Used car safety, rank #164 of 181
Ford Mustang GT coupe Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Ford Mustang GT coupe, a midsize sports car, compared with its class and with the current model.
The 2017-20 Ford Mustang GT coupe has an IIHS driver death rate of 77 per million registered vehicle years against a midsize sports cars average of 77.7, which is 1% below the class average. That places it #164 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 12.6/100.
What the Ford Mustang GT coupe death rate means
At 77 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Ford Mustang GT coupe beats the midsize sports cars average of 77.7 by 1%. The 95% confidence interval is 45 to 109, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 59 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Ford Mustang GT coupe. It is no higher than the Ford Mustang GT coupe's own driver death rate. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used sports cars
The safest midsize sports cars in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Ford Mustang GT coupe highlighted. It ranks 2 of the 3 shown; the class leader is the Ford Mustang coupe at a death rate of 59.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Mustang coupe | 2017-20 | 59 (31 to 86) | 17.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Ford Mustang GT coupe (this page) | 2017-20 | 77 (45 to 109) | 12.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Ford Mustang convertible | 2017-20 | 97 (41 to 153) | 9.5 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for midsize sports cars: 77.7 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Ford Mustang GT coupe
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Ford Mustang GT coupe we score IIHS crash tests instead; here is how the latest model years rate on our new-car scale.
| Model year | Model | IIHS award | New-car score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ford Mustang Mach E | TSP | 95.6 |
| 2026 | Ford Mustang | No award | 41.7 (provisional) |
New-car scores use a different scale (crash tests, not death rates) and are not directly comparable with the 12.6 used-car score above.
Safety recalls for the Ford Mustang GT coupe
NHTSA does not list this nameplate for this model year in its recall database. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Ford Mustang GT coupe: Common Questions
Is the Ford Mustang GT coupe a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 77 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Ford Mustang GT coupe, 1% below the class average (77.7 for midsize sports cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 12.6 out of 100 and rank #164 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Ford Mustang GT coupe driver death rate?
77 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 45 to 109. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Ford Mustang GT coupe died at a rate of 59 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Ford Mustang GT coupe compare with other midsize sports cars?
The midsize sports cars class averages 77.7 driver deaths per million; the Ford Mustang GT coupe sits at 77. Among the 3 midsize sports cars compared above it ranks 2 by safety score; the top of that group is the Ford Mustang coupe with a death rate of 59.