Ford Mustang. The mere mention conjures images of drop-top classics in Poppy Red, silver-screen sports cars, and the occasional silly crash at Cars & Coffee. But Ford’s beloved pony car might have an unexpected bragging right to flex: it’s actually something of a reliable vehicle. 

Owners report that the Ford Mustang is a surprisingly reliable car

Believe it or not, the Ford Mustang is on its seventh generation. Over the years, the Mustang has become more refined, ditching pushrod engines for dual-overhead-cam Coyote V8s, and a live rear axle for independent rear suspension. But time has also proven the Mustang, dare we say, reliable.

When Consumer Reports asked seventh-gen “S650” model owners about their ownership experiences, the results were, well, complimentary. Owners reported that the pony cars were dependable, down to the latest iterations of the historically finicky Ford SYNC infotainment systems.

As a result, Consumer Reports evaluators gave the Ford Mustang top marks in overall predicted reliability. And that’s not the only place you’ll find reports of drama-free ownership experiences. Owners of the most recent Mustang generation report very, very few gripes on Car Complaints.

Few, yes. But not none. In some instances, 2024 Ford Mustang owners with the turbocharged 2.3L four-cylinder EcoBoost engine reported instances of unexpected power loss to the NHTSA. 

Interestingly enough, the Mustang hasn’t been immune to Ford’s record year of recalls. The aforementioned 2024 model has been recalled 10 times. The newer 2025 model? Three recalls. But that didn’t stop the Blue Oval’s resident sports car from taking top reliability scores from Consumer Reports and Car Complaints.

RepairPal, however, gives Ford as a brand a pretty dire score in overall reliability. Specifically, the Blue Oval has a 3.5 out of 5.0 reliability score. That leaves it at 21st out of 32 ranked automakers. Not exactly the top scores of the Mustang as a model.