The Lane Check

Cars › Ford › Mustang › 2010

2010 Ford Mustang problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
31%
26 of 83 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2010 Ford Mustang. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 31% of relevant complaints.

Better than 68% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 178 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 10%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2010 Ford Mustang have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 26 of 83 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Ford Mustang concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (31%). For comparison, the 2011 scores 74%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
26
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
261
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
6
13 crashes · 11 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS179 · 69%
STRUCTURE17 · 7%
POWER TRAIN13 · 5%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM11 · 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL10 · 4%
SERVICE BRAKES9 · 3%

The years either side

2010
31%
26 of 261
2011
74%
249 of 466
2012
67%
210 of 469
2013
61%
74 of 271
2014
42%
48 of 359
2015
30%
110 of 437
2016
33%
117 of 378
2017
22%
53 of 265
2018
56%
105 of 193
2019
55%
80 of 149
2020
42%
47 of 120
2021
29%
115 of 402
2022
30%
56 of 188
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2010 Ford Mustang

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS07/29/20101 INJURED
BOUGHT A 2010 MUSTANG GT500 CONVERTIBLE ON FEB 18 2010. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TWO OF THE SAME ISSUES WITH PROBLEMS SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO SECOND GEAR AND FIFTH GEAR. IT IS IN THE SHOP NOW FOR THE SECOND TIME TRYING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, IN MARCH, MY VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY A CAR FROM THE REAR WITH NO AIRBAG D…

One of 26 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Ford Mustang?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2010 Ford Mustang, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

6 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal21V081000 · Feb 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module21E013000 · Feb 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V001000 · Jan 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V046000 · Jan 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module16V384000 · May 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module15V319000 · May 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2014 Mustang vehicles manufactured April 6, 2004, to June 21, 2014, and 2005-2006 GT vehicles manufactured February 20, 2004, to…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2010 Ford Mustang? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2010 Ford Mustang

Does the 2010 Ford Mustang have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 26 of 83 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Ford Mustang concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (31%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Ford Mustang?

No. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2010 Ford Mustang, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Ford Mustang years are better?

Among the Ford Mustang years we track, the 2017 (22%), the 2021 (29%) and the 2015 (30%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2010 (31%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2010 Ford Mustang?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2010 Ford Mustang shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.