Problems · NHTSA complaints

2016 Ford F-150 problems

Owners filed 1,798 complaints about the 2016 Ford F-150 with NHTSA between Jan 2016 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is power train (416).

Complaints
1,798
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
53
Reported by owners
Fires
23
Reported by owners
Injuries
48
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train416
  2. Service brakes295
  3. Engine287
  4. Structure192
  5. Electrical system160
  6. Visibility/wiper99
  7. Vehicle speed control82
  8. Fuel/propulsion system80
  9. Steering57
  10. Wheels53
  11. Latches/locks/linkages49
  12. Visibility39
  13. Air bags34
  14. Service brakes, hydraulic34

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
2016153
2017152
2018191
2019207
2020155
2021142
2022152
2023185
2024184
2025165
2026112

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

416 reports6 crashes1 related recall
“I am filing this complaint regarding a serious transmission safety issue with my son's 2016 Ford F-150, which is subject to Ford Safety Recall 26S28 / NHTSA Recall 26V237 and is also within the scope of NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA26001 concerning unintended transmission downshifts. The truck was operating normally before the recall repair. Ford notified us that the vehicle was affected by the transmission recall and instructed us to take it to a Ford dealer. The recall remedy involved reprogramming the powertrain control module with updated software intended to address the transmission-range-sensor problem and prevent unintended downshifts. We took the truck to a Ford dealer and had the recall software update performed. Immediately following the software update, the truck developed severe and abnormal transmission behavior and became essentially undrivable. Among the problems experienced were the truck attempting to start in an incorrect gear, including fifth gear, and extremely abnormal shifting while driving, including an apparent shift from sixth gear directly to first gear – ironically the same type of dangerous and unpredictable transmission behavior…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2026Power trainODI 11774066

Service brakes

295 reports21 crashes
“Driving on highway lost power to gas pedal truck dash flashed and turned off. Bunch of lights and a gear turned on. I drove to dealership immediately and left the truck there. Was later told I have a 4 serious safety hazard recalls and one that is paused and because of this can’t be fixed and leaves the truck unusable. Leaving me without a vehicle and risk of job loss for the last 3 weeks going on 4 now”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 22, 2026Power train, Air bags, Service brakesODI 11772861

Engine

287 reports2 crashes5 fires3 related recalls
“My truck was driving fine since I bought it 9 years ago. Ford sent me a letter saying to come in for a recall (Recall 26S28). I went to my local Ford dealership for the recall work, and after that my truck started driving very poorly. The transmission would shudder, and studder at all RPMs (unsafe at highway speeds). I called the dealership and was given the run around. I was told by the dealership that the 'transmission learning' was reset and that it was fine now. Their fix didn't do anything and the truck still had transmission problems. I then found out that the recall that was performed on my truck was 'paused' due to it causing 'issues'. Ford refuses to tell me why the recall was paused, and insists that the recall did not break my truck (even though it was obviously paused for a reason). After driving it for a few months and it getting worser and worse, I called another branch of the dealership. They told me that my transmission was basically broken now, and that it would be $9000 to replace it. The truck has 72000 miles on it. The truck ran perfectly fine for almost a decade and now the transmission fails after the transmission recall work was done. I…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 26, 2026Power train, EngineODI 11773604

Structure

192 reports2 crashes1 fire
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the subframe was severely rusted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a routine oil change and was determined that the subframe was severely rusted. The dealer was unable to be raise the vehicle up on the hydraulic lift. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,076.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 23, 2025StructureODI 11668675

Electrical system

160 reports3 crashes16 fires
“My 2016 Ford F-150 5.0L V8 has experienced repeated failures involving the transmission gear-position system and inability to start. During the most recent incident, I was stopped at a traffic light when a wrench warning illuminated on the dashboard and all transmission gear-position indicators disappeared. The vehicle remained operational but exhibited significantly reduced performance when accelerating. Concerned about the malfunction, I turned off the ignition to attempt a restart. The vehicle would not restart, leaving me stranded. This failure created a serious safety concern because the vehicle could have become disabled in active traffic. Previously, the vehicle experienced a similar no-start condition. An independent repair facility replaced the starter, negative battery cable, and shift lever. Although the vehicle initially operated normally, the problem returned. The repair facility subsequently reproduced the failure and retrieved diagnostic trouble codes consistent with Ford's transmission-related safety recall. The underlying defect remains unresolved. The vehicle is currently undrivable and located at an authorized Ford dealership, where it is…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 26, 2026Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11773650

Visibility/wiper

99 reports4 fires
“The component that failed is the Back Up Camera Screen. It is all blue. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety or the safety of others is at risk because I can't see directly behind my truck without this camera. I could end up hitting a child or small item directly behind my truck. We will be contacting the dealer about this problem. My vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance or others at this time. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of this problem occured prior to the failure. This problem first occured on Saturday, September 19, 2026 I don't know what the cause of this problem is.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 19, 2026Visibility/wiperODI 11765541
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.