Ford Mustang Maintenance Schedule: Keep Your Pony Running Strong

It's Easy to Follow the Schedule, But Pay Attention

What we have here is a reference guide to help you keep your Mustang maintenance organized. We've broken it down by mileage and suggested timelines based on a typical driving schedule for a daily driver. Follow the guide, but don't miss the forest for the trees. Common sense still applies. Even if the Mustang service schedule says check your transmission fluid every 5,000 miles, if your transmission starts acting sketchy between service milestones, address that problem ASAP. It should go without saying, but respond promptly to dashboard indicators and the dreaded "Check Engine" light as well. When it comes to Mustang maintenance, the old adage of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" certainly rings true.

If you just bought a '94 Cobra on Craigslist, assume that car has had the crap run out of it and that it needs to be looked over inch by inch, and that your Mustang servicing requirements may differ from this general overview. If you're not qualified to do the work yourself, pay a good mechanic to do it for you—many a Mustang maintenance plan has been derailed by a well-intentioned, yet unqualified DIY'er. Also, if you only drive your Mustang on rare occasions or store it for the winter, your maintenance schedule will vary from what we've outlined here.

Below we've grouped your Mustang maintenance tasks into five stages. Repeat the schedule at each milestone and keep your baby in tip-top shape.

Every 3,000-5,000 Miles (Every 3-4 Months)

The single most important thing you can do for your Mustang is to keep it flowing with fresh, clean motor oil. Oil is your car's blood. Keeping engine parts lubricated and running smooth as silk is imperative to performance and longevity. Don't snooze on this.

Some people change their oil every 5,000 miles (or even longer if they use synthetic oil), but many of us prefer more frequent oil changes, especially those of us who like to run our Mustangs hard. Even when using synthetic oil, changing your oil too early is better than letting it go too long. Synthetic is more expensive than conventional oil, but we like its advantages, which make it worth the extra cash every few months.

Even with the growing popularity of synthetic oil, some myths still persevere:

Myth: Synthetic oil is bad for older cars. There's no evidence that synthetic oil is harmful to older engines. In fact the data shows that older motors gain the same advantages from synthetic oil that newer ones do.

Myth: Once you use synthetic oil, you can't switch back to conventional. Nope, this one's not even close to being accurate. They actually sell synthetic blends of motor oil that contain synthetic AND conventional oil. You can switch between synthetic, conventional and blends without worry.

Myth: Synthetic oil allows me to change my oil less frequently. This is a popular stance, but we would advise against it. Oil drainage is set by the manufacturer regardless of whether you're using synthetic or conventional oil. To reap the full benefits of synthetic oil, stick with your same Mustang maintenance schedule of changing it every 5,000 miles.

Really, the only downside to using synthetic oil is the extra cost.

One last note about motor oil: Newer cars and advanced oils are far more efficient than in the past. If you just drove your brand new Mustang off the lot, your oil change schedule could be spaced out a bit further than your neighbor who still drives his 2000 GT back and forth to work every day. Ford actually recommends 10,000 miles between oil changes on brand new Mustangs, but as we said before, we'd rather err on the side of changing our oil more frequently than not frequently enough.

12,000-15,000 Miles (Once a Year)

At this stage of your Mustang servicing, you'll have likely changed your oil 3-5 times (possibly once or twice if you're driving a brand new Mustang with full synthetic oil), and it's time to go over a few more areas. This is when things listed on your service schedule that had a bit of wear at 5,000 miles will likely get replaced. It's probably time for a new engine air filter, wiper blades and fluid refills. Check your cabin air filter and replace if necessary at this point.

This is also a good time to rotate your tires and assess your car's alignment.

Turbocharged and supercharged Mustangs should have their spark plugs checked now.

The 12-month mark is a typical time to check a car's brakes. But we know Mustang drivers can be a bit, shall we say, aggressive in their acceleration and deceleration, so you'll want to keep a continual eye on physical wear, listen for squealing and feel for softness in the brake pedal if you're going fast and furious from stoplight to stoplight—if this is your style, expect to replace your brakes sooner rather than later.

30,000 miles (Every Two Years)

You've had your car for two years, and it's time to add a few things to your Mustang service regimen. Everything that gets examined at 15,000 miles gets the same treatment at 30,000.

On newer vehicles, there's really no such thing as a tune-up anymore. Computers regulate the ignition timing, and carburetors went out of style with powdered wigs. But your spark plugs still need to be replaced. Do it now.

The 30,000-mile Mustang maintenance period is when you'll want to check and likely flush your transmission and power steering fluids.

60,000 Miles (Every Four or Five Years)

If you bought your Mustang GT brand new, you're nearing the end of or have surpassed your car's factory warranty. This is when Murphy's Law takes over and everything on your beloved Mustang starts to fall apart, right? Not for you, at least not if you followed this Ford Mustang maintenance schedule. If you've serviced and maintained your Mustang as instructed, it should still be going as strong (and look as gorgeous) as the day it roared off the lot.

You'll want to perform all the usual 30,000-mile checklist items and also flush your engine coolant and inspect (and change if necessary) your timing belt.

100,000 Miles (To Infinity and Beyond!)

It used to be that the 100,000-mile mark was a vehicle's retirement age, and it wasn't uncommon to see high-revving performance muscle machines wear out far before this milestone. Well times have changed, Grandpa. Cars are built to last well beyond 100,000 miles (if properly maintained), and muscle cars like the Mustang still perform like champions even when their mileage surpasses six digits.

If your Pony has eclipsed the century mileage mark, it's a good idea to have a qualified mechanic inspect everything to address all the wear and tear your car has endured over the years. If you've taken care of your Mustang as outlined in this Mustang maintenance guide, there's no reason why it can't keep performing for you day after day.