turned on again, even an hour later, would cause the car to maintain its speed (usually 10 mph or 15 mph) until the brake was pressed even though the cruise control wasn't activated. This was supposedly "fixed" by Ford through a $600 "repair" of the "computer" that controls the throttle (I have documentation to support this repair). I was unaware of this site. So now I am reporting the following terrifying incident. This 2006 Ford Mustang, about 2 years prior, had its cruise control on when all of a sudden the vehicle accelerated from 40 or 50 mph to 60 to 70 mph. The brake slowed the car but the revving was out of control. Luckily I was on an open highway around 10pm but had to drive into a gas station (luckily nothing happened) and slammed on the brakes as the engine revved hitting the upper rpms. I had to shut off the car with the ignition (leaving it in the park gear and pressing the brake, mind you!) and when turned on the car again (now in park), the car again, dangerously revved. I thought the engine was going to blow out. I shut off the car again, parked still at the entrance of this gas station. I waited some minutes and turned the car on again, sweating profusely as you can imagine, and the car was completely normal. I was convinced this had to do with the cruise control. I had aaa tow the car home and the next day I took it to Ford who claimed they had never heard of such a thing. They checked the computer again and gave it an "update". I never used the cruise control again as you can imagine and no problems with the rpms or acceleration.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

problem #28

Jul 012014

Mustang 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2006 Ford Mustang. Consumer writes in regards to acceleration problems. The consumer stated on several occasions, the accelerator pedal independently engaged without contact, causing an extremely dangerous condition. Even after putting the vehicle in neutral, park or applying the parking brake, the engine continued to rev. On two occasions, it occurred at a stop sign, where the vehicle would not stop causing her to drive through the stop sign. The consumer also had a problem with the vehicle not responding when attempting to accelerate. Her daughter was driving when the incident occurred.

- Smithtown, NY, USA

problem #27

May 262014

Mustang

  • 164,000 miles
Was driving into a convenience store parking lot, car suddenly started to accelerate, immediately tried to apply the brakes, did no good, slammed the car into park. (RPM's were really racing high) very scary. Was only 10-15 feet from going through the store!!!!! we have now experienced sudden acceleration on 3 separate occasions going back 5 years. We are the original owners of the car and have not received any recall notices. Help!

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #26

May 192014

Mustang

  • 25,370 miles
The contacts owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. The owner stated while driving 45 mph the vehicle stalled, and while trying to apply the brakes the vehicle wouldn't stop, and it continued to accelerate. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer informed the contact that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The failure and current mileage were 25,370.

- Plainfield , IL, USA

problem #25

Feb 242014

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 74,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On Monday February 24 2014 at around 12:45pm, I was on my way home from work. I was sitting in my 2006 Ford Mustang GT in bumper to bumper traffic due to construction on the grand central parkway(queens NY) heading towards the van wyck expressway(East to brooklyn NY). As traffic started to move up slowly, I had pressed on the gas pedal to move forward and without hesitation the car jumps from 7 mph to full throttle. Even when I had applied the brakes ( I felt the brakes on the rotors but it didn't stop) the vehicle had stayed stuck on full throttle and had struck the vehicle in front of me. It bounced off the 1st vehicle and it was at this point I had placed both feet on the brakes, to the point where I was standing on them with my head hitting the roof of the car. The car proceeded on (still in full throttle and brakes applied) and smashed in between two other vehicles further up and after that collision thats when the car finally had came to a stop. I never heard or seen any vehicle take off on its own like that. Two days after the accident I had asked around on facebook on several Mustang enthusiast/club pages and no one has heard of this happening. A week later my insurance company totaled out my vehicle and left me with no car and now I'm left to pay $3000 dollars difference on my loan and $500 to my insurance company. I also asked on Ford's facebook page and I was given a number from a customer relations representative. I had called Ford and they said they never heard of this and "what will I like to do with this?". a friend of mine told me about car complaints.com and I came across more than 20 complaints for the same problem. I also was told recently to check this website to file a complaint. I loved that car and that whole situation left me depressed and frustrated.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #24

Apr 242013

Mustang

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the engine stalled as the electronic throttle control warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle restarted on the first attempt and resumed normally. The failure recurred on seven separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was unable to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 76,000.

- Bristol, TN, USA

problem #23

Feb 222014

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 126,600 miles
I was stopped completely. The traffic light changed to green in the intersection. I pressed the accelerator and it went all the way to the floor and stayed there. I flew thru the intersection at top speed with the brake pushed as hard as I could with no deceleration at all. I traveled approximately 150 yards wide open. I stomped the gas pedal and tried to get it to release with no luck. I finally turned the ignition off and jumped a curb to get it stopped just before I would have rear-ended a vehicle in front of me. Flat spotted 2 brand new front tires. It was terrifying! it cost me $721.32 to get the throttle body replaced. After I got home I google Ford acceleration problems and discovered there is a class action suit in 30 states against Ford for the same thing that happened to me. This problem needs to be corrected and I need a refund from Ford for the defective throttle body and 2 new tires.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #22

Apr 152013

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 51,000 miles
I own a 2006 Mustang GT which currently has 64,000 miles. The gas pedal/throttle response symptoms I'm experiencing are; a significant lag occurs upon pressing down upon the pedal, when pressing down the gas pedal moves about 1 inch and then the electronic fuel system reacts and the car then jumps/accelerates much to rapidly to a significantly higher RPM than any initial start-from-stop reaction should be. Even more concerning are the hundreds of on-line forum reports referencing run-away Mustang throttle pedals sticking while at speed or accelerating with total loss of control of the Mustang's systems until vehicles are actually turned off. These conditions I believe represent true safety issues with the design of Ford Mustangs from 2006 on where the electronic pedal system was utilized.

- O'fallon, IL, USA

problem #21

Jul 012013

Mustang

  • 11,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I had to replace a defective throttle body due to repeated warning lights and "limp-home" mode events.

- Hayward, CA, USA

problem #20

Jun 152012

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 9,000 miles
Three times in the past two years, with vehicle at a complete stop and with foot firmly on brake pedal, the engine accelerated rapidly to full throttle. Managed to keep vehicle under control and avoided other vehicles, but it is both scary and dangerous. On June 5, took to purchasing dealership (state college Ford, pa), but their service department could find nothing wrong. Service manager told us it was impossible for this to happen as there is a triple-check system to keep this from happening. He also told me that it was happening because I had my foot on the brake and the gas pedals at the same time. I have been driving for over 45 years, currently have four vehicles, and drove professionally for 25 years. I've never had this problem with any other vehicle. Asked the service manager if there was anything else they could do, they told me no. They took it for a couple test drives and it didn't happen. Please advise. We really like this car and don't want to get rid of it, but in its current condition it is not safe.

- Howard, PA, USA

problem #19

Sep 182012

Mustang

  • 99,000 miles
This has happened before about a year ago. The car accelerates on its own. I can take my foot off the gas and it goes by itself--no cruise is not broken or on --that was test. RPM then jump up to about 4000. This is a serious safety issue Ford needs to take care of before someone gets killed.

- Stowe, PA, USA

problem #18

Aug 092012

Mustang

  • miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the engine stalled and the electronic throttle control warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle restarted on the first attempt and resumed normally. The failure occurred on three separate occasions. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The failure mileage and VIN were not available.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #17

Jul 282012

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 77,000 miles
Traveling to temple, Texas to visit mom for her birthday; I set my cruise at 70 mph as usual while traveling. I approached a slow moving vehicle, slowed down to make sure there was no one coming, turned my signal on and touched the gas pedal to increase speed. When I passed the vehicle and got back in my lane, my car continued to gain speed and was quickly up to 85 mph and increasing. I touched the brakes to slow it down and they would not hold or slow down the vehicle.I was terrified knowing there are a lot of curves on that particular road and possibly no way to avoid hitting someone. I looked for the safest place to pull over and saw an empty church parking lot and hoped I could get the car stopped in that area. By this time, I was applying the brakes as hard as I could, I managed to get it there but not before hitting a historical marker and snapping it off at the bottom. The impact seemed to slow me a little bit and I guided it between two big trees and managed to get the speed down to about 40 mph, slammed the gear shift in park while the engine was still racing and turned the key off. I waited about 5 or ten minutes and started the car and the engine was still racing at a very high rate of speed. I tried to start it again in a few minutes and the engine was still racing; I turned it off, called someone to come get me and called a wrecker to pick up the car. This was the most terrifying experience I had ever had in my 46 years of being licensed to drive a vehicle!

- Bryan, TX, USA

problem #16

Jul 172012

Mustang

  • 36,900 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. While driving approximately 55 mph, the throttle became stuck and the vehicle increased acceleration abnormally. The vehicle began to travel uncontrollably through three traffic signals. The emergency brake was engaged and the contact then crashed into a tree. The contact and a passenger were able to exit the vehicle but were both severely injured. The vehicle then ignited into flames. The fire department extinguished the fire and informed the contact that the fire originated from the engine compartment. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 36,900.

- Mcfarland, WI, USA

problem #15

Mar 182012

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 91,000 miles
My wife was pulling into a parking space--I was in the car as well. About half way into the parking spot, the engine suddenly began reving and the car jumped forward causing a head on collision with the truck in front of us.

- West Bend, WI, USA

problem #14

Dec 202011

Mustang

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,250 miles
Driving my 2006 automatic transmission Mustang scs on the freeway and accelerated to pass a car when the throttle went to the floor and became stuck. I had intended to accelerate from about 65 to 70. I tried to brake and this prevented me from speeding up past 85 but did not stop the car or even slow it down. The throttle was completely stuck. This lasted for about 12 - 15 seconds and then released on its own. Floor mats were not in the way at all; the first thing I checked. Plus, I'd been driving perfectly fine up to that point and did not in any way shirt the mats around while driving. There are a lot of posts about this if you google "2006 Mustang accelerator stuck". I hope that Ford will finally be accountable.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #13

Aug 252010

Mustang

  • 51,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Mustang. While driving less than 5 mph on a gravel road surface, the contact attempted to park the vehicle. The brakes were engaged, and the engine revved excessively high with an unintended acceleration causing the tires to spin. The vehicle would not slow down and the gear selector was shifted into "park". the acceleration failure continued. The vehicle came to a complete stop when the engine was turned off. The contact waited a few moments and resumed operation. During the travel the speed rate increased to 100 mph unexpectedly. The vehicle slowed down after repeated application to the brakes. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis where no trouble codes were detected. The technician was unable to duplicate the problem. The contact had significant concern pertaining to the safety defect and feared driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

- Mulberry, FL, USA

problem #12

Mar 152010

Mustang

  • 12,500 miles
March 2010, just driving down the road and came to a stop sign, car died. Everything seemed fine until recently, July 2010, when the car stalled about 5-6 times while I was trying to cross the road in traffic. I had 2 people nearly run into me before I could actually get it pulled over to the side. Then, it wouldn't start back up with me. I had to let it set for a few mins, tried again and it finally started back up. Had it diagnosed at the Ford dealership, and there is a throttle body issue, needs to be replaced. There is no rhyme or reason to when this happens. I have not had it replaced bec I am on unemployment and do not have the money right now. I need my car for interviews and a job when I finally find one. :(

- Rock Hill, SC, USA

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