The Ford Mustang debuted in 1965 and was designed by Ford’s general manager Lido Iacocca. The goal was to connect with a younger car-buying demographic, which turned out to be a stroke of marketing genius. Ford initially predicted it would sell 100,000 models overall but sold around 22,000 vehicles on the first day.

By the end of the year, Ford had surpassed 680,000 Mustangs sold. Not only were younger car buyers enthralled with it, but it seemed everyone fell in love with the Ford Mustang overnight. Many moons later, and it has become one of the most iconic cars in the United States and around the world.

Over the years, it has earned its place as America’s best-selling sports coupe. But as with any vehicle, owners have reported a few common issues concerning the Mustang. Even if you think there is no problem serious enough to keep you from buying one, it’s still a good idea to know what to expect. This holds especially true when it comes to pre-owned Mustangs. According to Car Complaints, the 2019 Ford Mustang received numerous complaints involving electrical problems.

Car Complaints based its report on complaints submitted to the NHTSA

First, it’s important to know that Car Complaints republished the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) report on the 2019 Ford Mustang’s electrical system problems. It’s not merely some random complaints from haters published on some random website. The NHTSA is a governmental institution responsible for keep Americans safe on the road.

The report states: “This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov’t agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It’s not us.” At the time of writing, 27 complaints, two recalls, and 112 Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) exist for the 2019 Mustang.

The report states that TSBs “are official communications between Ford & their dealerships that describe processes for troubleshooting or fixing certain common problems. All vehicle manufacturers are required by U.S. law to make their TSBs available to the public.”

Six owner complaints submitted about the Ford Mustang’s electrical system

The Car Complaints report rated the electrical problems 7.6 on its scale, or “Pretty Bad.” The earliest owners reported electrical issues at 166 miles with the latest being 19,000 miles. The average mileage according to CarComplaints.com is 6,178 miles.

Some electrical system problems reported include a blank instrument panel upon start-up, the backup camera fails when the vehicle is placed in reverse, multiple cylinder misfire, power window rolls down “uncommanded,” the engine failed to “turn over,” among other things.

At just 166 miles, the owner of a 2019 Mustang filed a complaint with the NHTSA stating: “Once the vehicle was placed in reverse, the backup camera failed to operate. Simultaneously, the traction control, cross-traffic system fault, drive mode selection not available, hill start assist, rod suspension, and blind-spot system fault off warning indicators illuminated… The battery was replaced, but the failure continued.” The NHTSA further explains that the owner had taken their Mustang to the dealer and was informed that the battery was defective.”

“The contact took the vehicle back to the same dealer on multiple occasions; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and was informed that a regional manager would call him back to provide additional assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired,” the report continued.

At just 600 miles, this 2019 Mustang owner sent this complaint to the NHTSA: 

“At vehicle start-up, the instrument panel cluster assembly sometimes [malfunctions] and shows a blank display. This has happened 3 times since I have owned my car for only 1 month.” The owner continued to explain that they took the vehicle to the dealer twice but the issue was never truly fixed. They also pointed out that when they turned the car off and back on, the instrument panel would work. The report doesn’t mention whether the owner was ever able to completely fix the issue.

A quick overview of the 2019 Ford Mustang

Car and Driver listed the 2019 Ford Mustang GT and BULLITT on its 10Best Cars list. Not only does it have an excellent chassis, but its standard 310-hp turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine offers decent performance. For something more powerful, you will need to buy a GT model with the optional 460-hp V8.

You can go with the standard six-speed manual transmission or the optional 10-speed automatic — if you want added top-end speed. More high-end performance options include Brembo brakes, an active exhaust system, and an adaptive suspension.

Some 2019 Ford Mustang models on the pre-owned market might even come with one of the transformative packages, such as the Performance Pack Level 1 or 2. The performance packs add some Shelby GT350 equipment that makes it track-ready.

However, some would say that the 2019 BULLITT trim may be the best all-around pre-owned Mustang you can buy. It has an enhanced V8 engine that produces 480 hp. The 2019 BULLITT comes standard with all the top-shelf performance parts. Production of both the GT350 and BULLITT ended in 2020.

What is amazing is that Edmunds listed pre-owned 2019 Ford Mustang BULLITT models at between $18,147 and $20,300. For prices like that, possible electric problems shouldn’t even be a problem — broken down in style!