YearToAvoid

2009 Ford Mustang Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2009 Ford Mustang has a complaint index of 50, ranking 11th out of 21 model years, and carries a Caution verdict. Airbags account for 75% of complaints, with 5 recalls on file including 4 do-not-drive campaigns.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
50/100
#11 of 21 Mustang years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
181
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
4 Do Not Drive
Crashes
17
reported in complaints
Fires
2
Injuries
7
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2019
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
18
15 city / 23 hwy
Injuries / deaths
7 / 0

Top 2009 Ford Mustang problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags135 (75%)
  2. Engine24 (13%)
  3. Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (5%)
  4. Brakes8 (4%)
  5. Electrical System8 (4%)
  6. Structure & Body7 (4%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain7 (4%)
  8. Other6 (3%)
  9. Steering3 (2%)
  10. Fuel System2 (1%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Some drivers describe sudden unintended acceleration where the engine revs high and the vehicle won't slow down even with the brake pedal depressed.
  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed frontal or side-impact crashes, sometimes resulting in injury.
  • Several complaints describe the vehicle surging or lunging forward unexpectedly while parking or pulling into a garage, causing a collision.
  • Brake-related reports describe the pedal being pressed but the car continuing forward without slowing, in some cases at higher mileage.
  • One report describes the clutch being released in low gear followed by unexpected acceleration that the brakes could not overcome.
2009 Ford Mustang complaints: complaints filed per quarter372009 Q12010 Q42013 Q12015 Q22016 Q42018 Q22020 Q1
181 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q1 to 2023 Q4; peak 2017 Q4 (37).

2009 Ford Mustang recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V081000Feb 16, 2021Airbags1,067 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal

    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 vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

  2. NHTSA 18V046000Jan 11, 2018Airbags327,796 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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 Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge, Fusion, Mustang and Ranger, Lincoln MKX and Zephyr/MKZ, and Mercury Milan vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2009 Ford Edge, Fusion, Mustang and Ranger, Lincoln MKX and Zephyr/MKZ, and Mercury Milan vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

  3. NHTSA 17V024000Jan 10, 2017Airbags654,695 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

See all 5 recalls for the 2009 Ford Mustang →

2009 Ford Mustang fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
23 MPG
Combined
18 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,600
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2009 compared with other Mustang years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Avoid1006155 !18
2008Caution603475 !18
2009Caution501815 !18
2010Caution652615 !19
2011Avoid954664 !21

All Ford Mustang years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Ford Mustang reliable?
NHTSA data shows a complaint index of 50 for the 2009 Mustang, giving it a Caution verdict. It ranks 11th out of 21 model years, better than years like 2005 and 2007 but worse than 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
What is the main problem with the 2009 Ford Mustang?
Airbags are the top problem area, making up 75% of complaints (135 of 181), with a median mileage at failure of 45,000 miles. These complaints include 11 crashes and 1 fire.
Does the 2009 Ford Mustang have a recall?
Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2009 Mustang, all related to airbags, and 4 of them are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2009 Mustang compare to other years?
Its complaint index of 50 is lower than 2005 (85), 2007 (100), and 2011 (95), all rated Avoid, but higher than newer years such as 2019 (20) and 2021 (15), which are rated Best.
What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Ford Mustang?
EPA rates the 2009 Mustang at 18 mpg combined (15 city / 23 highway), with an annual fuel cost of $3,600.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.