Print this page

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 1
Average Mileage:
31,521 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2012 Ford Mustang drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Ford Mustang:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2012 Ford Mustang Owner Comments (Page 8 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #16

Sep 272011

Mustang 8-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 300 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 6 speed manual transmission. It will not go into 2nd gear sometimes and when it does it's notchy and clunky (sometime it's smooth but rare). Under harder acceleration it will not go into 2nd gear at all. It does not grind or anything. It just won't go in. It's like hitting a wall. I've had this happen to me several times on the street and highway.

- Olathe, KS, USA

problem #15

Oct 052011

Mustang 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 9,300 miles
My manual transmission 2012 Ford Mustang was initially at a standstill at the stop light at a four way intersection. As I prepared to make a left hand turn, I experienced difficulty shifting into first gear--the transmission did, however, shift into first. I accelerated to make the turn, and halfway through the turn I lost power (approximate speed was 15 mph)--the transmission shifted out of first gear back into neutral. It was as though it had only partially engaged the gear when I initially shifted into first. A near collision ensued, as there was oncoming traffic. I originally had enough time to make the turn, but the loss of power caused me to come to a near stop in the intersection. I attempted to shift back into first, but the shift was impossible (the transmission simply would not shift into first), so I shifted into second gear and gave it as much gas as possible to get out of the intersection.

- Oak Grove, KY, USA

problem #14

Jan 012011

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 1,400 miles
The manual transmission in my 2011 Ford Mustang GT has given me problems for the past year of ownership. There have been multiple incidents where the transmission will not go into 2nd gear. The gear appears/feels to be "locked out". this has happened while pulling out across on-coming traffic, and I have had numerous close calls. I also have horrible gear while/noise, and grinding shifts almost all the time. Ford has rebuilt my transmission, but refuses to do anything else with the car. They claim that this is "normal" for this car. My wife drives the vehicle, and I fear for her safety. Please help me!

- Gray, LA, USA

problem #13

Sep 012011

Mustang

  • 1,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Since purchase of my 2012 Ford Mustang V6 with manual transmission I have noticed 5th gear being notchy even with just 4 miles on it. I currently have 2715 miles on the car and have had several occasions where I have experienced grinding in the transmission in 5th and 6th gear mainly when it has been below 65 degrees farenheit out. The transmission is also difficult to shift into first and second at times but the main cause for writing this complaint is the grinding in 5th and 6th gear no matter how hard I try to be easy and go slow with shifting in the mornings when the temperature is cooler.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #12

Jun 162011

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 3,000 miles
Shifting from 1st to 2nd, during heavy acceleration merging into fast traffic, shift could not be made - skipped 2nd going to 3rd to avoid becoming an accident. Transmission shifts poorly from 1 - 2 as a rule and 3 - 2 on the down shift. Suspect this is due to the mass - stored energy in the mass of the 43lb two piece drive shaft, drifting the syncro's out of alignment when the clutch is engaged - the shaft pushes the output shafts one way while the engine/clutch assy takes the input the other - stored energy in a rotating mass. Additionally the inadequate design and construction of the shifter makes the "gates" vague to non-existent, and in the case of the 1st and 2nd, non-existent; I am frequently putting the transmission into 3rd vs 1st - no centering spring in the shifter itself, relying on the poorly designed components of the shift forks in the transmission. Aftermarket solutions are to install a much higher quality shifter and one piece al drive shaft at almost 1/2 the weight and a more appropriate fluid. Please get this one addressed - Ford has a problem!

- Amarillo, TX, USA

problem #11

Sep 202011

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
As I was turning a corner from a red light I went to shift into 4th gear it would not shift at all almost causing me to crash. This transmission locks rarely locks me out of gears but this time was the worst. I also have many grinding noises from 1st-2nd-3rd gear. One time I went put it in reverse and it popped out. Another time I was at a stop light and put it in first went to go and it grinded the gears really loud then it popped out lucky it was at night an no one was behind me. Multiple missed 3rd gear shifts as if it is locking me out. This problem keeps getting worse and worse the more I drive it and I only have 1100 miles on the car. This is not fair and this transmission needs to be recalled complete garbage. Please do something about this. Thank you!!!

- Lake Worth, FL, USA

problem #10

Sep 192011

Mustang 6-cyl

  • 13,743 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

6 spd manual transmission, unable to upshift to 3rd gear around 4000 RPM. Had to wait until the rpms came down below 2000 before it would go into 3rd. Was accelerating from an on ramp and trying to merge with the 65 mph+ traffic. Had to ride the shoulder for a bit until the transmission would let me shift. Not safe at all.

- Hannibal, NY, USA

problem #9

Jun 062011

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 0 miles
Six speed manual mt-82 transmission shifts hard when cold making it difficult to accelerate into traffic.

- Los Altos, CA, USA

problem #8

Apr 292011

Mustang

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that she was unable to shift between third and fourth gears and would hear a loud grinding noise from the vehicle. In addition, there was smoke coming from the vehicle abnormally. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the transmission was replaced yet the failure recurred shortly thereafter. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The current and failure mileages were unknown. The VIN was unavailable.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #7

Aug 312011

Mustang

  • 250 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the vehicle would shifts out of gear when traveling at high speeds. The dealer stated that the manufacturer designed the vehicle in a manner that would avoid up shifting when traveling at high speeds. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 250.

- Orange, CA, USA

problem #6

May 312011

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 2,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought a 2012 Mustang GT premium in April. Starting at about 2000 miles, my car has had a large "thunk" when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, occasionally causing a "lock-out." Usually, this lockout occurs at low speeds (I.e. under 15 mph) or occasionally will occur when stopped this issue has been reported to the local dealership a total of 3+ times, with the first action being a replacement of the fluid per the tsb. While this improved the issue, it did not resolve it. The second time it was dropped off, one of the service consultants recognized the issue. I removed the car from the dealership since I was going on a long vacation with the car. After dropping it off the third time, the issue was recognized again (after much delay). The dealership tested another car of similar miles, which was "notchy" but not to the extent of my own vehicle. Regardless, it was not found to be "excessive." I escalated my claim through a Ford service rep who subsequently called and explained that it was not "excessive" enough and that the dealer could not replicate the problem to the extent I experience. I proceeded to request a test drive with the other vehicle and noticed the similar feel, but none of the noise or "lock-out." I agreed to drive another collection of miles, but the lock-out is still present at regular intervals, leading me to believe this is a systematic safety issue.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

problem #5

Aug 052011

Mustang 8-cyl

  • 475 miles
The car will not shift into reverse unless the transmission has reached full operating temperature. If you don't leave it in reverse overnight, you simply have to wait for the car to reach that temperature to back out of a parking spot. It is also extremely difficult to shift into 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear until the car has warmed up for 5-10 minutes. This makes it very dangerous to turn/merge into traffic if you haven't allowed the car to reach full operating temperature. I have had no issues with the transmission once the car is fully warmed up.

- Roswell, GA, USA

problem #4

Jul 072011

Mustang

  • 4,900 miles
While slowly driving around some pot-holes on a uneven pavement in a det. Mi. area, I felt and heard some loud squealing from under the front of the car. Seconds later I noticed the manual gear shifts were very stiff and had use more effort to make manual shifts. Days later, I took the car to my local Ford dealer for my 5000 mi oil change and inspection.after ordering parts, I took the car back and both lower control arms and bushing were changed. I am not sure if the mechanic also worked on the gearbox or not. For about a week the gear shifts were very smooth, but they vary now, from smooth to stiff.

- Wixom, MI, USA

problem #3

Jul 152011

Mustang

  • 1,000 miles
Mt 82 6 speed manual transmission -- when shifting gears between 1-3 the transmission shows signs of poor craftsmanship as it is very difficult to change gears at times and refuses to go into gear no matter how hard you attempt to put it into gear. Also, it will occasionally pop out of gear during moderate to high acceleration. Has difficulty shifting at times where it is most critical such as on the highway, passing a car, merging onto the highway, or cruising through town through an intersection. The transmission also shows signs of difficulty in gears 4-6, particularly 5th when attempting to engage the gear.

- Collegeville, PA, USA

problem #2

Aug 022011

Mustang

  • 1,100 miles
Shifts between 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, and 3rd to 4th can be very difficult to engage when accelerating. On many occasions multiple attempts to engage gears must be made.

- Lakeside, CA, USA

problem #1

Jul 072011

Mustang

  • 120 miles
Brand new 2012 boss 302 Mustang with mt-82 transmission. Failure to shift into 3rd & 5th gears in regular driving cycle transmission grinds /pops out of 3rd & 5th gears rendering car mission disabled/ requested a replacement transmission after taking back to dealer, and Ford will not replace, only repair/ meanwhile, parts have been on back order for 2+ weeks, bar is at dealer for 3 weeks now/ Ford is aware of these transmission issues with the mt-82 model transmissions, and will not admit to their design/build issues.

- Jamestown, NY, USA

Not what you are looking for?