AI Damage1999 Ford Mustang GT reliability: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Ford Mustang GT filed 36 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 36
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 58% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 6% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 3% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 21 complaints (58% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 2 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (6% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (6% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 36 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Accident head on and then rolled once and airbags didn't deploy.
When slowing down vehicle idle speed drops,and suddenly picks up, causing car to lurch forward.
My son was involved in an accident with our 1999 mustang gt. The vehicle has 35,000 miles on it. Vin # [xxx]. My son 't-boned' a vehicle at approximately 30-35 mph. Our vehicle sustained $8000 in front end damage. Neither the drivers or passengers air bag deployed.
The manifold began leaking at the thermostat housing and then the heater hose connection on the intake manifold suddenly broke. I now have to have the entire intake manifold replaced because of poor design and material selection. Ford knew of the problem but refuses to address the issue and hopes it will just go away.
Slowing down for a stop sign when the 3 rd spark plug blew out on the passenger side of my 1999 mustang gt with a 4.6 v8 . It also destroyed the coil on top of the plug.
I have experienced a spark plug blowout in my 1999 ford mustang with 4.6l v8. I have since read about the vulnerability of these engines to experience spark plug blowout. The first blowout was experienced prior to changing any spark plugs and therefore can not be deemed to be a cause of improper torquing, etc.
1999 ford mustang gt appears to have crack in plastic intake system, and is losing coolant. Previously owned a 1997 mustang gt, and this was replaced under a recall. I can not find any info relating to the same problem with the 1999.
This past may, after driving a 1999 ford mustang convertible 50,000 miles it was inadvertently discovered that the front left suspension system had only one of two bolt holding that entire system to the frame of this car.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,029 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Mustang GT has 63 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 36, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford Mustang GT?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, vehicle speed control, air bags. Total complaints: 36. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (17%), stalls while driving (11%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Ford Mustang GT?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Ford Mustang GT from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.