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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
9 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,268 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.

2009 Ford Mustang engine problems

engine problem

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2009 Ford Mustang Owner Comments

problem #20

Nov 052019

Mustang

  • 111,000 miles

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

My son was driving his 2009 Mustang and after stopping at a stop sign in a residential neighborhood, he slowly accelerated and the car suddenly accelerated quickly on its own. He said the gas pedal went to the floor, he tried pushing brake and it was not stopping the car. It sent him through another intersection, he engaged emergency brake to no avail. Luckily his car went through an area of soggy grass that helped slow the car down, and came to a stop by running into hedges and resting next to a brick church. He described hearing the RPM's revving up along with the sudden acceleration. He also described the steering wheel as "locking up".

- Wagoner, OK, USA

problem #19

Jun 032019

Mustang

  • 80,000 miles
Random acceleration. Backed out of parking space, put car in drive and pressed accelerator to move forward. Acceleration increased on its own. Removed foot from accelerator, pressed the brake. Acceleration continued to increase, hit the brake pedal hard.. accelerator continued to increase on its own. (couldn't stop vehicle) hit a curb and flipped the vehicle.

- Thornton, Co, CO, USA

problem #18

Mar 282017

Mustang

  • 45,000 miles
I was traveling at about 40 mph in mid morning traffic. I went through a traffic signal on a city street at which time my engine accelerated at a high RPM. I could not control the vehicle or stop it even though I had depressed the brake pedal. I did lose control of my vehicle, spun around totally my vehicle and another and then stopping against guide wire. The engine was still revving when the car stopped. No airbags deployed and I was transported by ems to the er.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

problem #17

Feb 092017

Mustang

  • 135,000 miles

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

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 of the cars for this but no idea why the Mustang was not recalled cause it used the same part as the other car. Had to get it replaced. They said if I kept driving it like that it would go into limp mode and thats very bad while driving on the highway cause that could cause a fatal accident. Not happy about this and don't understand why the Mustang would not be on the recall list for this problem. The car tachometer was racing up and down periodiclly when I bought the car but the couldn't figure out the reason and said the car was fine. I'm not sure what kind of photo you want below. I have the original part the mechanic took out of my car and I have the invoice for getting it done. Is that what you need?

- Norton, MA, USA

problem #16

Dec 212016

Mustang

  • 50,000 miles
"takata recall" I was driving my 2009 Ford Mustang on a neighborhood street 30 mph, when I turned a corner (10 mph) I attempted to honk my horn and the passenger airbag deployed, my car accelerated with a hard right straight into a dumpster damaging the drivers side of the vehicle, the drivers side airbag did not deploy. I had purchased the car 6 months before this accident and the horn had not worked, we did not know there was a recall on the airbag at this time. This accident could have killed someone because the car became uncontrollable, the impact was so forceful it bent the frame of the car the damage to the vehicle is estimated at $7000.

- Big Spring, TX, USA

problem #15

Aug 152015

Mustang

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Mustang. While driving 45 mph, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle accelerated without warning. The contact crashed into a pole. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the diagnosis was unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V319000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #14

Jul 312015

Mustang

  • 89,000 miles

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

I was driving along heading to the freeway and the car accelerator caused the car to speed up and I couldn't stop the car. I had to choose between going on the freeway or driving the car in a parking lot and into a pole to stop it.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #13

Apr 102015

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 134,020 miles
I pulled into my driveway after returning from the store. As I began to slow down to pull in the garage the car accelerated causing me to crash into the front of my garage. The brakes were locked and the car did not stop but continued to push forward. I have skid marks the whole way up my drive into my garage from the car being pushed forward by the front tires..... I will be reporting this to Ford Motor Company as their was a class action lawsuit for Ford Mustangs 2005-2010 if purchased in select states, mine being Florida, which was part of this lawsuit. (was reported in usatoday for 3/23/13) I never received any information from Ford regarding this. My car's front end and entire left driver side is destroyed as well as my garage. The accident caused my son's bike to come through my house.

- Massillon, OH, USA

problem #12

Aug 102014

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
My son was pulling the car into the garage which is a short distance from driveway into the garage. The car suddenly accelerated to a high speed. He stepped on the brake and pulled the emergency brake but the car would not slow down or stop. He rammed into a weight machine and cabinet in the garage which stopped the car. The car was put into park but the engine was still revving. There was front end damage across the entire front bumper and the air bag did not go off. This incident was reported to the Ford Motor Co and I requested an inspector to come and examine the vehicle's gas pedal, brake override and air bags for defects but they have not been very cooperative. I do not want to have just the body work done and then be put back into the car and have the situation happen again.

- Redlands, CA, USA

problem #11

Jun 162014

Mustang

  • miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph, there was an unexpected increase in acceleration. The vehicle failed to decelerate even though the brake pedal was engaged forcefully. The vehicle reduced speed after shifting numerous times from first to second gear. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the engine began to increase rpms rapidly. The vehicle was turned off and steam emitted from the radiator. There were no flames present. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the technician informed the contact that the throttle became stuck in an open position which contributed to the unintended acceleration. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

- Brea, CA, USA

problem #10

Apr 052012

Mustang

  • 25,500 miles

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

Just bought a 2009 Mustang GT on March 13th. Took it to the store, and was at a traffic light waiting for a green light. The light changed and I pulled the car out. I went from 1st to 2nd gear, and when I let off the clutch the car accelerated and continued to accelerate. I pushed hard on the brakes but it continued to gain speed. It threw me to the right lane, fortunately nobody was there, and off the edge of the road as it kept speeding up. I held the wheel tight while still continuing to try to stop the car. Before I knew it I was in a muddy ditch, and it slung me around and the rear of the car up onto the bank. The thick mud grabbed the wheels and slowed the car down enough that the front bumper was dug into the ground and the passenger side rear wheel off the ground, it finally had stopped. I am going to the dealership in the morning with the car and hope they can find the problem and fix it. We love this car and want to be able to be safe in it. Thank god my wife and children were not in it. Things could've ended badly, fortunately traffic was not around me and I wasn't injured, although due to the rough ride im sure ill be somewhat sore in the morning. Hope the problem gets solved soon, evidentially im not the only one who has had this problems.

- Bluefield, VA, USA

problem #9

Aug 022011

Mustang

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Mustang. While parked, the contact placed the gear shifter into drive and the vehicle suddenly accelerated without depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostics, where the technicians stated that the tp sensor of the throttle body needed to be replaced because it fractured. In addition, the gear kit and bearings were replaced. The metal filings from the rear axle assembly were also cleaned. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

- Woonsocket, RI, USA

problem #8

Jun 252010

Mustang

  • 33,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Mustang. While driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated as the accelerator pedal fell to the floorboard. The contact stated that the failure would occur sporadically and without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing but the dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and suggested that the vehicle be taken back to the dealer for a second diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #7

Jul 232010

Mustang

  • 35,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Mustang. The contact was driving with the cruise control activated approximately 65 mph. The cruise control was deactivated and the vehicle abnormally accelerated. The contact continuously applied the brakes but to no avail. She was able to stop the vehicle by shifting into park while the vehicle was in motion. The contact stated that the failure recurred approximately four times and the vehicle was taken to the dealer but they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Palo Pinto, TX, USA

problem #6

Nov 072010

Mustang 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,948 miles
Accelerator stuck - 2009 Ford Mustang GT - automatic transmission date of incident: Sunday, November 7, 2010 late afternoon as I depressed the accelerator pedal, the car continued to accelerate after leaving my foot off the pedal and the throttle remained open. I applied my brakes upon realizing the throttle was stuck. I attempted to slow the car down (braking only) before reaching the intersection. The engine continued revving at a high level (as I can best recall) between 3500 and 4000 RPM for what seemed to be about 5 seconds. Luckily, I came to almost a complete stop before entering the main highway as the engine speed was still pulling the car forward with the brake pedal fully depressed. Thankfully, no accident occurred and no one was hurt or injured. The car then returned to a normal idle speed and I drove home without further incident. Note: The tcs (traction control system) was turned off this date, which was something that I had not done in the past during operation of the vehicle. I contacted my local Ford dealer and took the vehicle into their service department to investigate this safety issue. I was told they were not familiar with this complaint and that I was the first. A service tech went over the vehicle and could not find any codes or problems during a test drive (4 miles). Besides the dealership, I reported the incident to Ford customer service as I hoped this was something that can be corrected as this could have resulted in a serious accident. 11/12/10 call returned from a regional Ford customer service representative. I offered to let Ford have the vehicle for investigation over the winter months. I have not had another similar incident, but have only driven the vehicle for about 50 miles.

- Duncansville, PA, USA

problem #5

Mar 042010

Mustang

  • 6,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Mustang. The contact was driving 55 mph when her vehicle immediately began to accelerate on it's own. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated over 100 mph. When the vehicle made a roaring noise she thought that her cruise control was engaged. She continued to apply the emergency brake yet, the vehicle would not stop. The driver also placed both feet on the brake pedal and the vehicle continued to accelerate. The vehicle continued to increase in speed whenever she took her foot off of the brake pedal. The dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The current and failure mileages were 6,000.

- Bishop, TX, USA

problem #4

Jun 152009

Mustang

  • miles
I rented a car from thrifty in seattle, and was assigned an almost new Mustang. I found it extremely difficult to brake with my left foot without also hitting the accelerator. The pedals were very close and almost same height. I considered the car undriveable. I exchanged it asap, no surprise to thrifty.

- Granite City, IL, USA

problem #3

Oct 242009

Mustang

  • miles
Ford Mustang rented at tucson airport on Oct. 24, 2009, 3 times when stopping at red light, after applying the brake, the car's engine started to rev and accelerate into traffic. I could not stop the car, screamed, pulled up the emergency brake and put the car into park until the light changed. Absolutely unacceptable, budget picked up the car at a gas station and brought me another rental, unfortunately it was another Ford Mustang. Stopping to pull into an angled parking space, applied the brake on the second car, guess what, it happened again. Car's engine revved and car accelerated into the curb, stood on the brake pedal, nothing happened. Pulled up the emergency brake and put car into park. Returned the car to the rental at the airport, the manager blew me off, no one cares until there's a death. Ford has not responded and this is my second request for a response from your office. Perhaps, the same manufacturer is making the parts for Ford as on the Toyota. One does need to look into this. My husband was sitting next to me in the driver's seat in all incidents, we are appalled. Several major accidents were avoided here, I need a response.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #2

Jan 162010

Mustang

  • miles
2009 Ford Mustang gaining speed up to 100 mph acted like cruise control problem Ford dealer checked it out (conclusion) no problems found.

- Harriman, TN, USA

problem #1

Jan 222010

Mustang

  • 1,900 miles
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 pedal. The failure mileage was 1900.

- Lancaster, NY, USA

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