2016 Mustang Buyers Inspection Guide

Inspection Checklist

Body, Electronics, And Recalls

Run recall checks by VIN; early S550 campaigns include oil-cooler hose, door latch, fuel-system, rear camera, and other equipment-specific items.
Inspect decklid harness and rear camera for blank, distorted, intermittent, delayed, or inverted images; check harness movement at the trunk/decklid.
Check panel alignment, undertray damage, splitter scrapes, IRS cradle/links, differential, and tire wear on lowered or track-used cars.

Powertrain

MT-82 manuals need cold/hot shifting, high-rpm 2-3, reverse engagement, clutch feel, and aftermarket shifter quality checked.
EcoBoost cars need intercooler piping, catch-can/tune/downpipe history, coolant/oil condition, misfire history, and underbody heat-shield recall status.
GTs need tune/intake/header history, emissions readiness, oil leaks, cold idle, and rear-end ratio verification.

Special Models

Performance Package should show Brembos, wheels/tires, gauges, spoiler/aero, axle ratio, and window sticker support.
GT350 should show flat-plane 5.2L identity, Tremec manual, unique fenders/hood/aero, brakes, MagneRide where equipped, Recaros if optioned, and Shelby documentation.
2015 50 Years Limited Edition needs Wimbledon White or Kona Blue, louvered quarter-window glass, chrome-surround grille, unique trim/badging, wheels, and serial documentation.

Photo Clues

Performance Package photos should show Brembo front brakes, specific wheels, dash gauges, and tire package, then be verified with window sticker.

GT350 photos should include engine bay, front fenders/hood/aero, brakes, wheels, interior, plaques, and any engine replacement documentation.

Rear camera screenshots and decklid harness photos are valuable on early S550 listings.

VIN, Tag & Option Mismatch Checks

A GT or EcoBoost with GT350-style bodywork is not a GT350 without VIN, engine, Tremec, brakes, aero, and Shelby documentation.

MT-82 complaints cannot be resolved from photos; require a cold and hot shift test before purchase.

Known Buyer Risks

MT-82 behavior, rear-camera harness issues, oil-cooler recall status, A/C performance, IRS modification quality, and GT350 oil/engine history are high-value checks.
S550 appearance and performance packages overlap visually, so the window sticker matters.

Color & Interior Database

Use paint/interior codes as a screening tool, then verify individual cars from door labels, window stickers, Marti reports where available, SVT/Shelby/registry records, or Ford build data.

Code	Color / Trim	Model	Body	Units	Notes
G1	Shadow Black	All	-	Not published	Replaced Ebony Black UA for 2016
CY	Competition Orange	All	-	Not published	Available
H3	Triple Yellow Tricoat	All	-	Not published	Premium paint option
HN	Guard Metallic	All	-	Not published	Available
J4	Deep Impact Blue Metallic	All	-	Not published	Available
J7	Magnetic Metallic	All	-	Not published	Available
PQ	Race Red	All	-	Not published	Available
RR	Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat	All	-	Not published	Premium paint option
UX	Ingot Silver Metallic	All	-	Not published	Available
YZ	Oxford White	All	-	Not published	Available
DR	Avalanche Gray	Shelby GT350/GT350R	-	Not published	Exclusive to Shelby GT350/R
1B	Ebony Cloth	Base	Interior	Not published	Standard cloth interior
1C	Ceramic Cloth	Base	Interior	Not published	Standard cloth interior
2B	Ebony Leather	Premium	Interior	Not published	Standard leather interior on Premium trims
2C	Ceramic Leather	Premium	Interior	Not published	Standard leather interior on Premium trims
43	Dark Saddle Leather	Premium	Interior	Not published	Available leather interior on Premium trims
68B	Red Line Leather	Premium	Interior	Not published	Part of Premier Trim with Color Accent Group

Confidence: Availability-focused; exact counts not publicly verified. Breakout: No verified production-by-color breakout available.

2016 Mustang Buyers Guide