The Ford Mustang has been one of America’s favorite sports cars for decades, and it shows no sign of falling out of favor. The 2022 model was one of the best-selling sports cars of the year as people returned to the road after the pandemic. However, while Mustangs are associated with freedom, the wrong one can leave you shackled to a car that just doesn’t work.
Why? Because even the most top-of-the-line sports car can be a lemon. Combined with Ford’s overall reduction of quality in recent years and the fact that the brand is releasing a new generation in 2023, it is more likely than ever that a brand-new Mustang may have significant and even dangerous manufacturing defects. As an illustration of the potential problems, Mustangs have been subject to multiple recalls in the past few years.
You deserve better than to be stuck with a car you can’t safely drive. If you purchased a new Mustang C or GT500 and it’s still under warranty, you may be eligible to file a lemon claim against the manufacturer and get your money back. That’s where Johnson & Buxton – The Lemon Law Guys can help.
Our firm has years of experience standing up to big car manufacturers like Ford on behalf of owners like you. We’ve worked on both sides of lemon law, so we know the tricks and strategies these companies use to try to shut down claims. Our in-depth knowledge and expertise allow us to support your claim and pursue fair compensation no matter what Ford throws at you. Call our Ventura, California law office at 805-870-8732 or reach out online to learn more about how we can help you.
Recent Ford Mustang Recalls
The Mustang line is well-known for luxury, but that doesn’t always correlate with reliability. If you’ve purchased a Ford Mustang GT500 or C in the past few years, you may have received a recall notice for the following issues.
2022 and 2021 Mustang Recalls
Mustangs have already been hit by recalls this year, including:
- Faulty Knee Airbags (327 cars affected): Certain vehicles have insufficient welds on the knee airbag on the passenger side, increasing the risk of improper airbag deployment. This puts passengers in these cars at significantly higher risk of injury in crashes.
- Side Airbag Failures (93 vehicles affected): The side airbags in certain Mustangs may not have been manufactured with the correct amount of compressed gas. This can cause the airbags to inflate incorrectly, leading to a greater risk of injuries in a crash.
- Misaligned Cameras (32 cars affected): Cars with misaligned forward-facing cameras may have critical safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping system, driver alert, and pre-collision assist restricted or disabled entirely, increasing the risk of crashes.
2020 and 2019 Mustang Recalls
The problems don’t end there. If you bought your Mustang a year or two ago, it might have been subject to a recall for issues such as:
- Powertrain Control Module Malfunctions (25,032 cars affected): The powertrain control module is responsible for signaling the reverse camera, reverse light, and driver assist features such as traction control, blind spot warnings, and forward collision alerts. The faulty module in affected vehicles may disable all these features without notice, causing drivers to assume that safety features are active when they are not and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Faulty Cameras (620,246 cars affected): Rearview cameras in affected vehicles have poor electrical connections, causing the image on the front console to be distorted and inaccurate. This puts drivers at risk of backup accidents because they cannot see what’s behind them.
- Brake Pedal Failures (38,005 cars affected): Affected vehicles have brittle brake pedal brackets prone to breaking during sudden stops. Should the bracket break, the vehicle may not stop as efficiently as usual. Because failures are more likely in sudden or emergency stops, this increases the risk of a crash.
- Insufficient Warning Messages (10,460 cars affected): Messages warning drivers that the vehicle is not in park may not play long enough to notify drivers of risk. This may cause drivers to leave their cars in neutral instead of in park, increasing the risk of roll-away accidents and other unintentional car movements.
- Faulty Instruments (4212 cars affected): Mustang’s luxury all-digital instrument cluster may not illuminate upon startup, preventing drivers from viewing critical information about vehicle speed, fuel level, engine temperature, and safety alerts. This is a critical safety violation because it prevents drivers from making informed decisions on the road and could lead to accidents if drivers speed unintentionally.
Contact Johnson & Buxton – The Lemon Law Guys for Your Lemon Claim
Even if your Ford Mustang hasn’t received a recall, it may still have manufacturing defects impacting its value, performance, or safety. According to California law, you could be eligible to file a lemon claim if your car is under warranty and demonstrated a significant factory defect in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles of your purchase. If the manufacturer hasn’t repaired the problem within a reasonable number of attempts, you could file a claim to receive a full refund for the cost of the car.
If you think your car may be eligible, you can read our Consumer’s Guide to Lemon Law to learn more about the lemon law claim process. You can also take our quiz to better understand if you qualify.
Otherwise, you can reach out to the experienced attorneys at Johnson & Buxton – The Lemon Law Guys. We know you deserve better than a luxury car that doesn’t work. We are ready to help you fight to have your faulty Ford Mustang repaired, replaced, or refunded. Schedule your free consultation to discover how we can help you by reaching out through this online form or calling 805-870-8732.