Problems · by component

2016 Ford F-150 electrical system problems

160 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2016 Ford F-150 cite electrical system, 9% of all 1,798 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
160
9% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
16
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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
“Ford finally sent me a recall notice just this year in May. I have called multiple dealers and Bomaritto ford in [XXX] told me 2 and a half years ago to bring my truck in and they'll replace the Lead frame free of charge however any dealerships I contacted in [XXX] denied any such recall. When I received the recall letter from ford it stated the transmission lead frame would be covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles. The truck was already 10 years old when I finally received a notice from ford. I ended up rebuilding the whole transmission myself and it cost me over $1500.00 in parts, not to mention I was without a vehicle for approx 2 months waiting on all the back ordered parts. The lead frame I installed was not a ford oem part. The service team in [XXX] told me either way, fird has to replace it with oem parts. I took it to crown ford in [XXX] and they refused to replace the Lead frame which had a check engine code as well. They claimed it was a software update was the problem. I believe that they deleted it from the tcm and ecu. Ford has done everything they possibly could to cover this up and they got the extended warranty to pay for the damaged rear…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 24, 2026Power train, Electrical system, Vehicle speed controlODI 11773351
“The truck continuously went into limp mode upon acceleration. Numerous warning lights wrench, I have a 2016 2.7 with 159k miles that is stalling, loosing all power, stuttering and showing these codes on heavy acceleration. When I turn off the ignition and restart all codes go away.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 21, 2026Electrical systemODI 11772780
“The body control module was destroyed when water leaked on it. Apparently there is a failed windshield seal(maybe) that causes leaking down the A pillar. That pillar leads the water directly to the wiring harness for the BCM. When my BCM went out, wipers, blinkers, external lights, speedo/tach, power windows (in the front), all HUD, all stereo, and I think the security system too, stopped working. It was raining hard, it was a very dark day/difficult to see. I and others could easily have been killed. VERY, VERY DANGEROUS! Why the BCM isn’t in a sealed box, is mind blowing. The fact that the computer to my truck can get wet at all is nothing short of asinine. The vehicle was inspected by ICDI Diesel in [XXX] [XXX]). The part is currently on order and isn’t expected to be delivered until XXX. The truck is available for inspection.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 15, 2026Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiperODI 11764520
“I would like to file complaint against Ford for their latest recall (26N041) and how they are not doing replacing the defective Lead Frame in customers vehicles. It's a big scam and a waste of time. I brought my 2016 Ford F-150 in for Ford’s latest recall (26N04) affecting 2015–2017 models due to the transmission leadframe issue. I explained that I’ve been dealing with an intermittent problem for the past seven months: while driving, the gear indicator lights on the dash begin to flicker, and when that happens, the transmission shifts extremely hard and slams into the next gear. Ford kept my truck for a week and told me they were unable to duplicate the issue. They stated that multiple technicians drove the vehicle and none of them observed any problems. When I arrived to pick it up, I was handed a bill for more than $250 for a diagnostic fee. Within four miles of leaving the dealership, the gear indicator lights began flickering again. It’s difficult to accept that several technicians drove the truck over multiple days and never encountered the issue I experienced almost immediately. The entire process felt like a waste of time and money, and I’m left without…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 2, 2026Power train, Electrical systemODI 11761760
“This vehicle 2016 ford F150 is known to have shorting issues. From literally all wiring harnesses. I had a small fire in my truck due to this issue, caused melting of the ribbon cable in my seat heater control module, which is a known issue from Ford. I have shorting in my turn signal switch (no wipers). Is that safe? I am a research scientist and engineer, I can tell you now it is not safe. If i need to prove it, I can do so with ease and write the necessary literature. If I cant use my AC sometimes, the windows fog, then i cant use the wipers to unfog them, how is this not a visibility issue? Not to mention all the shorts. I have a 40 gallon fuel tank, if any shorts get near it, is that going to be a fun experience for me? Please give Ford a penalty, the average owner of this truck pays thousands a year in repairs. I paid $17,800.00 in 2025 to repair this piece of shit. And it still has major issues. This is something ford needs to address, i want my wiring to be replaced, i bought a new engine, what if i cant use it especailly with the 3 year warranty bc the wiring consistently shorts and fails. unacceptable for a truck that's sticker price is $80k. This is…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 19, 2026Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiperFire reportedODI 11757955

Showing 6 of 160 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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