2016 Ford F-150
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 73 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 26 F-150 model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 3 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 1 person was injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, automatic transmissionApr 14, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150 vehicles. A loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear.
Unexpectedly downshifting into second gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S28. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 15, 2026.
Campaign 26V237000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, power assistMar 11, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and 2016-2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.
A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. These conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. An interim owner notification letter notifying customers of the safety defect were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed April 29, 2022. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-332. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S11.
Campaign 22V150000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, front, control arm, upper ball jointApr 12, 2021
Tenneco Automotive (DRiV) is recalling certain MOOG K500359 ball joints, for aftermarket installation on 2015-2018 Ford F-150 trucks. The ball joint may have a misaligned dust boot and may be missing alignment hole and installation warning tag, which may lead to improper alignment of the ball joint.
An incorrectly installed ball joint may cause the ball joint stud to break, which can compromise front wheel control, increasing the risk of a crash.
DRiV will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary replace the ball joint, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 5, 2021. Owners may contact Tenneco Automotive customer service at 1-877-489-6659.
Campaign 21E027000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, master cylinderJun 8, 2020
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2017 F-150 pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may leak brake fluid into the brake booster.
A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel and feel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, possibly requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. These conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and inspect the brake booster, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Ford issued owners an interim notification on June 30, 2020. The recall began on October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S31.
Campaign 20V332000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineFeb 21, 2020
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2016 F-150 pick-up trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines and block immersion heaters that were potentially relocated from their originally installed location. The incorrect location could put the heater too close to hot engine components, possibly resulting in a damaged cable.
A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the block heater's location and its cable, replacing components as necessary, free of charge. If the replacement parts are not available, dealers will disable the existing block heater cable from being used until parts become available. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S08.
Campaign 20V098000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineApr 8, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.
A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.
Campaign 19V278000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineDec 18, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45.
Campaign 18V894000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, pretensionerAug 31, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.
A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S27.
Campaign 18V568000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsNov 29, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 F-150 and Explorer vehicles. Loose power seat adjuster pivot bolts may cause the front seat cushions to detach and not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash.
In the event of a crash, a seat occupant that is not properly restrained has an increased risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tightness of the power seat track upper pivot link bolt, either applying threadlocker or replacing the lift link and hardware, free of charge. Interim letters are expected to go out January 15, 2018. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S40.
Campaign 17V767000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchOct 16, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the doors opening while driving although they appear to be closed.
A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S33.
Campaign 17V652000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, rear/otherAug 28, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250 and F-350 trucks equipped with a crew cab. The left rear inflatable seat belt buckle assembly may be inadequately attached to its mounting bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
If the left rear inflatable seat belt buckle separates from it's mounting bracket, the seat occupant may not be adequately restrained, increasing their risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt assembly, replacing the attaching rivet as necessary, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed October 18, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C12.
Campaign 17V526000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchMay 22, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles originally produced with black or body colored exterior door handles that may have been subsequently equipped with a chrome exterior door handle cover accessory kit purchased from a Ford dealer. These accessory door handle covers may cause the doors to unlatch in a side impact collision. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
If the doors unlatch and open in a side impact collision, the occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the accessory covers and refund the purchase price. The recall began July 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 17C09.
Campaign 17V331000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, reclinerJun 28, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Explorer and F-150 vehicles equipped with a manual recline driver's seat. The seat back frame may have insufficient welds which may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
The seat back may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall begin on August 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 16C11.
Campaign 16V475000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationFeb 25, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 F-150 trucks manufactured April 27, 2015, to November 22, 2015, and equipped with Multi-Contour Seats (MCS). The front passenger seat Occupant Classification System (OCS) that calibrates the air bag deployment level may incorrectly classify an adult as a child when the seat massage feature is activated.
If an adult is incorrectly classified as a child, the passenger frontal air bag will not deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Occupant Classification System Module (OCSM) with new software, free of charge. The recall began on March 11, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S05.
Campaign 16V110000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: vehicle speed control
3 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Sep 21, 2026
XXX: I scheduled an oil change online and selected the open transmission safety recall. [XXX] Ford executed Recall 26S28 (PCM Programming) under verification code RGLKT7MASIPIJ. The truck had absolutely no shifting issues prior to this flash. XXX: Within two weeks of the software update, the truck began experiencing the exact erratic shifting and violent gear-dropping safety hazards described in the recall. I returned the truck to the dealer. XXX: After days of complete silence, I had to initiate contact. First by phone, then by physically walking into the service desk on XXX to get answers because the dealer ignored my vehicle. Mid-XXX: After the truck sat on their lot for three weeks, they finally scanned it and retrieved code P2701. The dealer stated the recall wouldn't cover it and immediately quoted me $8,000 to rebuild or $10,000 to replace the transmission. They claimed they would submit the case to Ford Corporate. XXX: Having heard nothing, I returned to the dealership in person. I was told they still had no response from corporate. The Paperwork Contradiction: The technician's notes on Page 3 explicitly state: "No update so that one recall cannot be performed, must been updated at some point." This proves the technician failed to look at their own shop's service history from XXX (Page 2), where they signed off on completing the update. Furthermore, they condemned the entire transmission based strictly on a digital code scan; they never dropped the pan or performed any physical diagnostic work. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Aug 11, 2026
I was at my granddaughters and I went to leave and it was like dead except the wrench came up in the dash panel , I waited before calling my husband and I went back to try and start it again and it started no wrench in the display or anything , this was in February 2026. In March of 2026 I was in the middle turn lane on [XXX] by Tuttle, Ok. And it stalled as I was trying to turn and would not move I put it back into park and then back to drive and it turned . Next incident was in April2026 and I was on [XXX] south of Mustang , Ok. And I was in the passing lane passing a vehicle going 65 mph and it just stalled and went down into 1 st gear I managed to get it to the shoulder of road an then it died it would not start but the radio and lights were still on and there was a wrench popped up in the panel . I waited for about 30 minutes and kept trying to start it after several attempts it started again and I made it home . The next incident my husband drove to doctors office and it did the same thing to him and would not move in the parking lot . About 15 minutes later he got it to start and he made it home . We quit driving it. Then we got a letter from Ford with the recall 26V237 .i waited for 2 nd letter and had not gotten it with a fix for it so I called the Ford Service Repir Center and they got us on the phone connected to a Ford Dealership in Yukon , Ok and they came and got the pickup on August 10 th and took it and brought it back on August 11 th and they did the soft ware update and told us no codes came up and we know better . When I had previously talked to the Ford Repair Center I was told if the wrench came up that they would replace the lead frame at no cost to us and give us a 150000 mile warranty. So it is now our word against the mechanics that the wrench ever came up INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jul 23, 2026
Vehicle suddenly seemed to shift while driving causing a loud sound, jerk and caused a loss of control suddenly.