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Ford Mustang 2.3 EcoBoost common faults.

2015–2018, coupé, petrol, 317 HP.

The fault list covers: N48H engine, 10R80, 6R80 transmission.

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3 fault write-ups. All are important. 5 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

3 important faults

critical1

Low pressure fuel pump: a recall, but without a fix

critical

The internal clearances of the low pressure fuel pump are small, so the friction is high and the pump is sensitive to vapour lock. The cause lies with the supplier: in June 2021 it changed the manufacturing process, and the new process did not hold the dimensions reliably.

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The fault comes out when the fuel is low, or when the tank warms up in hot weather. Fuel pressure is then lost, the engine does not get enough fuel and can stop while driving. The authority calls this a loss of motive power, and it is the most serious consequence a fault can cause while under way.

The milder sign is hesitation at part throttle and sluggish acceleration, and the fault is reported above 40 000 kilometres.

In July 2025 the maker issued a recall for it under number 25S75 (25V455 at the authority), and it covers 850 318 cars from the 2021 to 2023 model years. One thing has to be known, though: when the campaign started the final repair was not yet ready, and owners first received only an interim notice. On an affected car it is therefore not enough to ask whether the recall has been carried out; it also has to be clarified whether there was anything to carry out.

above 40,000 km

What to check

  • Ask the franchised dealer with the chassis number: is it affected by the 25S75 campaign
  • If it is affected, ask what was carried out on it, and ask for proof of it
  • Watch for hesitation at part throttle and sluggish acceleration on the test drive
2 more steps in the write-up

expensive2

Ten-speed automatic: it jerks and clunks, and the maker says this is normal

expensive

The shifting of the ten-speed automatic is harsh: the transmission jerks, bangs, clunks and hesitates between gears. Slipping comes with it, along with late shifts, harsh downshifts, and the transmission sometimes not engaging a gear at all. Among the complaints there is also a sudden loss of power occurring on the motorway.

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This is not individual bad luck: in April 2023 a class action was filed over it in the United States, and it covers the Expedition, Mustang, Ranger, F-150 and Navigator built from 2017 onwards which were fitted with this transmission. The fault is reported above 60 000 kilometres.

The most important thing to know is the maker's response. The maker did not issue a recall and did not replace transmissions, but issued technical bulletins instead, and according to the claim it told owners that the abrupt, harsh shifting is normal. No settlement has been reached.

For a buyer this means that the workshop's opinion decides nothing here. On the test drive it is your own experience that counts, and it has to be compared with what a properly working transmission of the same kind can do.

above 60,000 km

What to check

  • On the test drive have it shift all the way through: it should not jerk, bang or hesitate between gears
  • Watch the downshifts when slowing: a harsh downshift belongs here
  • Pull away from a standstill several times: the transmission should engage a gear without delay
2 more steps in the write-up

Open deck block: the bore moves and the gasket cuts into itself

expensive

The block of the engine is of open deck design: the cylinder walls are not braced at the top. Under boost and heat the unbraced cylinder wall moves sideways, and this micro-movement puts a shearing load on the fire ring of the head gasket. The ring cuts further into itself with each thermal cycle, and because there is no solid backing underneath it between the cylinders, it extrudes into the coolant slots. In the end it lets pressurised gas and coolant through.

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It is not the mileage that decides but the year of casting and the use. On the blocks cast between 2015 and 2019 there are grooves forming slots between the cylinders, and the risk is highest on those. In 2020 the maker revised the casting: in place of the open slots came small coolant passages drilled diagonally from the outer wall, and with that the metal backing returned. The number of failures dropped noticeably as a result.

The load is what counts, not the distance: the critical case is a heat-soaked restart after hard use.

The symptom is coolant going down with no visible dripping, white smoke, an uneven, stumbling idle, misfires (codes P0300 and P0316), mayonnaise-like oil and running hot.

The repair starts with a pressure test, then a revised gasket, a new cylinder head or a complete block replacement follows, depending on the extent of the damage. An engine that had already overheated before the repair can remain distorted, and then the coolant loss comes back.

What to check

  • Check the casting year of the block: a casting from between 2015 and 2019 is the risky one, post-2020 is the good one
  • If it is from between 2015 and 2019, ask for the repair history of the head gasket or proof of a block replacement
  • Look at the coolant level and ask whether it has had to be topped up
3 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Ford Mustang 2.3 EcoBoost

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Official recall5 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

Most recent: 12 September 2025

25V614000SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONERSEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER12 September 2025 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. Water and road salt may corrode the front seat belt anchor pretensioner cables.

Risk: A corroded cable can break, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining an occupant, and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace both front seat belt anchor pretensioner assemblies, as necessary. In addition, dealers will remove sections of the carpet and underlayment that contact the cables. Dealers will also inspect the A-pillar sealing patches, and as necessary, install A-pillar body plugs, and/or inspect and replace the front outboard seat bolts. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed October 20, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S92. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov September 17, 2025.

The authority's notice

22V082000BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERABACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA16 February 2022 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera wiring may be loose or damaged, which can result in a blank or distorted image.

Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the decklid wiring harness and/or replace the rearview camera, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2022 and June 26, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the 4th Quarter of 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S06.

The authority's notice

17V529000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULEAIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE28 August 2017 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 and Mustang vehicles. The air bag inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may rupture in the event of a crash.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S26.

The authority's notice

17V168000LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCHLATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH13 March 2017 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Mustang vehicles. The return spring for the driver side interior door handle may come loose, allowing the driver's door to unlatch in a side impact crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."

Risk: If the door unlatches in a crash it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver-side interior door handle and repair the return spring, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 17C04.

The authority's notice

16V779000ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGSENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS26 October 2016 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Mustang vehicles manufactured February 24, 2015, to August 30, 2016. A hose may separate from the engine oil cooler tube assembly causing an oil leak.

Risk: A sudden loss of engine oil may cause engine failure, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, an oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil cooler tube assembly, free of charge. The recall began on March 23, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S40.

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

1 engines · 2 transmissions

N48H · 2.3

233 kW (317 HP) · petrol

10R80 · 10-speed automatic, longitudinal

automatic · 10 speed

Torque limit800 Nm
MakerFord/GM

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it. More than one transmission is possible. 6 gears = 6R80, 10 gears = 10R80.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
—
Body
coupé
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
2253 cc
Power
233 kW (317 HP)
Drive
RWD
Production
2015–2018

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All Mk6 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms