Which Ford Mustang Years Do Owners Hate The Most? (And Why Some Say They're Fine)

The Ford Mustang is one of those cars that has fans the globe over. Having first launched in 1964, no fewer than seven generations have followed, with everything from under-powered coupes during the Malaise era, to 815 horsepower, Nürburgring dominating monsters like the $300,000-plus Mustang GTD joining much later on to form the full Mustang family. Competitors have certainly tried over the years to topple the mighty Mustang from atop the pony car tree, but models like the Camaro and Challenger — while successful in their own right — have never really succeeded in dimming the Mustang's light. As it stands, the Blue Oval is the only V8-powered car in its segment left, with the Camaro having been discontinued totally, while Dodge's efforts now turn toward six-cylinder engines and even electrification.

Enough about those, though. While the Mustang is undeniably popular, certain models and model years do get a bad rep. Not just in the press, either, but from owners themselves, who find them to fall short of the ideal Mustang ownership experience. Be it down to engine issues, electrical gremlins, trouble shifting gears or simply just disappointment in the model, all of these following Mustang model years are ones to avoid according to the owners and enthusiasts themselves. Rather than picking the worst overall, the entries have been ranked in chronological order, starting with the oldest — and perhaps most un-Mustang-like — of them all.

Many will argue that the Ford Mustang II wasn't a proper Mustang at all, but in reality, it was just a product of its time. The era of gas-guzzling muscle cars was over, and with the energy crisis rocking up in '73, Ford figured a four- or six-cylinder Mustang built around a subcompact Pinto chassis was the way forward. While many now see the charm of a Mustang II, if it's the typical Mustang experience you're after, this is not the way to go. We've singled out the '74 model year as that was the first on the scene, but truth be told, any Mustang II is likely to rile up 'true Mustang' enthusiasts. 

Some have opted to call them nothing more than trash, while others delve into a little more detail, explaining that it's the difficult-to-love styling, less than impressive fuel economy (despite the small engine and lighter, smaller chassis), and dismal performance. This makes it one of the most hated Mustang models out there. If it's a cool and quirky '70s classic car that you're looking for, then sure, a Mustang II might be a bit of fun, especially as they're still so very affordable. However, for anyone seeking that classic pony car ownership experience, then simply any other model year will be a huge improvement.

We'll start off by saying the 2006 Ford Mustang looked cool, and came with a V8 engine, so already it's leaps and bounds ahead of what the Mustang II was. However, the positives end here according to owners, and the shortcomings appear in droves instead. This was the first full year of production for the highly acclaimed S197 Mustang, and as is usually the case, it's these earlier cars which are more problem-prone. As issues crop up, automakers can deal with them by making tweaks to the model, which is why later model years of any given generation are usually more reliable.

According to information displayed by CarComplaints, the 2006 Mustang is the most troublesome year of all, with 250 complaints, coupled with 572 logged with the NHTSA. Common grievances from owners include bubbling paint and water leaks, a myriad of electrical issues, and no shortage of engine and transmission problems too. Those include rough idles, the engine randomly stalling when driving, total transmission failure, and either slipping, clunking, or jerking gears.

A Ford Mustang is all about enjoyment behind the wheel, and sadly, there are just far too many issues at play with the '06 Mustang that simply stop so many owners from enjoying their Mustangs like they should be able to. For this reason, many will say it's best avoided. As with anything, though, some owners will disagree. In fact, according to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), 95% of owners would actually recommend a 2006 Mustang, which suggests not everyone has been plagued by these horrendous reliability concerns. While some on KBB class the '06 model as a "horrible car" and "not worth the money," others simply describe their experience as "great, no problems." Go figure.

Much like the 2006 Ford Mustang, at first glance, there is little to dislike about the 2010 model. In fact, it's one of the cheapest ways to go fast in 2025. It looks smart, houses a proper V8 engine for motivation, and is pretty affordable today too. So it stands to reason that some people may say the 2010 Mustang is fine, but, according to others, they would be very wrong indeed.

See, the 2010 Mustang arrived at a very awkward time indeed. It is old enough to still be troubled by the various mechanical and electrical gremlins that plagued other early S197 cars, and it also misses out on the legendary Coyote V8 by just one model year. As a result, many owners would say you'd be much better off buying a 2011-onward model. Some owners also prefer the looks of the 2005 to 2009 S197 too, and if you fall into that camp, then the 2010 really is the worst model year to pick. Too old for the Coyote, yet too new for the sweeter aesthetics of those pre-facelift models.

Oh, and just to further tarnish the reputation of the 2010 Mustang, it falls foul to the infamous Takata airbag saga. All six recalls currently listed for the model are airbag related, and four of them carry a 'Do Not Drive Warning.' So, while some might see the 2010 Mustang as just another cheap, V8 muscle car, ready to offer plenty of smiles per mile, dig a little deeper, and you'll find plenty of reasons to look elsewhere.

Next up isn't so much a single model year, but a gaggle of them — the 2015 to 2020 Ford Mustang — and specifically the EcoBoost-powered models. While the V8-powered trims from this period in time aren't exactly perfect — as you shall see in a moment — it's the turbocharged base models which carry a particularly poor reputation.

In addition to headgasket woes, these earlier EcoBoost models were also prone to something dubbed 'EcoBoom' by enthusiasts, and some owners consider engine failure a case of when, rather than if. The two issues are closely related, but ultimately EcoBoom is a sudden and catastrophic failure of the engine, and your options at this point are either a full rebuild or drop a new engine in. A large number of owners will tell you that it's only modified or badly maintained examples which suffer from the issue, whereas others claim there is enough evidence to suggest that cherished and stock examples have also succumbed to the aptly named EcoBoom issues. 

If you're in the market for an inline-four muscle car, then there's likely a lot you'd like to know about the Mustang EcoBoost. One of the most important factors reliability wise though, is that owners cite changes made to the block from 2020 onward as the fix to stop EcoBoom from happening, so if it's an EcoBoost Mustang you want, save up and get hold of a later model for peace of mind.

When looking at what owners have to say, the 2016 Ford Mustang might be one of the most controversial model years out there. Looking through Reddit, some owners claim to have had no issues whatsoever, covering respectable mileage in their '16 Mustangs without fault nor hiccup. On the other hand, many claim the 2016 'Stang commonly suffers from head unit issues, including failing back-up cameras. 

These claims are backed up by a high number of complaints registered with the NHTSA. Another issue which cropped up both on Reddit and with the NHTSA is multiple failings of the air-conditioning system. Leaking evaporators are apparently common issues on this model year, and quotes to fully fix the issue can easily run into four figures. So, while the issues may not be as serious as those which afflict other model years, they are convenience orientated, which is why some owners may find themselves so frustrated behind the wheel of a 2016 Mustang.