Understanding NHTSA Data: What It Is and What It Can’t Tell You
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) maintains a public database of vehicle recalls, owner-submitted complaints, and crash-test safety ratings at nhtsa.gov. The data used throughout this article was retrieved from that API on July 16, 2026. A few important caveats before diving in: recall campaigns are official and manufacturer-initiated, meaning they represent confirmed, documented defects. Complaint counts, however, are self-reported by owners and are not verified investigations — they reflect how many people bothered to file a report, which tends to correlate with overall sales volume. A vehicle with 48 complaints on a high-volume model is not automatically more dangerous than a low-volume vehicle with 5. Use complaint data as a directional signal, not a verdict. Safety ratings, meanwhile, come from NHTSA’s physical crash-test program and are the most objective measure of occupant protection.
Recall Campaigns: Nine Issues, Officially Confirmed
For a single model year, nine recall campaigns is a notably long list. To put that in context, many mainstream vehicles in this segment accumulate two to four recalls over their production life. The 2022 Mustang’s recall history spans airbags, steering, transmission, braking warnings, cameras, fuel delivery, and software — a broad spread that touches nearly every major vehicle system. Some of these recalls are follow-up actions to fix incorrectly repaired prior recalls, which adds another layer of concern. Here is the full list from NHTSA data:
| Campaign Number | Date Issued | Component | Issue Summary | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22V083000 | 16 Feb 2022 | Air Bags: Knee Bolster | Insufficient weld on front passenger knee air bag may cause improper deployment. | Dealers replace front passenger knee air bag, free of charge. |
| 22V334000 | 13 May 2022 | Forward Collision Avoidance: Camera | Forward-facing camera is misaligned, causing it to not function as intended. | Dealers realign the front-facing camera, free of charge. |
| 23V070000 | 10 Feb 2023 | Power Train: Automatic Transmission | Loose bolt may prevent transmission from engaging Park, even when shifter shows Park position. | Dealers inspect and, if necessary, replace the transmission, free of charge. |
| 23V727000 | 27 Oct 2023 | Electrical System: Body Control Module | Brake fluid level sensor may not activate the low-fluid warning light, violating FMVSS 135. | Dealers update body control module software, free of charge. |
| 24V493000 | 28 Jun 2024 | Steering: Electric Power Assist System | Secondary steering torque sensor may be improperly calibrated, causing steering wheel to turn against driver’s intentions. | Dealers update power steering control module software, free of charge. |
| 25V096000 | 14 Feb 2025 | Steering: Electric Power Assist System | Follow-up to 24V493000 — vehicles repaired incorrectly under that recall still have miscalibrated steering torque sensor. | Dealers update power steering control module software again, free of charge. |
| 25V442000 | 27 Jun 2025 | Back Over Prevention: Software | Software error may cause rearview camera to malfunction. | Dealers update rearview camera software, free of charge. |
| 25V455000 | 07 Jul 2025 | Fuel System: Fuel Pump | Low-pressure fuel pump may fail, potentially causing engine stall while driving. | Dealers update powertrain control module software, free of charge. |
| 25V689000 | 10 Oct 2025 | Electrical System: Body Control Module | Follow-up to 23V727000 — brake fluid warning indicator still may not activate after incorrect prior repair. | Dealers update body control module software again, free of charge. |
The Steering Recalls: A Two-Act Problem
Perhaps the most alarming entries on this list are the paired steering recalls — 24V493000 and 25V096000. The root issue is an improperly calibrated secondary steering torque sensor in the electric power assist system. When this sensor misfires, the steering wheel can physically turn against the driver’s input, a situation that could cause a driver to lose control, particularly at highway speeds. Owner complaints in the NHTSA database reflect exactly this: one sample complaint specifically references recall 24S44 and describes power steering that “can oscillate side to side.” What makes 25V096000 particularly notable is that it exists because the first remedy was applied incorrectly at some dealerships — meaning owners who thought they were protected were not. If you are buying a used 2022 Mustang, verifying that both of these campaigns have been completed on the specific VIN is essential.
The Transmission Recall: A Dangerous Park-Gear Failure
Recall 23V070000 addresses a loose bolt inside the automatic transmission that can prevent the gearbox from actually engaging Park, even while the instrument cluster and shifter indicate the vehicle is safely parked. The practical danger is obvious: a car left on a slope or driveway could roll away. Ford’s remedy involves a dealer inspection and replacement of the transmission if the fault is found. This is one of the more serious safety implications on the list, and buyers of used automatic-transmission Mustangs should confirm this recall has been completed before purchase.
The Brake Warning Recalls: Another Repeated Fix
Recall 23V727000 and its follow-up 25V689000 both address the same brake fluid level sensor problem: the warning light in the instrument cluster may fail to illuminate when brake fluid is critically low. Low brake fluid can indicate a leak in the hydraulic system, which can degrade or eliminate braking ability. NHTSA flagged this as a violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 135. The follow-up recall in 2025 was again triggered by incorrect repairs at the first round — a pattern that should prompt buyers to verify both campaign numbers are closed on their specific vehicle.
The Fuel Pump Recall: Engine Stall Risk
Recall 25V455000, issued in mid-2025, covers a low-pressure fuel pump that may fail outright, stalling the engine during driving. An engine stall at speed — particularly on a highway — eliminates power steering assist and significantly increases braking distances. At the time of data retrieval, at least one owner complaint sample indicates that repair parts were not yet available at their dealership, suggesting this recall may still be in progress for some vehicles.
Owner Complaints: 48 Filed, Spread Across Key Systems
NHTSA recorded 48 owner complaints for the 2022 Mustang as of the data retrieval date. The breakdown by component is as follows:
| Component Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Steering | 7 |
| Fuel System | 7 |
| Electrical System | 7 |
| Unknown or Other | 4 |
| Power Train | 4 |
| Structure | 3 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 |
| Engine | 2 |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 |
| Suspension | 2 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 |
Steering leads the complaint count alongside fuel system and electrical issues — all three tied at seven complaints each. This directly mirrors the recall activity described above. The steering complaints include descriptions of a steering U-joint that catches or sticks at speeds above 50 mph, and the oscillating power steering behavior tied to the torque sensor recall. Electrical complaints likely overlap with the body control module brake warning issue. Fuel system complaints align with the fuel pump recall, with at least one owner noting that recall parts were unavailable at their dealership. The powertrain’s four complaints are consistent with the Park-gear transmission recall. Taken together, the complaint distribution suggests that the recall list is not just paperwork — owners are experiencing these failures in real-world driving.
Crash-Test Safety Ratings
NHTSA’s database does not contain crash-test safety ratings for the 2022 Ford Mustang — overall, frontal, side, and rollover ratings are all listed as unavailable in the data retrieved on July 16, 2026. Prospective buyers seeking crash-test performance data should check both NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings program and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) directly, as testing coverage varies by model and body style.
What This Means for Used Buyers: An Inspection Checklist
Based strictly on the recall and complaint data above, here is a concrete list of items a used buyer should verify before purchasing a 2022 Ford Mustang:
- Confirm all nine recalls are closed on the specific VIN. Use NHTSA’s VIN lookup tool at nhtsa.gov. Pay particular attention to the two steering recalls (24V493000 and 25V096000) and the two brake-warning BCM recalls (23V727000 and 25V689000), as each pair involves a follow-up fix for an incorrectly performed first repair.
- Test the electric power steering at highway speed. Any side-to-side wandering or resistance against your steering inputs is a red flag directly consistent with the torque sensor issue described in the steering recalls.
- Inspect the steering U-joint. Owner complaints specifically describe a sticking or catching sensation in the steering wheel above 50 mph. A pre-purchase test drive on a highway is important for this model.
- Verify the automatic transmission engages Park positively. Park the vehicle on a slight incline, apply the parking brake, and confirm the vehicle does not move when the brake is released. Confirm recall 23V070000 is completed on the VIN.
- Check brake fluid level and confirm the warning light functions. The BCM recalls address a sensor that may fail to warn of low fluid. Ask about brake system service history.
- Ask about the fuel pump recall status (25V455000). If the recall repair has not yet been performed or parts are unavailable, factor that into your decision — an engine stall at speed is a meaningful safety risk.
- Confirm the forward collision camera alignment was corrected (22V334000). A misaligned ADAS camera means automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping systems may not function correctly.
- Request a full dealer service history to identify whether any of these repairs were attempted and whether the vehicle may fall into the “incorrectly repaired” subset addressed by the follow-up recalls.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many recalls does the 2022 Ford Mustang have?
According to NHTSA data retrieved on July 16, 2026, the 2022 Ford Mustang is associated with nine recall campaigns. These cover components including the passenger knee airbag, forward collision camera, automatic transmission, body control module, electric power steering, rearview camera software, and fuel pump.
Is the 2022 Mustang’s steering recall serious?
Yes. Recalls 24V493000 and 25V096000 both address a steering torque sensor that can cause the steering wheel to move against the driver’s intentions — a condition with obvious crash potential. The fact that a second recall was issued specifically because the first repair was performed incorrectly at some dealerships means buyers must verify both campaigns are completed on their specific VIN, not just one of them.
Does the 2022 Ford Mustang have NHTSA crash-test safety ratings?
No. The NHTSA data retrieved for this article lists overall, frontal, side, and rollover ratings all as unavailable for the 2022 Mustang. Buyers seeking crash-test data should consult nhtsa.gov and the IIHS directly to check whether ratings have been published through other testing programs.
What are the most commonly complained-about components on the 2022 Mustang?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, steering, the fuel system, and the electrical system each received the most owner complaints — seven each — out of 48 total complaints on record. These three categories directly correspond to active or recently resolved recall campaigns, suggesting that real-world owners are experiencing the same defects the recalls were issued to address.