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The Ford Mustang isn’t known for being an exceptionally safe car, but no owner wants to read that their vehicle is defective. Unfortunately for Mustang fans, some of the latest cars have some glaring issues that Ford is trying to address. Specifically, the automaker is recalling thousands of 2019 and 2020 Ford Mustangs for safety issues.

What safety issues do Ford Mustangs have?

According to the latest recall data from Ford, Mustangs might be afflicted with active safety feature faults and reversing technology defects. First, and perhaps most troubling, the cars have faulty cabin warning lights for several safety features. These features include traction control, blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, and cross traffic warning. While these features aren’t essential for driving, they are current industry standards for safety. 

2019 and 2020 Ford Mustangs are being recalled by Ford for safety issues.
2020 Ford Mustang front end | Ford

In addition to the safety warnings, the Ford muscle cars have issues with backup cameras and reverse lights. The faults may render the backup camera and reverse lights inoperable.  

Which model year Mustangs are Ford recalling?

The issues with the Mustang’s safety and reverse features are specific to the 2019 and 2020 model years. Ford hasn’t released any details about the issue impacting more recent model years, like the 2021 or latest 2022 Mustangs. 

Is there a specific trim that has the issues?

Unfortunately for muscle car fans, the issue is specific to 5.0L V8 GT trims. As of now, it seems that only manual transmission-equipped cars built from January 2018 to December 2020 are included in the recalls.

The interior of the S550 Ford Mustang.
The S550 Mustang’s interior | Ford

How is Ford fixing the problem with 2019 and 2020 Ford Mustangs?

Ford is recalling over 25,000 Ford Mustangs to fix the issue. Furthermore, the automaker cites a software issue as the reason for the recalls. According to Consumer Reports, the car’s powertrain control module may be prone to incorrect signal reading. As a result, the vehicle might shut down some of the safety features. 

Is the 2019 and 2020 Ford Mustang a safe car? 

Although these issues may seem daunting, the Ford Mustang from 2019 and 2020 is a safe car. Both cars are from the S550 generation, and share much of the same architecture. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), both cars earned good ratings in most categories. The only blemish on the overall safety record of the cars was an “acceptable” rating in a driver-side small overlap frontal crash. 

2019 and 2020 Ford Mustangs have recalls based on safety issues.
2020 Ford Mustang | Ford

Should you worry about your 2019 or 2020 Ford Mustang?

If you have a Ford Mustang from 2019 or 2020, you should bring the vehicle to a Ford Service Center to address the recall. According to Consumer Reports, the issues are related to a software defect and could be remedied by an update. That will, of course, be free for vehicle owners. 

If your S550 Mustang has an automatic transmission, you may be OK to continue driving. Furthermore, Ford only listed Coyote V8 in the recall, so if you have a non-GT Mustang, you might not experience any of these issues. 

Scroll down to the following article to read more about the Ford Mustang!

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