NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Ford F-150. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
This afternoon when it started to rain I turned on my wipers only to discover they would not turn on. I managed to get off the road and even tried swapping fuses, but the wipers still wouldn’t turn on. I had my child in the car and this was a very dangerous situation! Ford is telling me that the wiper recall doesn’t cover my truck. Help!
On three occasions my vehicle went into a “FAIL-SAFE MODE” . The first occurrence happened while I’m driving on dry pavement at approx 45mph. Unexpectedly the engine shakes and slowed the vehicle to 5mph while I’m in medium to heavy traffic. I was on a two lane road and had to quickly pull off to the shoulder. The second occurrence was while I was merging in heavy traffic and accelerating into the flow of that traffic. As the FAIL-SAFE MODE made my vehicle rapidly slow the cars behind me had to swerve and make fast lane changes. I engaged my emergency flashers to caution other drivers until I could escape the roadway on to a private driveway. The third occasion was similar to the first. Each time the FAIL-SAFE MODE happened a warning message appeared on my dash with a description of the problem and a large wrench appeared. Two different messages appeared. Twice the message was regarding a failure in the TRACTION. CONTROL. Once the message was about a problem with the HILL DESCENT CONTROL. After each event I turned off the engine, waited a few minutes, restarted the engine and was able to drive away like nothing happened. The owners manual instructed me to stop driving and have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer has now had my vehicle for a month. They computer on this vehicle erases the code when the engine is restarted. So they cannot fix this problem. I asked the service manager at the dealership to reach out to the manufacturer which he did. The manufacture’s response was “without a code we can’t diagnose the problem, give the vehicle back to the guest”. This is a serious safety issue, a vehicle that would come to a crawl while in traffic. This would put myself and other drivers at risk. The dealer wants me to drive the vehicle to have the issue duplicate itself and then what?
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the back-up camera display image was distorted or appeared as a blank gray screen, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Merging onto interstate and truck begins to shutter and won't accelerate accordingly. Pull over and when the truck comes to a stop and idles the oil gauge begins to move erratically. Took truck in for an inspection on August 15, 2023. Mechanic stated intake manifold needed to be replaced due to malfunction (flaps not opening to allow airflow). Mechanic also stated that replacement part was on national backorder with no release date.
Ford's aluminum lug nut caps are swollen and distorted. Ford put aluminum caps over a steel core which is causing the problem.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle started to vibrate and lost motive power. The contact was able to continue operating the vehicle however, the vehicle was unable to exceed 50 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the intake manifold. The contact was informed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 125,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle downshifted inadvertently. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator flashed, and the transmission warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the gear selector failed to recognize the selection several times while in park(P). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on several occasions where the failure was not able to be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the center sliding window detached. As a result, the window struck the passenger but there was no injury. The contact was concerned for the safety of passengers near the center window. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the adhesive had failed, and that the window needed to be replaced. The vehicle as not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Warning lamps come on with amessage about hill decent service advance trac. Then vehicle goes into limp mode and shakes and shutters an the truck will only drive at or below 5 mph.> You then have to shut the vehicle off and restart it to get it to drive again this has happened to my truck at least 10 times in the last month It seems to happen at different speeds I have been real lucky as it has only happened to my truck while I was on a not to busy street. The vehicle shows a code of P2112 was set which states the throttle body needs to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by a dealer and confirmed that the failure was related to the turbo charger. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
Rear Window Keeps Shattering 2016 F150 King Ranch have already replaced once now about couple weeks later did it again this is my fathers truck and he’s almost 70 Years old and scared him !! This is a problem I called Ford and no help .. Need to stand behind their product!!! Not fair for him to keep paying..
I believe the recent recall for 2014 F-150 transmission issue are not limited to 2014. On Friday [XXX], I was traveling in my 2016 F-150 in Kingston On, Canada, when my truck violently downshifted. I was driving at approx 90kph when this happened. I was towing a lightweight utility trailer at the time the rear wheel of the truck fishtailed slightly and the rpm when to around 5000-6000rpm, I do not know what gear the truck downshifted too. I ordered and replaced the transmission Conductor (Leadframe) myself. Part: Dorman 926-149. See attached photo of engine codes recorded after the incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from 6th gear to 1st gear, with the service vehicle's soon-to-be warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (POWER TRAIN) as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
I was driving normally to work one morning. I was stopped at a light and made a right turn onto highway. Engine was running fine up to that point, but all of a sudden it started shaking uncontrollably and all power (throttle) was lost. Ford inspected and told me valve seals were bad and that oil had leaked as a result causing metal shavings in multiple cylinders. I come to find out that it is a known issue based on service bulletin posted on NHTSA site explaining to techs how to fix issue IF owners reports it.. My concern is that I was never informed of anything, I had no warning lights display any kind of alerts leading up to this incident, and was just due for oil change. I am now being quoted $19,000 for cylinder head replacements (which is what is listed on service bulletin) or $17,000 for new engine install. Vehicle just stopped in middle of road, between multiple cars.
The ford 2.7 liter eco boost engine has a design flaw that leads to the engine oil pan to leak around the seal which creates an environmental concern for leaking oil on the ground and also poses a fire risk as the oil could potentially contact something hot and could flame up. This is a known issue that many 2.7 liter eco boost engine owners have had to deal with and some of them have had to make the costly repair more than once. Ford only has issued a TSB 23-2083 for this issue and will not do a recall unless the NTSB says per their customer service at Ford corporate who handled my case that I had opened up.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the vehicle downshifted to 1st gear unintendedly. The contact veered to the side of the roadway. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to the nearby residence and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact stated that upon shifting into drive (D), the vehicle responded but jolted. Additionally, the shift indicator light was inoperable. The contact stated that he shifted into park (P) and shifted back into drive (D) several times, and the vehicle jolted and made an abnormal clunking sound. The vehicle then responded as needed, however, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he used an OBD reader to determine that the failure was related to a transmission sensor. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while approaching a stop light, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The contact stated that there was no pressure on the brake pedal while depressed. The contact downshifted and engaged the parking brake, and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact was able to continue driving the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed and advised that NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V332000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) repair was previously performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the part warranty had expired and did not provide any further assistance. The failure mileage was 71,000.
rear window shattered after use of Defrost. Smell of burning wires/plastic immediately before. looks like a burn spot at window base, last photo with white smudge
Code P2112 was saved in the system also referring to the throttle position sensor or wiring. Taking my truck in to get looked at this week of 7-26-23. Truck was driving normal and out of no where it loses power entering traffic like it was in limp mode. Dash displays first “see service manual” second “ Service AdvanceTrac” and then finally “hill start assist not available”. When it came to a stop it idled normal but would not accelerate. Had both my kids with me so suddenly stopping like it did in heavy traffic area is alarming and could’ve been bad outcome had someone not been paying attention. This happened twice within 10 miles. Turned truck off and on to get it to go again
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 like entering an on-ramp to a highway. Twice (at least) I have had this happen, the check engine light will begin flashing and I lose the ability to accelerate. After stopping, shutting off the vehicle and then starting again, the CEL turns off and I can resume driving. I have brought this issue up with my local dealer twice, but they have not been able to diagnose anything because of how sporadic the problem is.Their advice was to simply wait until the problem got worse and more predictable. Since my F-150 is not a daily driver for me, it has largely just sat in my garage since 2023 and rarely used. But on the handful of occasions I have driven it since this issue first appeared, I am constantly concerned I will run into a major problem.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted randomly. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the leadframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,108.
Truck was just recently serviced with oil chang and fluids toped off. Drove to work in the morning with no issue. Went to leave after my work day my brake light and check fluid warning came on. Looked all over vehicle and could not find any leaks. Filled brake reservoir with dot 4 fluid and everything went back to normal. Drove a couple miles and brake lights and warning came back on and brake pedal went to the floor almost running a stop sign as I hurriedly used the emergency brake to stop. Pulled to a empty lot and again went over entire vehicle even pulled carpet back from fire wall to check for leaks. Nothing everything is dry. Apon searching the internet I found there is a recall for the exact same issue same years and vehicle but my vin isn't a part of the recall
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle independently shifted gears. The contact stated that the gears independently shifted from any gear to neutral. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with lead frame failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving approximately 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle began to lunge forward. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 34,302.
My 2016 F150 moon roof track broke with 61k miles on it… it left my moon roof jammed open for rain and snow to enter my vehicle. After further research it appears that this is a common problem for this design. A ford dealer quoted me 4k to fix….If this does not qualify for a recall i have no idea what will. Please help all of us and make this a recall.
Warped exhaust manifold
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed lead frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Three things happened simultaneously: 1. The exhaust manifold warped, causing a loss of power, a whistling sound and other issues to occur. 2. Integrated locking 4WD Hubs lost vacuum causing my drivers side front-wheel to attempt going into 4WD while going down the highway at 70mph. 3. Spark Plugs went bad again. I had to change all spark plugs at 50K and now again at 100K.
Upon entering my truck, I noticed the rear (powered) window seemed to be open, despite leaving it in the closed position. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the glass and trim were not correctly seated and it appeared as though the adhesive that holds the parts had failed (true cause unknown as I didn't observe the occurrence). This is a safety issue because 1) I have a young child who rides in the rear seat of the vehicle, and the glass moves freely since it is off-track. 2) the electric components are still working, and if my spouse (who doesn't drive my truck often) were to forget there was an issue, moving the glass which is not correctly articulating in its track could cause it to break (I am uncertain as to whether or not it is shatter-resistant). 3) we have had a lot of rainy weather, and due to the exposure of electrical components to the weather, could cause a short or electrocution if touched. 4) the glass could be easily pushed inward or aside from outside of the truck leaving it more vulnerable to break-in or theft. This issue is currently available for inspection upon request however, I will be getting it repaired within the next few days as it cannot wait. I have not yet had a dealer confirm the issue, nor had it inspected by any other party. I am aware of at least a few dozen 2015-2020 Ford F150 owners having this problem, it seems to be a known issue among owners of these vehicles. There were no warnings or vehicle generated messages. I respectfully request this issue be investigated because of safety concerns and evidence of widespread component failure. Thank you for your time.
I came to an intersection and stopped. While my foot was on the brake pedal it became soft after 5 seconds and then was depressed to the floor board. While remaining stopped I pumped the brakes and they continued to be soft and spongy. I then proceeded through the intersection and proceeded to enter Interstate 10 just outside of Luling, TX. While traveling at 70 mph I tried my brakes again and quickly realized I didn’t have the ability to stop. I slowed my speed, found the next exit ramp and pumped my brakes and down shifted to bring my 2016 Ford F-150 to a stop on the shoulder. While stopped I pumped my brakes again and the brake pedal went directly to the floor with no resistance. My truck was not safe to drive so I had it towed to the nearest town of Luling, TX. The mechanic diagnosed the problem where the rubber brake line on the right front wheel had ruptured causing the loss of hydraulic pressure and fluid.
Front right brake hose ruptured.
Transmission shifts into lower gears at highway speeds sometimes into reverse or neutral.
I went to start my 2016 F-150 Lariat one morning and it took a little longer to start up than usual and it was shaking at idle, something it had never done before. I took it to a shop where it was hooked up to the obd2 reader and it showed that it was most likely needing new spark plugs and possibly coils for cylinders 2 and 3 which made sense because there was less than 74,000 miles on the truck. When I got them replaced the same thing was happening but now there were check engine lights. I took it to the dealership for them to work on they said that cylinders 2 and 3 were cracked. With the issues that the 2.7 Eco boost engines have been having a recall or ford should make this right. A 10,000 dollar repair for a known issue is not the right way to conduct business.
This is in regard to problems with the lug nuts on my 2016 Ford F150. The truck has approx 31,000 miles. I can no longer use the lug wrench provided by the manufacturer (Ford) because the lug nuts are "swollen", according to the dealership. The dealership refused to rotate my tires because of this issue. They advised Ford would not warranty replacement of the lug nuts. They admitted the lug nuts were "defective". This is definitely a safety issue and should be repaired at no cost by Ford. Please issue a recall on these lug nuts.
My 2016 Ford F150 XLT would stall when stopped at red lights or stop signs. My dealership advised they ran codes and could not find anything wrong. I continued to drive the truck and the problem persisted. I had another location run for codes and found that I had a defective intake manifold where the valves would stick closed and not allow enough air to the engine causing it to shut down. I returned to my dealership and advised them of the codes I learned about. I also conducted research on the internet and found that F150s with a 5.0 engine had this problem. My intake manifold now needs to be replaced. I believe should the truck stall while driving or not start again when at a red light, it could cause a safety issue with possibly being rear-ended and a traffic hazard to myself, my family, or other motorists. This is a defective part that is intregral to the operation of a vehicle.
Very harsh down shifting, one incident happened at about 40mph but was already slowing down for a light so nothing catastrophic happened but if I was traveling at a higher speed a crash would’ve more than likely happened, and eventually threw codes: P0706, P0707, P1702, P1921 which is for the molded lead frame inside the transmission. Codes were pulled myself with my own devices and according to research all code descriptions are things that are faulty on the molded lead frame assembly
Transfer case is corroding where the bolts are and leaking fluid
I would like to bring to your attention two safety concerns regarding the 2016 Ford F150 model, specifically related to the braking system and the panoramic roof hardware. I have experienced these issues which may pose potential risks and compromise the safety and functionality of the vehicle. Brakes Dragging or Caliper Seizing: Brakes on my 2016 Ford F150, which have experienced dragging brakes or caliper seizing. This issue can lead to premature wear of brake components and a decrease in stopping efficiency, compromising the vehicle's ability to come to a complete and timely stop. Such a condition poses a significant safety hazard, especially during emergency braking situations or when driving downhill. Panoramic Roof Hardware Made of Plastic: Another safety concern I have identified involves the panoramic roof hardware in the 2016 Ford F150. The hardware used in the construction of the roof assembly includes plastic pieces that may become dislodged and fall into the track, causing the roof to become stuck in a partially open or closed position. This malfunction could result in the inability to fully close the roof, leading to potential exposure to weather elements or reduced visibility while driving. All of these things the Ford Motor Company is aware of.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the rear windshield shattered without impact. The contact stated that broken glass fell onto the rear seat occupants. There were no reported injuries. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no additional assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, he noticed a leak on the ground from underneath the engine compartment. The contact stated that the fumes had a foul odor, and the odor was also entering the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a warped engine oil pan and that oil was leaking into the exhaust. The contact was informed that the engine oil pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and coming to a stop, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard however, the vehicle failed to come to an immediate stop. The contact stated that he was able to use the parking brake to bring the vehicle to a complete stop, avoiding a collision with the vehicle ahead. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the brake master cylinder had been leaking into the brake booster, causing the brake booster to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the cause of the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V150000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 122,500.
Driving vehicle on highway and warning lights began to illuminate. Hill assist error, parking brake error, advance Trac Control error, wiper pump began to spray wiper fluid until it emptied and wipers would not stop. Car powered down and had to pull over. Car would start but would not move and had to get a tow to dealer.
The rear sliding window mechanism failed. The top track for the window was poorly affixed and has come off of the rear cab leaving the window hanging and unattached.
Rear window cracked for unknown reason, searched only and serveral trucks has same known issue
My vehicle check engine light and wrench light came on suddenly. My transmission got stuck in 5th gear. Upon arriving to the stop light the transmission wouldn’t downshift leading me to start off very slow. The car behind me almost rear ended me. Once I was up to about 50 mph, the transmission downshifted to 2nd gear obviously at high rpm’s and it felt like someone rear ended me. I see this was an issue that had a recall issued on 2011-2013 F150’s. I believe there is another issue or one that wasn’t resolved. There are several complaints online about the part being on backorder for months, which was also confirmed by my dealership once the diagnostic was completed. My vehicle is a 2016 with only 59k miles on it. This $1100 repair should be covered by Ford Motor Company.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and vehicle started losing motive power. The contact veered over to the side of the roadway. On several occasions, the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the variable valve timing solenoid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
Driving up a hill on interstate 70MPH when an engine light with Hill Climb Assist disabled error came on. Accellerater shut down and had to coast to side of road. I shut vehicle off and started back up and was able to proceed till I got off highway and proceeded up another hill and same thing happened stalled and came to a stop. I found dozens of other F150 owners having the same problem stalling in the highway. All the posts indicate they had a bad "Throttle Body". Ford has had similar problems on other models but doesn't aknowledge this one.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, upon attempting to decelerate, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted from 3rd to 1st. The contact stopped the vehicle and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to shift out of neutral(N). The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact investigated and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000.
Having my tires serviced at Ford dealer and they indicated I have swollen lug nuts so they can't rotate the tires right now. I asked about repairing the problem and the service tech recommended I buy parts from an auto parts store because the OEM parts will still be a problem because the OEM parts are defective.