MotorYearvehicle reliability by model year · NHTSA data

2016 Ford F-150

2016 Ford F-150
Photo: Bull-Doser (Public domain)
Complaints
2,024
Per 100k sold
378
≈535k sold (est.)
Recall campaigns
14
Crash / fire reports
55 / 25

Complaints by component

A complaint can name multiple components.

power train
560 (28%)
service brakes
338 (17%)
engine
314 (16%)
unknown or other
249 (12%)
structure
199 (10%)
electrical system
185 (9%)
visibility/wiper
105 (5%)
vehicle speed control
98 (5%)
fuel/propulsion system
83 (4%)
steering
63 (3%)
wheels
53 (3%)
latches/locks/linkages
52 (3%)

Complaints by vehicle age

Years between the model year and the reported incident.

227
114
0
9 · 227 complaints · age 9 years
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
View as table
0185
1174
2181
3205
4165
5153
6156
7200
8207
9227
10171

Complaints by odometer reading

Mileage at failure, where the complainant reported it. When this curve rises early, problems show up while the vehicle is still young.

203
102
0
0k · 203 complaints · 0,000–10,000 miles
0k
10k
20k
30k
40k
50k
60k
70k
80k
90k
100k
110k
120k
130k
140k
150k+
View as table
0k203
10k106
20k96
30k90
40k117
50k102
60k79
70k68
80k49
90k36
100k32
110k27
120k34
130k17
140k18
150k+38

Recalls (14)

power train · 2026-04-14 · 26V237000

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.

service brakes, hydraulic · 2022-11-03 · 22V150000

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.

suspension · 2021-12-04 · 21E027000

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.

Risk: 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.

Remedy: 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.

service brakes, hydraulic · 2020-08-06 · 20V332000

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.

engine · 2020-02-21 · 20V098000

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.

engine · 2019-08-04 · 19V278000

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.

engine · 2018-12-18 · 18V894000

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.

seat belts · 2018-08-31 · 18V568000

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.

seats · 2017-11-29 · 17V767000

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.

latches/locks/linkages · 2017-10-16 · 17V652000

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.

seat belts · 2017-08-28 · 17V526000

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.

latches/locks/linkages · 2017-05-22 · 17V331000

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.

seats · 2016-06-28 · 16V475000

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.

air bags · 2016-02-25 · 16V110000

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.

Crash-test ratings (NHTSA NCAP)

No federal crash-test ratings for this model year.

Recent complaints

2026-08-27 · power train · ODI 11760120

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number : 26V237000 (POWER TRAIN) and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was remedied. The contact contact continued to drive the vehicle when the failure occurred while driving at 60 MPH the transmission downshifted from 5th gear into 3rd gear, the service vehicle soon warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the molded plastic lead frame was faulty and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.

2026-08-27 · power train · ODI 11760022

On August 21, 2026, my 2016 Ford F-150 was serviced at Five Star Ford to perform safety recall 26S28 (Powertrain Control Module software update). Immediately following this software flash, the transmission's shifting logic became severely corrupted and unsafe to drive. The vehicle currently acts as if it has completely lost 2nd gear, experiences a severe lag when shifting up into 6th gear, and repeatedly fails to lock itself into 3rd, 4th, or 5th gears. The dealership is currently using a temporary lack of hard Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) to deny coverage for an internal physical lead frame component replacement under the 26S28 extended warranty guidelines, claiming instead that a complete, out-of-pocket transmission replacement assembly is required. The safety update has directly induced a severe driving hazard, leaving the vehicle unable to properly find or maintain standard highway gears.

2026-08-26 · power train · ODI 11759740

Vehicle transmission downshift to a lower gear while traveling at city and highway speeds without any prior warning or driver input. Diagnostic showed codes P0715 and P0717. The following day we received notification from Ford of the recall "Transmission molded leadframe replacement" (Campaign 26N04)" - which was investigated by NHTSA as part of Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V237. When we spoke to our local dealership in [XXX] they felt it was the same issues as the recall describes. However, when we submitted the vehicle for repairs, they reported that these specific diagnostic codes (P0715 and P0717) are NOT considered part of the recall and are therefore NOT covered by the recall. But the repair needed for our codes are the SAME remedy as recall indicates. So, we are left with out-of-pocket expenses of over $2,000 because the code is one digit off. We would like to confirm with the NHTSA if these codes are actually covered, and if not, WHY? Our vehicle is experiencing the exact same issues as reported in your evaluation and my [XXX] old son is not safe in this vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2026-08-24 · steering · ODI 11759088

"While operating my 2016 Ford F-150, the vehicle lost power-steering assist. Ray Skillman Ford diagnosed an internal failure of the power steering control module and replaced the steering gear assembly. The vehicle had approximately 94,620 miles. Sudden loss of steering assist significantly increased the effort required to steer the truck and created a safety concern. The repair cost me $3,804.27."

2026-08-21 · power train · ODI 11758639

My truck at 45 mph suddenly downshifted to first gear. It locked my tires causing me to fish tail. Luckily I lost control beside a shoulder and not into a ditch or another vehicle. I was near my home and turned onto a country road and was able to drive 20 mph or less to get it home. It is due to a recall that currently has no clear repair. Ford is aware of this issue and has done next to nothing to assist me. I have no vehicle and have not had one for nearly a month. The service team manager called to tell me the parts were not available but are ordered. He also mentioned his mechanics were afraid to drive my truck from the lot to the garage because the truck is acting so erratically. There is no way this should not be addressed. I’ve only been asking for Ford to do the right thing. They’ve done nothing. It is dangerous I could have been killed in an accident because of this. My truck could have also fish tailed into oncoming traffic endangering others as well. I am not sure what else can be done. I’m out of options. Ford has refused to give me a loaner vehicle or pay for a rental due to company policy. I’m looking for any assistance at this point. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.