Bad news for for Ford and Ford Mustang owners as the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into 26,000 manual-equipped Ford Mustangs from model years 2011 to 2012, the organization said on Sunday. NHTSA has received 32 complaints of an inability to shift gears, some nearly resulting in crashes.
The complaints range from the grinding of gears to the complete lockout of others. One owner said that after six trips to the dealership, the problem still wasn’t solved. The alleged issue exists on both V6 and V8 Mustangs.
The current Mustang uses the MT82 transmission, built by Getrag at a joint-venture plant in China. The Land Rover Defender uses the same unit and has reported experienced similar problems.
The investigation by NHTSA, which could last up to a year, is the first step before deciding whether an engineering analysis is warranted. If more evidence is found, a recall could be initiated. Ford could also voluntarily recall the cars.