Powertrain, electrical system, and service brakes issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
When someone thinks of a true muscle car, they often think of the 2020 Ford Mustang. After all, this car is supposed to be “Intimidating. Even at Idle.” Yet, most customers find that the defects far outweigh the benefits. This sports car suffers from a defective powertrain, a malfunctioning electrical system and poor service brakes.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2021
The powertrain helps all of that power make its way to the pavement when it works right, which isn’t often.
Here’s one Edmunds review worth reading. “The Ecoboost 10 speed automatic is terrible. Worst automatic I’ve ever owned. Ford updated the software and it still jerks a lot. Ride on the 19 inch wheels is awful on broken or patched pavement. The interior is very noisy at 50 to 65 mph with an annoying drone.”
While these drivability issues are concerning, the recall is more alarming. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V263000 states that the “Transmission Not in Park” message and chime aren’t as long as they should be. As a result, owners can get out of the vehicle without being shifted into Park, causing the car to move unintentionally after exiting. Apparently, this car wants to go so much that it plans to roll away on its own.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Air Bags | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Structure:body | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
While this isn’t a luxury model, there is a lot of high-tech equipment installed. For this reason, the electrical system must be completely functional, but it’s not.
One NHTSA complaint states, “Digital Instrument Cluster goes blank without warning, usually when starting it up after it’s been running. It takes between 10-30 minutes to come back on. Dealer doing warranty work has run through all Ford recommended tests and reinstallation of AS Build Data – nothing works. This has happened since the vehicle was brand-new; I now have 19,000 miles on it. Ford does not have a TSB for the 2020 GT Mustang with this problem. I cannot drive the vehicle without the instrument panel.”
Electrical problems go even deeper. First, NHTSA Campaign Number 20V306000 discusses a recall for vehicles that have a misaligned forward-looking camera. This doesn’t just change the operation for visibility but also affects several driver-assist functions, such as Driver Alert, Auto High-Bean Control, Adaptive Cruise Control and Pre-Collision Assist. Additionally, NHTSA Campaign Number 20V575000 states that more than 600,000 vehicles might be equipped with a poor electrical connection, causing distortion to the rearview camera. Without these systems in place, the chance of accident rises significantly. That’s “intimidating” in and of itself.
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While it’s clear the Mustang has the power to go, it must also have the ability to stop. However, this seems to be another problem customers are dealing with.
Another NHTSA complaint says, “The contact owns a 2020 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately stop. The cause of the failure was not determined.”
One would hope this would be a system without a recall, but that’s not the case. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V573000 says that vehicles might have a brake pedal bracket that can fracture while trying to stop. This defect makes it much harder to stop, leading to a higher chance of a collision. What’s truly intimidating of this muscle car is the amount of defects present. The Mustang spends a lot of time getting warranty work and not enough time enjoying the drive.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Ford pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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