Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1971 Mustang.
The 1971 Ford Mustang represents the early era of the pony car nameplate, positioned well outside the model's most heavily criticized production years. Looking at the Mustang's documented complaint history spanning 1990 to 2026, the 1971 model predates the peak of 868 complaints logged against the 2005 iteration by several decades, contrasting sharply with the all-time low of just 4 complaints recorded in 2026. Therefore, this early-seventies vehicle sits favorably within the Mustang's broader reliability timeline, indicating a generally straightforward ownership experience unburdened by the concentrated faults that would plague the model decades later.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 190.2 in |
| Wheelbase | 109.1 in |
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Mustang of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Boss 351 Coupe 5.8L V8 | 5.80 sec | 14.10 sec | 330 hp | RWD |
| 1971 | Boss 351 Coupe 5.8L V8 | 5.80 sec | 13.80 sec | 330 hp | RWD |
| 1970 | Boss 429 Coupe 7.0L V8 | 5.30 sec | 12.30 sec | 375 hp | RWD |
| 1970 | Boss 302 Coupe 4.9L V8 | 5.80 sec | 14.40 sec | 290 hp | RWD |
| 1970 | Boss 302 Coupe 4.9L V8 | 6.50 sec | 14.93 sec | 290 hp | RWD |
| 1970 | Boss 302 Coupe 4.9L V8 | 8.10 sec | 15.80 sec | 290 hp | RWD |
| 1969 | Mach I Fastback 7.0L V8 | 5.70 sec | 14.30 sec | 335 hp | RWD |
| 1968 | 2+2 GT Fastback 6.4L V8 | 6.30 sec | 14.80 sec | 320 hp | RWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
Remedy:
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.