The numerical simulation of acoustic wave propagation through piezoelectric crystals using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is introduced. The update equations for the velocity and stress fields are derived and applied to the propagation of ultrasonic waves in three substrates. The concept of the perfectly matched layer (PML), first introduced for the simulation of electromagnetic waves, is extended to the simulation of mechanical waves. The technique is shown to be effective for some crystals, but the PML is found to exhibit numerical instabilities for others.