Ford MUSTANG BUYERS GUIDE | Are they Really Reliable Enough?

A review of ALL the common problems that can occur with the Ford Mustang to make sure YOU get the very best car possible.
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[@PTR2K]

It's my dream to own a Mustang one day. I'm in my last year of uni so hopefully I can get a job and get one some day.

[@COLDHRTDKILLA]

Get a Foxbody. Cheap and badass.

[@Blaidd7542]

@@COLDHRTDKILLAnever sold in the UK.

[@scottbrown7415]

The big maintenance trick with either engine in the Mustang is frequent oil and filter changes! Don't scrimp on the oil and filtration quality. Use a high quality fully synthetic oil that has a low volatility rating. Change the coolant out annually as well. It doesn't age like wine. And can become acidic if allowed to linger too long. I also flush and bleed the brake system annually because clean, fresh fluid is easier on the and distribution block and other brake bits that are in contact with the fluid. If you notice a pattern developing in my maintenance routine you also have realized that I go for longevity of the entire car.

[@iLoveTheseRemoras]

There's no reason to change the brake fluid annually unless the water content gets too high (over 2%). You can measure that. Normally every two years is fine. If there's debris getting into the fluid, that's quite concerning and the root cause would need to be diagnosed.

[@MonicaHolly143]

Break fluid annually is unheard of even in supercars

[@scottbrown7415]

@@MonicaHolly143 No. BRAKE fluid purging and bleeding is a a severe service recommendation for many high performance cars that are driven on race tracks. It is a recommended BMW service. Antilock brake distribution blocks are ruined by old or contaminated brake fluid. One new ABS distribution block is very expensive to replace as a service part, excluding the added costs of installing it.

[@MonicaHolly143]

@@scottbrown7415 annually is still not the norm especially for cars that cheap like bmw

[@MonicaHolly143]

@@scottbrown7415 if ur break fluid is contaminated and dark with in just a year then ur not properly taking car of ur car. Like the other guy had said u will only need to change ur brake fluid if there's significant water in it. There are vehicles that never had changed it for years and still works fine becuz they never stresses their brake especially those who didnt live in city and live in a flat land

[@COLDHRTDKILLA]

My 93 LX 5.0 feature mustang is the best car ever. Ive owned tons of Mustangs. Never found one that wasn't reliable. I'm not your normal person though. I know every in and out of every Mustang made. IMO they are the best cars ever made. I am not nice to them. Snow driven here in the rust belt of America. I race them, track them, then drive home and get an easy 300k miles out of them. I was too poor to afford another car so I drove them on snow daily. I love them. I also love my BMW E30S. Every v8 mustang ever built has been great. Cant say that about the V6 versions.😔 The 289, 302, 351, 363, 408. etc are all amazing. I will say the 5.2 VOODOO is by far my favorite. These are great cars built with pride. Im also a Ford tech. These cars easily get 250k all day if maintained.

[@teddydavid2816]

A Brit with a V8 is more American than an American with an ecoboost

[@ChicagoJoe94]

Having any muscle car makes you more American lol those 10sp eco-boost can move too!

[@tomrakusan1179]

Sounds like V-8 snobbery……..i have both - EB and a Bullitt. They are different - each good at certain things, for different use-cases……..

[@MultiVeeta]

​@@tomrakusan1179 the only reason to buy a Mustang is because it's a V8 muscle car.

[@drunkinmaster1]

With a mustang, there is no substitute for the V8. But my f-150 has the 3.5 and it eats V8’s all day long

[@ravenwing199]

​@@drunkinmaster1No it doesn't it eats a V6 all day long.

[@nickkostakis9600]

Great video brilliant and very informative. I have a Mustang with TEN R 80 and 1900 km on Never had any problems 😊 I love your show thank you very much for the update. From Sydney Australia

[@scottnewellguitar]

The Gen 3 Coyote 5.0L is Direct Port Injection and doesn't suffer carbon buildup like a direct injected engine, so 2018+ = no worries there.

[@2003evodave]

FYI starting in 2018 the 5.0 V8 comes with sixteen fuel injectors, both direct and indirect so no more worries about potential valve carbon build up.

[@LOTI2000]

Indeed, he is half cocked and doesn't really know what he is talking about.

[@eyecontrol4900]

great review! should also add, engine knock. Ford do say that you can put the lowest fuel in it (87octane, 91RON), but really you should only be putting 93octane/98RON. No point trying to save a bit of money at the fuel station when you could be damaging your engine.

[@fraoch337]

Very very good, keep going, really enjoyable to watch 👍. Looking at buying and this was very helpfull.

[@widowmakergarage]

Got I love the Scottish accent, I’m getting a 2015-17 gt in a few months conv 6 speed❤️🤤

[@analogguy5548]

2018 GT Premium with Performance Pack + Magna Ride and Active Valve Exhaust. 50,000+ hard miles. New battery at 5 years. Water Pump and front strut assemblies replaced at 50,000 miles under Ford PremiumCARE extended warranty. 6 speed Getrag no problems. A/C works great and here in Texas we have two seasons - hot & HOTTER 🥵Love this car - would buy it again in a heartbeat. Struggling with myself, hang onto my 2018 or order a next Gen 2025🤔

[@jackmcclymont4000]

Great laugh filming this, brings out the kid in all of us intro.

[@junes118]

Brilliant video im living for these Intros !

[@marcasswellbmd6922]

Mine sounds perfect!! I love the sound of the factor exhaust too.. You don't need to do much to these car's truthfully.. But you can, you can swap out Intakes from different years, you can even take the Shelby 350 parts and put them on here..

[@michaeljohn669]

Throw a tremic t6 in there. When we buy these thing we change a lot. Like exhaust cams intake plugs and wires coil overs all the stuff they throw in the cobra. We used to take the rear end out of ford expeditions and Lincoln Navigators because the had independent rear diffs.

[@jrhamilton4448]

Love my 2021 GT. Bought it used with roughly 4k miles on it so practically brand new. It now has 14,200k and is running strong as ever! I did install catch cans to help eliminate that carbon buildup from it's direct injection engine. Additionally my friend who's a Ford master technician has told me the typewriter tac tac noises you're describing could possibly be the phasers which at base idle are designed to lock into position but if one or more is failing that could result it a metallic ticking noise that you described. It's one reason you shouldn't put a ghost cam tune in your car because it's hard on the phasers. My car has had the tic noise at idle since the day I picked it up with only 4k on it and like I said it's still running just fine at 14k and the Ford dealership I take it to said this is a normal engine sound present in most coyote motors and is nothing harmful.

[@deanhawk7260]

Yes, all the 2018s and after with direct injection tick at around 2k rpm. It has no affect on the engine performance or reliability.

[@user-gt6nq2tq9g]

Yea OK Ford.

[@SvGPlayer831]

i have a 2020 10 speed 5.0 N/A came with 460 hp got it brand new for 36k usd, after 2022 they got down to 450, they’re so fun to drive and the rumble is music to my ears, with a supercharger alone you can make 750 whp with stock internals, there are 2 ecoboost versions one is a v6 and the newer ones are 4 cylinders, i haven’t encountered any of the issues you mentioned at all

[@AlexBakker]

Thanks for this, very useful. I understand there’s also some paint issues, do you know anything about that?

[@Prodavion]

I've got a 2017 EcoBoost wich I bought new, got about 34000 km now, not a single issue with it, happy Mustang driver ! :) (From what I've read so far, the gasket issue with the EcoBoost is mainly with the Focus RS, not with the Mustang)

[@jasoncaine2600]

It's the same engine though just tuned different

[@NigelsModellingBench]

I'm writing this as you speak.. The typewriter tick on my Gen2 V8 only becomes apparent when hot and is only heard from the right side if you get your head near the ground. The Gen 3 engine with plated bores is not as reliable in this area as the Gen 2 with iron liners. The 2.3 Ecoboost in the Mustang is made in America and is much better than the crap they put in the Focus RS, which I think was made in Spain. My RS needed a new head at 1000 miles. Great eh!! One issue I have had with mine, which apparently is also an issue on modern Land Rovers, is that the car plays up after it's MOT with the OBD tool inserted to do the emissions test. My Aircon went into "limp" mode, my radio display was in dark mode, the car "lost" the key and the display in the middle of the dash froze. Once it was turned off and the doors were closed and opened again it reset itself. The facelift, 2018 on had the revised MT82 with alloy shift forks, the earlier '15 to '17 cars had the same 'box, but with steel forks. remember, the 2007-2015 Defenders and RWD Transits also had the MT82, and they are fine? That 10AT 'box has had more recalls than a deaf Puppy that just found a baby rabbit!! i would also recommend any new buyer checks for corrosion on the front wings, the front edge of the bonnet and the inner flange around the boot lid. Also check for any body repair work that has been done.. some dealers bodyshops are useless at best.. owners will know what I mean.

[@seanym67]

I have a 2014 GT convertible and it's been amazingly reliable. No rattles either. Sadly I still have the live rear axle version, it's pretty hairy in bumpy corners!

[@jeffsmith846]

The engine design allows for a unique exhaust sound with these cars. I live in Kansas City, just a few hundred feet from US highway 69 as is traverses through the urban area. I can tell every Mustang that goes blasting by with their distinctive exhaust noise. Whether northbound, climbing a grade or southbound descending the grade they are equally as obnoxious. The Mustang has made a whole new generation of motorheads here pulling sales from Asian imports

[@subterfusion4005]

Owned a 2015 PP Ecoboost and it was a great car; very agile and torquey. I was experiencing some boost leak issues at 112k. Car would get 32 mpg. Now have a 2018 pp1 GT 10spd. So far it's just a legend but it only has 9k miles. Both the cars are great cars and the 4 cyl is just a second behind the GT in most scenarios. I would suggest getting the performance pack in either car just for the heavier springs. Rough roads aren't a worry anymore.

[@unblessedcoffee1457]

Bought mine in 2016, 6 speed auto with 5 litre, I've driven 78,000 miles in it, mostly on UK motorways, some short journeys. Fantastic car, everything else feels like its about to fall to bits after driving this, so comfortable. Has the bubbling on the bonnet but it's hardly noticeable, and the rear bumper starts to drop off after a while at the edges around the brake lights, along with the rubber glued to the bottom of the rear window (you hear it slapping at motorway speed so you need to glue it back on). The Gen 2 Coyote is the more reliable engine. The 2018 version has the gen 3, that's the difference. Make sure to buy a Mustang built after 2017, when the tax brackets changed. Pre-mid-2017 Stangs pay top band tax of 6/700 pounds, post they pay less than 200. As a V8, it is worth checking the oil yourself every now and then. Major issues after 78k, probably just the brakes. Calipers, discs, pads, all pretty expensive at about 50k miles. Also the handbrake cable, can suffer from corrosion, mine needed a new one and the exhaust system can suffer from rust. My reversing camera is faulty as you say, it's intermitent, works maybe 80% of the time, sometimes flickers. The factory alloys will also begin to suffer leakage from wear and tear, Ford does sell alloy refurb, but honestly it's better to just buy after-market ones once your start to go. Also I bought a full size spare from the US for mine, the boot has space for a spare, but you need a wheel that will fit over the brembo brakes if you have them. Odd that a reversing camera is standard, but reversing beepers are an option. (Beepers, Satnav and Heated Seats are the only 3 options available for a UK car). A "Custom Pack" car is just one that has all three of those options, plus silver alloys and silver trim around the windows. The 6-speed auto is the same as the F150, quite reliable in my experience. The manual has had a lot more problems with the forks failing iirc, but people buy and trash these cars, mine is basically a rep-mobile at this point. In the USA there is a Performance Pack option that upgrades some components, but every UK Mustang gets those upgrades. Anyway good video.

[@burnab5122]

Great

[@athokala]

The six-speed Au-O is pretty good 😂❤

[@DDuck777]

You could actually buy any previous version Mustangs in the UK special order from Ford.

[@adonisnetworks]

Beware of the A frames cracking on the S550 and letting in water around the windscreen , rear diff noise , water ingress from the front wing sealed poorly , aluminium corrosion to the bonnet and both front wing , and the kiss of death from the rhd oil cooler Nuking your 5.0 engine .the 2.3 head gasket issue is not a problem on the Mustang ...unless the eco boost has been abused or boosted.ended up trading it for a supercharger xe Jag .as the ford was just a beautiful headache, and was failing apart and rattling like a bag of bolts as the build quality is diabolical .

[@jasoncaine2600]

Had a 2019 for a rental for a few weeks great car made me want to go buy one 🤷‍♂️

[@ScottishCarClan]

I know where you’re coming from… I filmed with this for half a day and found myself looking at them for Sale that evening 😂

[@seantallbloke]

One to add the the list, paint bubbling to the leading edge of the bonnet and/or front wings. It is a 'known' issue with Ford, and has been around since the S197, but depending upon the dealer you take it to, whether the paint service stamps are in your book and whether the Ford warranty gods are shining down on you will depend upon whether and how easily a repair/replacement will happen.

[@ScottishCarClan]

Thanks for this! I’ll add it to the edits in the description field.

[@josephlarmor550]

I had exactly that problem with the edges of my front wheel arches. The car had been serviced by Ford since I had bought it new three years previously, including the required paint inspections. The Mustang has a 10 year paint warranty, so a perfect respray was carried out by Ford.

[@adonisnetworks]

It's caused by contamination in the aluminium causing corrosion . Ford had this issue for years the 2005 had the same issue as aluminium bonnet ....shocking ford can't get aluminium right in all those years . rumour is steel and aluminium are getting cross contamination in the factory assembly process.

[@anishchand4420]

Ford Mustangs 5.0 from 2015-Present some of them runs on 5w-20 and some runs on 5w-30 Engine Oils. What Viscosity is used in Scotland ?

[@jegermaisterr]

im more interested in things like, how is the sound isolation or soundproof, how does it handle, and how is mustangs with snow, we have atleast 4-5 months of snow.

[@stevewallace1387]

I have a 69 plate GT with the PP1 had it three years done 25000 miles in it and so far not had any problems next year I'm getting the dark horse no car has ever put a bigger smile on my face than my mustang

[@andycalifornia426]

Don't know what "plate" means here, but 69 -> nice!

[@jackcobbiii1797]

Got ours new in 21 with no issues. The 21 manual has rev match tremec. 12000miles on our 5.0 with no issues;)

[@jackcobbiii1797]

We had a 2020 F-150 coyote that had the tick and misfire often on cylinder one with one quart burned every 1000 miles. Traded on the Mustang

[@user-hx7lt1cw8d]

Good car

[@Jcantbstopped]

i want one sooo baddd

[@JB-F10-M5]

I’ve had the oil cooler failure which caused terminal engine failure and although there is a technical service bulletin in Ford about the Rhd oil cooler’s they wouldn’t assist with any part of the cost or repair. It’s a common problem and I strongly advise anyone who owns or is thinking about buying a V8 mustang to budget for an aftermarket replacement that uses air and not water cooling. The internet will tell you about many including mine. 🐎

[@richardc3044]

Good point well made Jay

[@tomrakusan1179]

Ford customer service is not the greatest…….their warranties are pretty much hit m miss…..

[@lstnlne7399]

2019 gt aluminator 5.0L engine calimer trans mgw shifter DDS drive line boobma trans mount steeda differential brace fhp front and bmr rear strut brace vmp tune pedders coil overs w external canisters bmr k brace n stop the hop rear axle braces steeda & bmr complete suspension mods roush cold induction mangnaflow 3" competition exhaust dw-400 fuel pump pure usa muscle

[@theviperkiller-io5ji]

What kind of exhaust set up is that

[@michaeljohn669]

All in all the mustangs are good and they’re achieving 1000HP. And the F150 pick up shares the same 5.0 and those are achieving 450,000 miles

[@adamcampbell8794]

I had an 06 for 5 years and 90k care free miles

[@nielskjr5432]

Nice car👍 If you can live without the V8 sound, I think the 2.3 Ecoboost is the better choice. It's around 100 kg less weight on the front wheels. Lower center of gravity. Also the V8 comes from a pickup truck. Not a sporty engine.

[@julesp.5801]

What about mods?

[@nielskjr5432]

@@julesp.5801 I don't know exactly what you mean. Personally I'm not a fan of spoilers, big wheels, all that stuff.

[@cbannister14]

2016 GT convertible, 37,000 miles. Motor is as strong as it can be, it's the rest of the car that is disintegrating before my eyes. Had to get an entirely new A/C (out of pocket), 2 new window motors, currently has a fuel leak coming from somewhere around the tank, window alignment isn't worth a damn, windshield glass chipping at the edges, a true bonafide p.o.s.

[@Island-RC]

2017 GT fastback 125,000 kms, so like 60-65k miles. bought it used at 75 k km. 110 days later power steering rack locked up mid corner and would have killed the car if the brakes were not so good. Ac compressor died at the same time,. Just got these done under warranty with a 135 day wait and fight. needed a new battery I had to pay for not under warranty but I had the car a short time. at 125k ks new rear wheel bearing and abs sensor are needed but my dealer said 6 weeks The wheel bearing going bad means no airbags and limp mode or any other assist systems like power steering so I drove to the next town over and traded it in while still under warranty. Other dealer will fix it at no cost to them gave me a fair price for a car. Sold me a brand new 2023 performance pack Base 301A with manga ride and active exhaust. No ripped leather ,( love cloth seats my 2001 looked factory when I sold it in 2021 ) No rust on the hood, Loved the 17 so much I had to buy the last year of the s550 new before they were replaced. Hate the screens on the s650. I refused to buy an s550 with the digital cluster. I do think they are cool but I like the old style one a little better. If new is an option with first part warranty then it's worth it if you plan to keep the car long term just so your know the maint history and more importantly how it;s been driven.

[@michaelcarydakis790]

their was a video on you tube and ford pulled it down it the engine block internal manufacturing they dont mahine the internal block walls and small metal particles brake off in to the engine block

[@SuperCarGenius]

God that mustang sounds good.is that stock exhaust?

[@richardc3044]

Not a stock exhaust

[@johncollins9989]

Idk if this one is stock but the the 5.0 mustangs are known for their stock exhaust

[@derolnkuna6494]

Sadly in some few years this baby will be history

[@kjstars]

I've owned 2. Main complaint is the paint. Chips like crazy.

[@Known656]

They have protective coatings for a reason maybe get it done on your car if you don’t want chips in your paint 😂😂😂

[@kjstars]

@Jo Yea dude, even with protective paint. The number one customer complaint is the the paint. You obviously don't own one 🙄

[@QuinnLIFTS]

I didn't have chipping on my 2015. It was a rare paint, Guard Magnetic. May just be paint specific.

[@deanhawk7260]

I had my 18 ceramic coated. It really helped eliminate the chips.

[@thevictoryoverhimself7298]

The ecoboost is actually tons of fun and there are reasons to own it besides "i couldnt afford the v8" (full disclosure: i couldnt afford the v8. At least not without a ton of miles and crash damage) I've had v8s, mostly camaros, love them to death. You need to have at least one in your life. But the problem especially with modern v8s is they are just too damn fast. I spend a lot of time in Miata MX-5s (ignores various cans thrown at me and accusations about my sexual preference) and one thing i loved about that car is that it was set up properly as a sports car, with absolutely no power at all. So you can absolutely flog it like a racing driver, push it to the limit, and you're possibily still inside the speed limit. The ecoboost reminds me a lot of a 1980s/1990s muscle car in speed and torque, which was actually a great time for muscle cars. You can really beat on it not on a track and not go to prison that night. I feel like having a 450-550HP car would just result in only being able to do short squirts of throttle, or risk a SERIOUS ticket. Also, the car pumps very low volume fake v8 rumble noise through the speakers to make it sound a little less like a Mazda 4 cylinder. (Fun fact: The engine is a 2nd generation Mazdaspeed 3 engine with a new head and internals. A legacy from a decade ago when ford was part-owner of mazda)

[@cashmoneycockburn9502]

You got that right, I need to find a looong empty road before I’m comfortable giving my c7 the full beans. Definitely get sketched about my license if I push it to even half of its limits. But I guess that’s part of the v8 charm.

[@miamibeach7735]

Non è una shelby gt500 ma è sempre unauto fantastica

[@H-jb4tf]

😂😂🤣 Not even fast enough. Every time i get a rumbling Mustang alongside me, only to get blown away by my Golf R 🤣

[@Anderssisco]

”Not even fast enough” No its not the fastest car stock. But i dont think people buy it to be quick. It still have enough power to have fun in it.

[@happypuppy8221]

Cabin rattle noise

[@cenewton3221]

You sir, are Scottish?

[@Carrera-gp9od]

Yes he is .

[@agentcoulson1101]

I'm from Africa, i need a mustang in RHD i find many in LHD

[@corruptor911]

the sex speed OOH OOH 😂😂

[@martindeleon9863]

Those fat mirrors though!

[@dalerollinson]

I don't like the look of that ugly clear power steering tank in front of the engine. Can you get a black one?

[@michaelcarydakis790]

ford fixed or repaired daily

[@martinsokol3527]

What the hell is "PESTON":D

[@aaronsmith593]

One of the common problems is, it's a Ford. 😮😅😊

[@unclefester4626]

Oh my god that interior is sooooo freaky looking and backwards....

[@thestateofartgrimsby421]

My air con broke. Dash out job. £££. Manual gearbox is terrible.

[@johncollins9989]

Bs bs bs. To every thing you just said

[@fredwilliams7893]

Yea my mt82 has been fine!

[@dad7720]

Why would anyone ever want a 4 cylinder 2.3 litre Mustang? Why did Ford ever want to produce it?

[@johncollins9989]

Because europe is constantly bashing American manufacturing that they cant come up with eco friendly downsized engines weeeeell we did and they still bitch.. made a 3.5l EcoBoost making well over 600hp for the ford GT and one le man with it and they still bitched that we shoulda put a V8 in it.. so no matter what America does Europe wants to cry. They said we couldn't make a small, high out put engine well, we did and won the biggest race in the world with it.. then when we did complained because it wasn't a v8.. so damned if you do damned if you dont

[@wh0_am_152]

Emissions, fuel, and cost. The 4 cylinder is still a respectable powerplant, even if it cant take the beating the Coyote can (it actually produces nearly 50% more power than my old GT with a 4.6 V8) . Europe has tighter fuel emissions and other regulations, as well as a the high price of fuel. Europe is also used to smaller displacement engines so Ford thought that it may fit the market better. State side the V6 has almost always sold better than the V8 due to it's lower cost, allowing people to get into a Mustang and understand it's charm without being overwhelmed by price and power. As time has worn on the 4 cylinder in sales has actually been winning out over the GT in the European market. Initially Europe wanted the Mustang GT for what's made it popular in the US, price, performance, ease of upgrades, reliability (relative), and that sweet V8. Now that market has grown more saturated allowing for the 4 cylinder to do what it was always meant to be, a sporty gateway to the higher trims, as well as a stage piece to make sure that no one forgets the Mustang.

[@jamesmcgrath3841]

@@wh0_am_152 Excellent response to two ridiculous questions. The v8 still exists largely because of the little 4. The little 4 adds volume, reduces cost per unit, and reduces the average mpg across the range to meet those fuel efficiency standards. Also the smaller engine takes 200 pounds from over the front axle, and allows far better handling on tight corners and turns. That is, on European roads. The turbo produces huge levels of torque from very low on the rev range. In addition, the high performance 4 does 0 - 60 in 4.5 seconds? What the heck is wrong with that?

[@wh0_am_152]

@@jamesmcgrath3841 Thankyou! And agreed the 4 cylinder is a critical part of the lineup.

[@galenryan5865]

Thats not a mustang is a 4cyl