2016 Ford F-150 problems, complaints & recalls

2016 Ford F-150 recalls (13)

• Recall 26V237000Apr 14, 20261,392,935 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

  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.

  Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into second gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 22V150000Mar 11, 2022195,864 vehicles
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST

  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.

  Risk: 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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 20V332000Jun 8, 2020292,311 vehicles
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST

  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.

  Risk: 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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 20V098000Feb 21, 202013,854 vehicles
  ENGINE · EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

  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.

  Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 19V278000Apr 8, 2019131,068 vehicles
  ENGINE · EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

  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.

  Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 18V894000Dec 18, 2018410,289 vehicles
  ENGINE

  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.

  Risk: 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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 18V568000Aug 31, 20181,619,112 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER · STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

  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.

  Risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 17V767000Nov 29, 2017177,264 vehicles
  SEATS

  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.

  Risk: In the event of a crash, a seat occupant that is not properly restrained has an increased risk of injury.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 17V652000Oct 16, 20171,101,107 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

  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.

  Risk: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 17V526000Aug 28, 2017117,423 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

  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."

  Risk: 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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 17V331000May 22, 201714,410 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH · STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

  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."

  Risk: If the doors unlatch and open in a side impact collision, the occupants have an increased risk of injury.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 16V475000Jun 28, 20165,280 vehicles
  SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

  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."

  Risk: The seat back may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 16V110000Feb 25, 20162,894 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

  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.

  Risk: 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.

  Remedy: 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.

NHTSA defect investigations

• EA26001Opened Jan 30, 2026Openled to recall 26V237

  Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up

  On March 21, 2025, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE25002) to investigate instances of unexpected transmission downshifting without driver input in model year (MY) 2015-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles (subject vehicles) manufactured by Ford Motor Company (Ford). The complaints allege that, without warning or driver input, the subject vehicles experienced a sudden and rapid deceleration often accompanied by temporary rear wheel lockup, seizure, or skidding, resulting in a loss of vehicle control that increases the risk of crash and injury to all motorist…

• PE25002Opened Mar 21, 2025Closed Jan 30, 2026

  Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up

  On March 21, 2025, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE25002) to investigate instances of unexpected transmission downshifting without driver input in model year (MY) 2015-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles (subject vehicles) manufactured by Ford Motor Company (Ford). The complaints allege that, without warning or driver input, the subject vehicles experienced a sudden and rapid deceleration often accompanied by temporary rear wheel lockup, seizure, or skidding, resulting in a loss of vehicle control that increases the risk of crash and injury to all motor…

• PE18008Opened Aug 3, 2018Closed Dec 17, 2018led to recall 18V568000

  Seatbelt Pretensioner Fire

  On June 18, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE18-008) to investigate complaints alleging post-crash fires at the B pillar in the area of the seat belt pretensioners on MY 2014-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab, and Super Crew Cab Vehicles. On August 24, 2018, Ford Motor Company recalled (FSA 18S27 - NHTSA #18V568) the affected population. Ford's investigation found that some front seat belt pretensioners may generate sparks during deployment in excess of Ford's specification. Sparks in the pretensioner exhaust gases inside the lower portion of the B-…

• RQ16001Opened Sep 28, 2016Closed Jul 5, 2020led to recall 20V332000

  Brake Master Cylinder Failure

  On June 8, 2020, Ford Motor Company issued a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-332) of 292,311 model year (MY) 2014-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines and built from 9/1/2014 to 8/1/2016. Ford stated that the causes of brake fluid loss in the master cylinder are brake fluid contamination that can interfere with rear cup seal function, and rolling of the rearmost cup seal.Prior to total loss of the front brakes, depending on the amount of brake fluid loss in the master cylinder, the driver may receive an audible chime, message center alert and red brake warning indic…

Recent 2016 Ford F-150 complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Oct 8, 2026OHTransmission & Drivetrain

   Ford sent me a recall letter stating there was a remedy for my truck. I took the truck to a ford service center and was informed that the remedy they had in place to fix the recall does not resolve the problem. They also informed me that they have no idea when the new remedy will be out to fix my truck. Seeing that there is no remedy or any timeline of when I’m getting my truck back I called ford customer support to ask for a loan vehicle. They told me they was unable to…

   NHTSA complaint #11769866 · source
2. Filed Oct 8, 2026NVAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   In mid-September 2026, I had safety recall 26S28 (NHTSA 26V-237) performed on my 2016 Ford F-150 at Corwin Ford Reno in Reno, NV. The recall remedy was a powertrain control module software update intended to prevent unexpected transmission downshifts. Before the recall repair, the vehicle had no drivability problems of any kind. About three days after the recall repair, the truck began repeatedly losing acceleration while driving at highway speed. The vehicle would stop…

   NHTSA complaint #11769769 · source
3. Filed Oct 7, 2026PATransmission & Drivetrain

   The automatic transmission has experienced repeated unexpected downshifts and other abnormal gear-selection behavior. Before the recall repair, the vehicle experienced multiple unexpected downshifts, including a shift from 4th to 2nd gear. Safety Recall 26S28 was performed on July 20, 2026, consisting of a PCM software update. The problem continued after the recall repair. Approximately one week later, while operating in 3rd gear, the transmission momentarily shifted into…

   NHTSA complaint #11769557 · source
4. Filed Oct 5, 2026GATransmission & Drivetrain

   Component Affected: Power Train / Electrical System / Transmission Description of Incident: My 2016 Ford F-150 was taken to a licensed Ford dealership to resolve Safety Recall 26S28 / NHTSA Campaign 26V237000 (PCM software update to prevent sudden downshifts). Prior to the recall, the truck drove fine with no issues. Immediately after the software update was performed, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic, uncommanded downshift from 4th gear into 1st gear while traveling at…

   NHTSA complaint #11769149 · source
5. Filed Oct 5, 2026180,000 miTXTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. While the contact's mother was driving 20 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The power train and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the…

   NHTSA complaint #11769064 · source
6. Filed Oct 5, 2026MDTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the contact denied the repair for being insufficient. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

   NHTSA complaint #11768969 · source
7. Filed Oct 4, 2026TNCrashOther / Unknown

   On XXX, I parked my 2016 Ford F-150 in a Kroger parking lot, in [XXX] around 5 pm. I placed the transmission selector in PARK, exited the vehicle, and went inside the store. The vehicle was unattended. When I came back outside, I discovered that the truck had rolled from where I had parked it, traveled across the parking lot, and struck another vehicle. A police report was filed regarding the incident. I believe there may have been a failure of the vehicle's parking…

   NHTSA complaint #11768800 · source
8. Filed Oct 2, 2026150,000 miAZTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to shift into first gear unless the accelerator pedal was released for up to thirty seconds, after which the transmission shifted hard into second gear. The check engine and power train warning lights illuminated after the hard shift. Additionally, the vehicle only shifted between third and fifth gears while driving. The contact stated that the failure was a…

   NHTSA complaint #11768581 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology