Ford Mustang Used Buying Guide: Known Issues

• The used Ford Mustang’s known issues range from faulty infotainment to testy spark plugs.
• For the most reliable ride, check out more recent model years, circa 2017 and later!
• At Banner Ford, we make sure our Monroe customers drive home in a safe, reliable used Mustang. We only sell the best used vehicles available to us!

Tasty Soy-Based Wire Coating

With some early sixth-generation Mustangs (circa 2015-2020), drivers report that their car’s wire insulation is unusually attractive to rodents. And they’re not alone. Many automakers — including Honda, Toyota, Ford, and others — switched to a more environmentally friendly (and less expensive) soy-based wire coating during this era. If you find a squirrel (or worse, a rat) chomping on your Mustang’s wiring (or maybe even making a nest out of it), you may need to get creative. Some drivers fend off varmints with coyote urine, while others protect their wiring with a chili pepper-infused tape developed by Honda. Depending on where you live, your state’s lemon laws may protect you from this issue.

Hood Corrosion

A rusty hood seems to be the most common of the Ford Mustang’s known issues. Unfortunately, the 2002-2009 Mustang’s aluminum hood can corrode due to iron contamination. All you can really do is fix the problem on an as-needed basis. Technicians at your local Ford dealer will blast off the damage, sand it smooth, and reapply the paint.

Spark Plugs Break Off in Triton V8

The 2005-2008 Mustang features unique spark plugs that are engineered to last 100,000 miles. And they do! However, their two-piece shell design has been problematic, to say the least. These spark plugs break off in the cylinder head during routine maintenance so often that Ford issued a technical service bulletin with explicit instructions on how to change them. If you own one of these models, don’t change these spark plugs on your own. Take your Mustang to a technician who has the specialized tools necessary to remove them safely.

MyFord Touch

MyFord Touch was one of Ford’s early forays into infotainment technology, and to say it wasn’t exactly popular is to put it mildly. Not only is the system known to freeze and crash, but when it goes down, it could leave drivers without access to important features — including the windshield defroster. Even when it was in a functional mood, the MyFord Touch system wasn’t exactly intuitive, confusing users with its convoluted menu structure.

Luckily, Ford’s iconic sports coupe only featured this dysfunctional technology for one model year, when it was available for the 2015 Mustang. By 2016, the Mustang was already offering SYNC 3, Ford’s first infotainment system with an overwhelmingly positive reception.

Defective Takata Airbags

Some 2005-2014 Mustangs were included in the infamous Takata airbag recall. Just last year, Ford issued a new Do Not Drive order, announcing that more models may be impacted by defective airbags than previously believed. See whether your used Mustang has had mandatory repairs by entering its VIN into the NHTSA website.

Late-model Mustangs have far fewer complaints than their older peers. That’s a pretty good sign that most Mustang issues are due to normal wear-and-tear, and not the actual quality of the vehicle. If you’re shopping the used Ford Mustang market for earlier model years, purchase an extended warranty to give yourself extra peace of mind!

Our Used Ford Mustang Inventory

For outstanding reliability, shop our used Ford Mustang inventory at Banner Ford in Monroe. Every car for sale on our used lot is one that’s already been inspected. Our technicians ensure that each of these used sports coupes helps us set the standard for quality in North Louisiana.