IllustrationTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON JUNE 4, 2010, WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED, THE ANTIFREEZE SPILLED AND HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 136,000.
1996 Ford Mustang
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Mustang years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Ford Mustang are substantially higher than the model-year median of 81.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Mustang years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 26 of 246 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 82 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports6 fire reports13 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
82 reportsCHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF EVEN AFTER SERVICE. *TR
CONSUMER 1996 FORD MUSTANG INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. *TS THE CONSUMER FELT THAT FORD SHOULD COVER THE ENTIRE COST OF REPAIR PLUS THE MONIES SPENT ON BORROWING VEHICLES TO GET TO WORK. *SC
96 MUSTANG OVERHEATING DUE TO CRACKED INTAKE. DEALER WILL NOT FIX UNLESS I PAY. THERE WAS ONCE A RECALL THAT I WAS NEVER AWARE OF. I NEED MY CAR FIXED.
1996 FORD MUSTANG REPLACEMENT OF THE HEAD GASKET AND RADIATOR.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR WHILE DRIVING ON A TRECHEROUS MOUNTAIN ROAD THE HEAD GASKET FAILED AND THE RADIATOR SPLIT. *NM
I HAVE 96 MUSTANG GT, AT 21000 MILES INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED IN THE REAR , FORD REPLACED FOR FREE, NOW AT 79000K THE INTAKE HAS CRACKED AGAIN IN THE FRONT , THE FIRST TIME I WAS TOLD IT WAS A SILENT RECALL, BEFORE I GO BACK TO FORD, AGAIN DOES FORD HAVE TO FIX IT OR DO I? *JB
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. ANTIFREEZE STARTED TO POUR OUT OF THE MUFFLER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BLEW. THIS PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY ANTIFREEZE LEAKING FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. SMOKE STARTED TO ACCUMULATE INSIDE THE VEHICLE FROM THE A/C VENTS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *NM
OUR FAMILY HAS THREE 1996 MUSTANGS, ONE WITH A MANUAL AND TWO WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. WE HAVE HAD ALL THREE OF THEM BLOW THE HEAD GASKET ON THEM, ONE AT A YEAR, ONE AT THREE YEARS, AND ONE AT FOUR YEARS. NOW, I HAVE FOUND OUT RECENTLY THAT FORD OFFERED A FREE REPLACEMENT ON THE GASKETS, FOR AN EXTENDED 7 YEARS, AND WOULD…
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OUR FAMILY HAS THREE 1996 MUSTANGS, ONE WITH A MANUAL AND TWO WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. WE HAVE HAD ALL THREE OF THEM BLOW THE HEAD GASKET ON THEM, ONE AT A YEAR, ONE AT THREE YEARS, AND ONE AT FOUR YEARS. NOW, I HAVE FOUND OUT RECENTLY THAT FORD OFFERED A FREE REPLACEMENT ON THE GASKETS, FOR AN EXTENDED 7 YEARS, AND WOULD LIKE TO WARN OTHERS THAT THEY ARE VERY LIKELY TO GO OUT, AND TO LET THEM KNOW TO "REMIND" THE FORD DEALER ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I PAID TO REPLACE THREE OF THEM, AND FEEL THAT THE FORD DEALER SHOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO THE FACT THAT THEY WERE UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEREFORE NOT CHARGED ME. *AK
I HAVE A 1996 FORD MUSTANG LX. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AT NIGHT AND I HAD IT ON CRUISE CONTROL AND IT BLEW UP.I TOOK CARE OF MY CAR AND CHECKED THE ENGINE AND THE ANTIFREEZE BEFORE I LEAVE MY HOUSE.I GAVE MY CAR A 15 MINUTE WARM UP PERIOD BEFORE I LEAVE MY HOUSE.THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND BLEW UP DUE TO FAULTY ENGINE GASKET. I HAVE …
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I HAVE A 1996 FORD MUSTANG LX. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AT NIGHT AND I HAD IT ON CRUISE CONTROL AND IT BLEW UP.I TOOK CARE OF MY CAR AND CHECKED THE ENGINE AND THE ANTIFREEZE BEFORE I LEAVE MY HOUSE.I GAVE MY CAR A 15 MINUTE WARM UP PERIOD BEFORE I LEAVE MY HOUSE.THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND BLEW UP DUE TO FAULTY ENGINE GASKET. I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE STARTER,THE WATER PUMP(2X), RADIATOR, AND PISTONS BECAUSE OF THAT. I AM VERY MAD AT FORD AND I TOLD THEM SO IN DEARBORN MI. I WILL NOT BUY A FORD IN THE FUTURE AND I TELL EVERYONE THAT ASKS ME ABOUT MY BAD EXPERIENCE W/ THIS CAR AND I TELL THEM TO NOT BUY FORD CARS OR TRUCKS. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS.
Official recalls
301V318000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Oct 3, 2001
EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MODULE REPLACED AFTER APRIL 5, 2000. THE REPLACEMENT DRIVER'S AIR BAG MODULE INFLATOR MAY HAVE INSUFFICIENT WELDS THAT COULD PREVENT PROPER INFLATION OF THE AIR BAG.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MAY NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN LESS THAN THE INTENDED LEVEL OF OCCUPANT PROTECTION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN OCTOBER 5, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
00V349000 · Parking Brake:conventional
Oct 30, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. IF A VEHICLE IS PARKED WITH THE PARKING BRAKE NOT FULLY APPLIED AND NOT IN FIRST GEAR, AS DIRECTED IN THE OWNER GUIDE, AND THE SELF ADJUSTMENT PAWL SUBSEQUENTLY SKIPS ONE OR TWO TEETH, THE VEHICLE COULD MOVE ON SOME GRADES.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT AND A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE PARKING BRAKE CONTROL AND INSTALL A PLATE OR OVER-BRACKET TO THE CONTROL TO LOCK THE SELF ADJUST MECHANISM IN POSITION FOLLOWING ADJUSTMENT.
97V180000 · Structure:body:hood
Oct 20, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS. TEARING OF THE BOND BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER HOOD PANELS DURING MINOR FRONT END COLLISIONS CAN RESULT IN A GAP AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HOOD. AIR FORCED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER PANELS CAN PRODUCE ENOUGH PRESSURE TO FORCE THE OUTER PANEL UPWARD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN TOTAL SEPARATION OF THE OUTER HOOD PANEL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE HOOD AREA FOR ANY DAMAGE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HOOD. IF THERE IS ANY EVIDENCE OF BOND SEPARATION, THE HOOD WILL BE REPLACED. IF THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF BOND SEPARATION, ADDITIONAL ADHESIVE WILL BE APPLIED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER HOOD PANELS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
3PE99002 · Front Brake Hose
Opened Jan 11, 1999 · Closed Jun 30, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
EA97018 · Outer Hood Panel Detachment
Opened Sep 30, 1997 · Closed Oct 22, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available
PE97011 · Outer Hood Panel Detachment
Opened Mar 13, 1997 · Closed Sep 30, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION HAS RECEIVED 6 REPORTS INDICATING THE OUTER HOOD PANEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLES AS THEY WERE BEING DRIVEN.FORD HAS PROVIDE 39 ADDITIONAL REPORTS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH ODI REPORTS.FORD INDICATES THAT THE LIKELY CAUSE IS PRIOR COLLISION DAMAGE.THIS INVESTIGATION IS BEING UPGRADED TO FURTHER STUDY THIS ISSUE.