YearToAvoid

2014 Ford Mustang Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

80/100

#4 most-complained of 16 Mustang years

The 2014 Ford Mustang has a Complaint Index of 80 and ranks 4th worst among 16 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Airbags dominate complaints (245 of 359, 68% share) with two do-not-drive recalls tied to non-deploying airbags.

Complaints
359
Recalls
3
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
30 / 1
Injuries / deaths
23 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
21
18.5 city / 27 hwy

Top 2014 Ford Mustang problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags245 (68%)
  2. Transmission & Powertrain30 (8%)
  3. Engine24 (7%)
  4. Brakes22 (6%)
  5. Steering22 (6%)
  6. Structure & Body19 (5%)
  7. Other17 (5%)
  8. Electrical System12 (3%)
  9. Fuel System11 (3%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (3%)

What owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy in moderate-to-high speed crashes, including a T-bone impact and a 70 mph collision.
  • Some airbags deploy but cause burns to the wrist and arm on contact.
  • Seat belt pretensioners fail to retract after a rear-end collision, letting the driver's face strike the steering wheel.
  • Brakes and steering reportedly cut out together while the vehicle is moving, sometimes with the battery light illuminating.
  • Steering response is delayed by several seconds at highway speed, causing the car to veer across lanes.
  • The vehicle shifts unexpectedly out of park or accessory mode, leading to unintended movement and collisions.
2014 Ford Mustang complaints: complaints filed per quarter442013 Q32015 Q12016 Q32018 Q12019 Q32021 Q12022 Q42025 Q1
416 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2016 Q4 (44).

2014 Ford Mustang recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

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

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    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 19V001000Jan 7, 2019Airbags782,384 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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 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 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or 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 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY 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. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.

  3. NHTSA 15V319000May 28, 2015Airbags1,018,622 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    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 September 22, 2006. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with 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 front driver side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 10, 2016. Even if interim repairs were performed under safety recall 14V-802, owners must bring their vehicles in for the final remedy. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S21. Note: This recall supersedes safety recall 14V-802.

2014 Ford Mustang fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18.5 MPG
Highway
27 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,100
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.

2014 compared with other Mustang years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2012Avoid874696 !21
2013Caution532715 !21
2014Avoid803593 !21
2015Avoid934361121.5
2016Caution73377521.5

All Ford Mustang years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Ford Mustang reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2014 Mustang ranks 4th worst among 16 model years with a Complaint Index of 80 and an Avoid verdict relative to other Mustang years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2014 Ford Mustang?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 245 of 359 complaints (68%), 26 crashes, and 1 fire, with a median failure mileage of 24,353 miles.
Does the 2014 Ford Mustang have a recall?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2014 Mustang, and 2 of them are do-not-drive recalls, both involving airbag modules that could fail to deploy.
How does the 2014 Mustang compare to other years?
Its Complaint Index of 80 is higher than 2013 (53), 2016 (73), and 2017 (47), but lower than 2011 (100) and 2012 (87), placing it among the worse years for this model.
What is the fuel economy of the 2014 Ford Mustang?
EPA rates the 2014 Mustang at 21 mpg combined (18.5 city / 27 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100.

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.