2018 Ford Mustang: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
56%
103 of 188 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
56% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Ford Mustang are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 74% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
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…
ENGINE08/17/2026
2018 WITH 118,000 MILES. Had to get a full block engine replacement due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. This was diagnosed and replaced at a Ford dealership.
POWER TRAIN08/04/2026
Was driving my vehicle roughly 10-15mph after a stop, noticed vehicle wasn’t shifting into the gears properly as it was only in 2nd gear and the RPMs kept climbing, when it finally shifted into 3rd gear my transmission proceeded to lockup cause my rear tires to skid and stop in the middle of traffic and in the middle o…
Three of 103 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (4)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
Roush Performance Products, Inc. (Roush) is recalling certain aftermarket supercharger kits, part number R1318-6006P1-AA, sold for installation on 2018 Ford Mustangs. Th…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2018 Ford Mustang vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and a 12.4" digital instrument cluster. If the ignition is tur…
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic t…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2018 Ford Mustang
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
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.
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. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
