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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,608 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.

2018 Ford Mustang engine problems

engine problem

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2018 Ford Mustang Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #21

Feb 182023

Mustang

  • 88,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the purge valve was replaced due to a cylinder #3 misfire; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a second independent mechanic, where the fuel pressure sensor was replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the fuel injector needed to be replaced due to a cylinder #2 misfire. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

- Goose Creek, SC, USA

problem #20

Mar 222023

Mustang

  • 53,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating. The contact then became aware that coolant was leaking out of the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him that either the head gasket was blown or there was a hairline fracture in the engine block or the cylinder head. The contact then called the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was covered under warranty and referred him to the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where he was then informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

- Greenville, MS, USA

problem #19

May 242022

Mustang

  • miles
My engine started knocking/ticking at around 6,000 miles, shortly after my first oil change. I was aware of the knocking issies, thanks to numerous youtube videos, before i even recieved my special order mustang so i made sure to use the same oil and filter that originally came with my car. Now the car has 18,500 miles on it, the knocking/ticking is getting worse and worse every year and Ford is calling the problem "normal" and refuses to do any repairs. The car has now been unsuccessfully serviced 3 times and should now be placed under the lemon law.

- Lincoln Park, NJ, USA

problem #18

Mar 102020

Mustang

  • 5,000 miles

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

So at cold start when driving withing 1800-2600 I get this rattle piston slap on the bottom of the engine. I checked fluids not low on engine oil. Once engine gets hot itll stop. However it does increase if I accelerate. It's been happening next day I got my car I realized it.

- Murray, UT, USA

problem #17

Dec 102019

Mustang

  • 30,000 miles
I bought my Ford Mustang on June 2018. When the miles hit 30,000, the engine shakes every time my vehicle starts, and my whole car shakes noticeably when idling. The exhaust gas flow from the car has obvious intermittent, meanwhile, the exhaust pipe shakes a lot, and you can clearly hear the "burst" sound or thump. In addition, my whole car has obvious jitters at low speeds of more than 2,000, and the acceleration is weak. When the speed is high you can feel a little less jittery. It is not jittery under normal operating conditions of the engine. When my auto is on D or R, it doesn't move after I release the brake. Plus, the variable box occasionally makes a strange noise and vehicle coolant does not working properly. What scares me the most is that one time I was driving on L-595 high way, my vehicle shut down automatically, I tried to restart it but failed, I was panic, I had to wait for more than 10 minutes on the high speed road to try to restart the car again. Luckily I pulled my car in the emergency lane, I can't image if it wasn't. after all those, I went to my dealer at plantation fl, they can fix for me since my car is still under coverage but I don't want get it repaired. I deeply doubt whether the repair would completely fix those issues. Please help and advice if I can get my car recalled? I was looking for a car that I always wanted but not hanging by a thread.

- Davie, FL, USA

problem #16

Jan 222020

Mustang

  • 27,000 miles
At acceleration the car won't shift when needed then it'll automatically down shift and stop accelerating. The RPM gage needle bounces up & down with & with acceleration imaged speed still decreases then something catches and it'll start accelerating & RPM going to high then starts all over before finally working right.

- Huntsville, AL, USA

problem #15

Jul 012019

Mustang

  • 11,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. While the vehicle was coming to a stop with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle shook violently and stalled. The contact had to shift into park and turn off the vehicle. When the vehicle was restarted, it resumed normal operation. The contact called three dealers: Landmark Ford (located at 12000 sw 66th avenue, tigard, or 97223, 503-639-1131), dick's mackenzie Ford (located at 4151 SE tualatin valley hwy, hillsboro, or 97123, 844-424-8102), and skyline Ford (located at 2510 commercial St SE, salem, or 97302, 503-581-2411). None of the dealers could diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened case number: Cas24128956. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000.

- Salem, OR, USA

problem #14

Sep 112019

Mustang

  • 5,000 miles
I have the exact problem as NHTSA case number 11187080. I bought it new. Now has about 11000. Have taken it to two different Ford dealers and both have said that they cannot find anything wrong and it operates as it should. I plan to taken it back in again and show them the other NHTSA complaints.

- Ridgely, MD, USA

problem #13

Jul 182019

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 2,000 miles
At 60mph on the freeway, my 2018 Mustang GT with 2,000 miles on it blew the engine. Massive amounts of smoke were pouring out the exhaust pipes and from under the hood and the vehicle was violently shaking and sounder like a tin can full of nuts and bolts. Got the car to the shoulder but my wife and I were scared to death as cars were whizzing by just inches away. According to online chat rooms a number of these engines are experiencing similar failures. A bad batch was produced and Ford should have recalled them. I asked Ford to replace the car with a factory intact vehicle and they denied the request. They say all that is required of them is to fix the issue. I bought the car as a collectors item and this takes away all value as a collectors car. I offered to split the cost of getting a new one and they said no. I have suffered monetary damage on the value. It's a dangerous situation having these engines blow up. I feel fortunate to have made it through the ordeal on the freeway and its aftermath. The back wheels could easily have locked up and that would have been catastrophic.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #12

Nov 012018

Mustang

  • 2,500 miles
I have the exact same problem as NHTSA case number 11192330

- Milton, FL, USA

problem #11

May 232019

Mustang

  • 4,000 miles

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

When the engine is cold and when warm and running under 2000 RPM the engine makes a inconsistent ticking noise which can be heard while driving and at idle. This only started after the first oil change which was performed with the recommended oil.

- Manchester, MD, USA

problem #10

May 032019

Mustang

  • 20,000 miles
Purchased a 2018 Ford Mustang sport edition and twice now once at about 15,000 miles and again at 20,000 miles, I lose half my power and the orange wrench light comes on. Ford has had my car for 4 days and does not know the cause of the problem.

- Bel Air, MD, USA

problem #9

Mar 212019

Mustang

  • miles
Car has a loud ticking sound once warmed up and at idle. Also occurs when rpms are between 1500-2000. Dealer told me it's the new direct fuel injection system. Research online shows many other Mustang GT owners having the same problems and found evidence of piston slap and scoring. Dealership won't take initiative to fix or diagnose this problem. Problem also showing up on 2019 models. Ford keeps deflecting their responsibility to address this issue and dealerships will not stand behind their customers and help them. Please help bring Ford to take responsibility for this problem and fix the issue.

- San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA

problem #8

Feb 092019

Mustang

  • 6,500 miles
At certain RPM ranges the piston can be heard slapping the cylinder walls, cylinder wall scoring is present and may cause premature failure of engine. It can become worse down the road and create misfires, from no compression, also can make for a very loud engine knocking noise. I have driven a few of them and they all have the sound. Ford built the engines with too much clearance between pistons and cylinder walls. Also there is a ticking noise at idle that Ford claims is normal but people are having damages to there vehicles from this. Attached is cylinder wall scoring photos

- Summerville, SC, USA

problem #7

Jan 302019

Mustang

  • 19,500 miles
Piston slap noise from engine. Ticking and thudding noise from idle to 2500 rpms. Can hear diesel type sound inside the car when at idle. Check engine light with code P0300 for engine misfire. Car is 1 year old and has oil consumption issues. Dealer is of no help saying all these are normal. My car shut off while cruising down the highway and I lost control of brakes and steering as they were extremely hard to modulate. Ford and dealer are of no help in resolving these issues and I worry for my and my family's safety driving this car.

- Manassas, VA, USA

problem #6

Jul 312018

Mustang

  • 3,000 miles
My check engine light came on while on cruise control on the interstate going 80mph on a 75 and a few seconds after the check engine light came on, the car shut off and locked up and caused me to lose control. Car was taken to a dealership, and the entire bottom end was torn apart and a few engine components were replaced. After receiving the vehicle back from the dealership the vehicle continues to have electrical and engine problems. The car will at random times shut off while driving, main times is the freeway. Second issue is the car has loud knocking to the engine, sounds like a lifted knock, the car was taken to a dealership, and my car was next to a same year Mustang to compare sound and mine was definitely knocking compared to the other Mustang. Third issue is there is a constant squealing sound like a lose belt coming from the back side of the engine (this recently started) and the fourth issue is when I'm coming down to a stop or slowing down even without touching the breaks there is a metal clinging sound that doesn't stop until the car comes to a complete stop. The car only has 17K miles and is never abused, and has always been properly maintained.

- Laguna Hills, CA, USA

problem #5

Aug 012018

Mustang

  • 550 miles
Engine has a loud ticking sound. Sound like a slow typewriter. I have a a video with the noise.

- Waynesville, MO, USA

problem #4

Nov 282018

Mustang

  • 6,500 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. While driving, the vehicle made an abnormal clicking noise. The dealer (five star Ford, 6618 ne loop 820, North richland hills, tx 76180) and the manufacturer were contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 6,500.

- Forney, TX, USA

problem #3

Aug 152018

Mustang

  • 1,500 miles
I purchased a new 2018 Ford Mustang 2 dr 4 cyl ecoboost on July 9th 2018. On August 15, after having dinner with parents at the house, I went to visit some friends in davie and it was aprox 7:45 pm while driving on a 4 lane road divided by a median. Road has frequent speedbumps and the median has mature trees. While traveling on this road - I felt nauseous and placed both hands on the steering wheel and suddenly the road became blurry and I lost conciousness and struck a tree in the median. The car caught on fire and according to a police officer, he tried to revive me and to help me get out, however my legs were broken and injured. My right leg was broken and my left leg was badly injured. I was wearing a high boot on the left foot and no boot on the right foot in order to be able to drive comfortably. Seconds after the police officer removed me from the car, the car exploded. I believe that I was sold a defective car that leaked poisenous gases which caused me to pass out and crash I to a tree. Had it not been for the police officer, I would have died trapped in the burning car.

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

problem #2

Mar 272018

Mustang

  • 700 miles
Significant engine rattle between 2000-2500 RPM under light load. Rattle is loudest in third gear at 2200 RPM. Service technician duplicated the engine rattle and found damage to cylinders 5-8 and submitted his report along with photos to Ford. The technician recommended full engine replacement. Ford only approved a new short block.

- Corona, CA, USA

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