FORD F-150 · model year

2016 FORD F-150

2331 NHTSA complaints, 67 crash reports, and 13 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016FORDF-150 carries 2331 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 67 crashes, 36 fires, 71 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 F-150 is power train with 415 filings, followed by engine (296) and service brakes (293). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 13 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2016 F-150, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

2331
Complaints
67
Crashes
36
Fires
71
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2331 filings

Crashes Reported

67 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN415
ENGINE296
SERVICE BRAKES293
UNKNOWN OR OTHER233
STRUCTURE:BODY183
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM161
VISIBILITY/WIPER100
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL82
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM81
STEERING59
WHEELS38
AIR BAGS33
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES29
SEATS21
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC21

Recalls (13)

18V56800031/08/2018

SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

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.

17V76700029/11/2017

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.

17V52600028/08/2017

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

16V47500028/06/2016

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 Restr

16V11000025/02/2016

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 clas

17V33100022/05/2017

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

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

20V09800021/02/2020

ENGINE

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, possibl

18V89400018/12/2018

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 causi

17V65200016/10/2017

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 d

21E02700012/04/2021

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT

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

22V15000011/03/2022

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.

20V33200008/06/2020

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

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.

19V27800008/04/2019

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 and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block h

Recent Complaints

20260219POWER TRAIN

I was driving down the road with the cruise set at 60 mph when I came over the top of a hill and I started to decend down the hill if felt like my truck had down shifted and the back tires locked up and screeched a little bit then a big bang happened and had no more drive gear as I hit the gas it just reved the motor up and didn’t move. Upon further inspection I pulled the rear differential cover off and my spider gears and the shaft holding the gears in place was snapped in 2 different places, chips in the gears. My transfer case chain was snapped in half and my transmission had hard shift from first to second gear and a loud buzzing noise. . I took the truck to my mechanic and hooked a scanner up to it and took it for a test run. As it was driving a sensor was telling the truck to shift into park as it was shifting from first to second or second to third causing a hard shift and buzzing noise and eventually losing all connectivity to the transmission and internals as well. I have s

20260219POWER TRAIN

The transmission is clunks on random shifts through gears. Changing the shift selector results in a jolt and then it pops into gear. This truck has had new tranny wire lead replaced at ford dealership because of the same issue in the past

20260218POWER TRAIN

The contact's husband owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while her son was driving 60 MPH, the driver lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted, and the vehicle almost came to a complete stop. Despite the failure, the contact's son was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence, and the vehicle was parked and remained parked at the residence. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

Mileage: 103,000

20260218VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

My transmission started down shifting on its own while driving one morning and the check engine light and wrench light illuminated. I took it to the dealership that afternoon and had the conductor board replaced. They said it was the speed sensor that malfunctioned.

20260217POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The WRENCH symbol (Powertrain Malfunction Indicator Light) was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Mileage: 98,000

20260217ENGINE

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The WRENCH symbol (Powertrain Malfunction Indicator Light) was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Mileage: 98,000

20260217POWER TRAIN

Was traveling down the road and my truck randomly downshifted into 1st gear and caused my rear wheels to lock up and i almost went off the road..occasionally 9n way back home gear shift selector was randomly cycling back and forth and truck would seem like was neutral and would suddenly go back into a random gear.

20260216STRUCTURE:BODY

Frame is rusted through along the bottom weld. Most likely water, sand and debris entered the frame from side openings and this corrosive mixture sat in the bottom of the frame as there were no drain holes nearby. The problem was discovered by a Ford mechanic and the dealership said they could not repair it, and to try a collision center. An auto body said they could not strengthen the frame as Ford does not allow welding but they could replace the frame for $9,179 plus other cost for draining fluids, etc.

20260215POWER TRAIN

Gets stuck in 3rd and 5th gears randomly, on the interstate it will get stuck and won’t shift, we believe it is a lead frame issue, in town it won’t down shift out of third, we can turn it off and on and it can jump from first to third gear while not moving, sometimes it runs just fine, it does this at random

20260213UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Ford has known about these 2 issues but refuses to do anything about it one of them they flat failed to mention at to anyone. The climate control seat module burns due to a ground wire. But they have to release the information they on 2014-2019 you can’ use aftermarket thermostat as they’re not calibrated right for the motor and also fit bit differently which causes people to spend so much to fix a cooling problem that doesn’t exist

20260212VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling and wind sound coming from the panoramic roof. While attempting to inspect the vehicle, the contact stated that the panoramic roof glass seized, opened, and failed to close. The contact stated that the panoramic roof glass seemed as if it was about to fracture. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was very expensive and not worth the cost. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

20260211ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving at approximately 55 mph the vehicle began to behave strangely. The "D" light for drive and the gear indicator began to flash. Then the transmission abruptly down shifted to 2nd gear from 5th then lost all power before returning to somewhat normal operation for a short period of time before happening again. The issue occurred multiple times in a 5 mile trip. If there was anyone close behind me it could have resulted in a crash, or it could result in myself losing control of the vehicle. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by a mechanic. There were no warning lamps or any messages prior to, during, or after the issue.

20260211POWER TRAIN

While driving at approximately 55 mph the vehicle began to behave strangely. The "D" light for drive and the gear indicator began to flash. Then the transmission abruptly down shifted to 2nd gear from 5th then lost all power before returning to somewhat normal operation for a short period of time before happening again. The issue occurred multiple times in a 5 mile trip. If there was anyone close behind me it could have resulted in a crash, or it could result in myself losing control of the vehicle. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by a mechanic. There were no warning lamps or any messages prior to, during, or after the issue.

20260211POWER TRAIN

Over the past few years, I have experienced sporadic issues with my transmission. I am aware of an investigation into 2015-2017 F-150's with 6-speed 6R80 automatic transmissions which is what I have. According to articles I have seen, there have been reports of sudden down-shifts at highway speed from 6th to 2nd or 1st gear. While I have not experienced anything that drastic yet, I am concerned that it's just a matter of time. I have experienced slipping out of 6th gear or what I would describe as the transmission "hunting" to find a shift point between 4th and 6th. I first became aware of this while trailering an RV on the highway using cruise control in the summer of 2023. Periodically, I would notice a "lurching" sensation as the vehicle seemed to have difficulty maintaining 6th gear. As time has gone on, I've had this happen even when not trailering but when going up hills at times (transmission under load). Additionally, I have experienced sudden loss of power under acceleration l

20260209POWER TRAIN

Sudden downshift from 4th to 1st gear. Rear end locked up, had to manually select 1st gear in order to get power back to the wheels.

20260209POWER TRAIN

Transmission downshifted unexpectedly during normal driving .

20260209ENGINE

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH with cruise control engaged, the vehicle experienced transmission failure. The contact stated that the engine seized, and the vehicle abruptly stopped. The “Service Transmission Soon” message was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the message was cleared. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25002 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, who confirmed that the VIN was not under recall and there was no recall related to the failure. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with transmission valve body failure. The transmission valve body was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

Mileage: 47,000

20260209POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH with cruise control engaged, the vehicle experienced transmission failure. The contact stated that the engine seized, and the vehicle abruptly stopped. The “Service Transmission Soon” message was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the message was cleared. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25002 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, who confirmed that the VIN was not under recall and there was no recall related to the failure. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with transmission valve body failure. The transmission valve body was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

Mileage: 47,000

20260209POWER TRAIN

My 2016 F150 with a 6R80 transmission will randomly fail to go into gear resulting in my vehicle going into neutral and rolling. It will randomly go into neutral while driving down the road which makes my car roll forward unexpectedly, it will randomly when you shift into park it will go into neutral and roll, it will also downshift randomly at random speeds, it has caused me on more than one occasion to almost roll into another vehicle due to it unexpectedly going out of gear without notice almost causing an accident. I believe it to be the lead frame in the transmission. It has been replaced twice with oem ford parts and has failed once within a week and the second time failing the next day, all work done at a licensed service shop, inspected and has failed completely regardless of parts being replaced,

20260208ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle: 2016 Ford F-150, 5.0L V8, 6R80 automatic transmission Mileage at time of failure: Approximately 118,000 miles Approximate date of occurrence: Late 2025 (Late October to Early November) While driving at speeds above approximately 40 mph, the transmission would randomly and unexpectedly downshift, causing a severe and sudden jerking motion accompanied by extremely high engine RPMs. After several seconds, the transmission would violently upshift back into the original gear. Most occurrences involved the transmission downshifting one or two gears; however, on multiple occasions it downshifted from 6th gear directly to 2nd gear while traveling at highway speeds. This caused the rear wheels to momentarily lock up, creating a dangerous loss of traction and loss of vehicle control. These events occurred frequently, including during short trips, and were not related to driver input, braking, or road conditions. During these incidents, the check engine light and wrench warning light

Compare 2016FORDF-150 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 FORD F-150 have?
The 2016 FORD F-150 has 2331 NHTSA complaints, 67 crashes, 36 fires, 71 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 FORD F-150?
Yes, the 2016 FORD F-150 has 13 recall(s). The most common affected component is SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 FORD F-150?
The most-complained component for the 2016 FORD F-150 is POWER TRAIN with 415 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2016 FORD F-150 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.