2018 Ford Mustang Engine Problems
NHTSA lists 62 engine complaints for the 2018 Ford Mustang, 32% of its 193 total complaints for the year — the highest share among the years shown. Median mileage at failure is 20,000. No related engine recalls are listed.
- Engine complaints
- 62
- 32% of 193
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 1
- Injuries reported
- 1
- Median mileage
- 20,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical engine symptoms owners report
- Owners report a loud ticking or typewriter-like noise from the engine at idle and between 1,500-2500 rpm, often appearing after an oil change.
- Several complaints describe piston slap and cylinder wall scoring, with owners saying multiple Mustang GT engines exhibit the same knocking sound.
- Some owners report the engine stalling unexpectedly, including one case where the vehicle shut off at highway speed and the driver lost steering and braking control.
- A case describes a manual-transmission GT stalling when shifting into neutral at higher engine speeds, both at low and high vehicle speeds.
- One complaint describes visible engine damage to cylinders 5-8 found by a service technician, with Ford approving only a short block replacement.
- One owner reported heavy smoke and violent shaking at 60 mph, describing it as the engine blowing at 2,000 miles.
When 2018 Ford Mustang engine complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 30, 2018, latest Sep 11, 2026.
Engine recalls for the 2018 Ford Mustang
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
Engine complaints by Mustang model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How common are engine problems in the 2018 Ford Mustang?
- NHTSA lists 62 engine complaints for the 2018 Mustang, which is 32% of all 193 complaints filed for that model year — the largest engine share of any Mustang year in the data.
- At what mileage do engine problems typically appear?
- The median mileage at failure for engine complaints on the 2018 Mustang is 20,000 miles, though several sample complaints describe issues appearing much earlier, in the hundreds or low thousands of miles.
- Is there a recall for the 2018 Ford Mustang engine?
- No related engine recalls are listed in the data for the 2018 Ford Mustang.
- What specific engine noises or failures do owners describe?
- Owners describe ticking or piston-slap noises, cylinder wall scoring, stalling at speed, and in one case an engine failure with smoke and violent shaking while driving.