2016 Ford F-150 Complaint Log

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.

Oil leak at transmission fittings requiring repair.

Transmission down shifted and a wrench came up on the dash. I took it to a Transmission repair shop and they confirmed what the codes read, lead frame problem. I had them repair it. Cost me nearly $2000. I did call Ford in advance of the repair and I was told there are no recalls for this on my truck. Now 2 weeks later I see many trucks have recalls for this very issue, yet after checking the VIN, my truck still has no recall. I believe my truck should have the recalls and I should get reimbursed. My truck is a 2016 with only 82000 miles on it. Let me know what can be done to help me. Thank you

Door latches seize in cold temperatures. If you can get the door open, it won't latch when you close the door. I must hold the door shut and lock the door for it to latch. Then, the handle becomes incredibly difficult to pull and open the door. I have pulled out only to be alerted that my door was open, but I have also exited the vehicle, closing the door behind me, not realizing that the door did not latch and was open and unlatched the entire time. The inability to secure my vehicle and the risk of entrapment is concerning. A door should work. This has been happening the entire time I've owned the vehicle but I typically make do and get through the winter but I recently saw this had a recall once upon a time though I show no record of that for my vehicle.

I was in a parking lot moving a trailer to a different spot when all the sudden my foot on the brake goes to the floor. I wasn't even on the brakes hard. I then check my truck and I see my passenger front wheel is covered in brake fluid and a large puddle underneath it. I then took off the wheel and saw that the brake hose had a split so I replaced it. The split is at the top of the brake hose When doing research I saw that other ford vehicles of the same years had break issues so I thought I would make a report. The ford edge in particular

Within the past year there have been a few times when driving in 6th gear (primarily, but also happens in 5th) if I press the gas and it downshifts into 5th, it will trip a gear icon warning light, either not shift, shift into 4th, 3rd, or neutral and sometimes VERY abruptly. When that happens, I've managed to get to the side of the road, turn the truck off and back on, then everything is good for a while. It happens randomly in different conditions and can occur and hour later, a couple of days or as long as a few months. I scanned the system and it showed a P0735 : 00-6C error. When this happens the dash usually does not show the correct gear the truck is in.

While driving at normal highway speeds 65 to 70 the truck downshifts to 1 gear which locks up the rear wheels

No incident yet, but the frame is rotted.

Front Driver side and passenger side door latches that freeze and do not latch when shut.

Faulty trans conductor plate Trans slipping on the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts from the speed sensor issue that damaged the trans. Need rebuilt or replaced.

My wife was driving our f150 and the wrench appeared on the dashboard, the truck lost power. She was able to pull over and shut the truck off. I drive over and plugging in my code reader and the codes I got said the transmission shifter wasn't recognizing what gear it was in. I was able to erase the codes to start the truck and get it home. I called ford and was told there are recalls for this but my truck was not affected. I called a transmission company and was able to get it to them for repair. The part they repaired is the same part that is recalled on other trucks the same age as mine. So my truck should be recalled for this issue. How do I get this recall to include my truck and how do I get reimbursed for this cost. My truck only has 88k miles on it. This needs to be covered and I need your help in making this happen please.

I'm experiencing the wheel lock from downshift referenced in Investigation: EA26001. I've experienced it when downshift happen going down canyons in Utah. Additionally, I have downshift issues when going uphill. It triggers P0741-00 and P1744-00, which appears that it could be an issue with the lead frame.

The transmission will go into limp mode at high speeds. Failing to correct itself. I will pull over and shut off vehicle then restart the vehicle and it works fine until it happens again. This has happened several times. I had transmission looked at and in the drain pan were pieces of metal and debris. I have had transmission issues frequently. I am now having to replace the transmission for a safety precaution.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 106,000; and at the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was over 300,000.

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.

Going down the Hwy 6th gear the transmission will go from 6th gear lit up on dash down to 1st gear lit up. Hasn’t engaged in 1st gear (yet) then goes back to 6th gear. No warning lights on the dash.

My truck driver door won’t latch,in cold weather. Like it won’t catch when I try close it less I lock it then it catch but won’t close all the way tell it warm up. Seem like whn it’s down in teens a single digits or below and windy. I’ve had it happen two times so far. Thank you

I was driving home and the truck started to shift very harshly and had died at a stoplight , I put it into park and restarted it and the engine light came on tried to put it into drive and it had jumped forward very rough as soon as I did, started driving again and then the truck shifted into 5th gear and would not shift out of 5th gear at all was very slowly leaving from stop signs and the high speed fans had turned on and ran the entire rest of the time. Causing very irratic shifting where at times it would down shift and skid the tires

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 sense replaced the whole rear axel, transfer case myself with used parts and is currently in the shop swapping transmissions as I needed my vehicle to continue working. Safety of myself and or others was definitely at risk when my rear tires locked up the rear end could have slid out cause me to wreck and possibly wreck into someone else. There was also no warning lights or anything on my dash before this incident occurred.

Turn Signals, Speed Control Radio Functions, Windsheild Wipers STOPPED WORKING! It effects people in front ,back or side knowing what I am doing so they can react like turning in any direction , My vision is blocked during rain or snow and will cause an accident harming me or others . ' No warning lamps came on when problem happened ! ' Problem has been confirmed by a Qualified Mechanic !

Transmission failure resulting in replacing transmission. Vehicle was shuddering when driving. This happened multiple times causing excessive shaking when driving on the hwy.

I know there is an ongoing investigation for F150s years 2015 to 2017 with the six speed automatic transmission. I just wanted to report that I've been having similar issues with my transmission, especially when 4 x 4 is enabled, it seems to worsen the problem. I've had unusual and unexpected shifting shifting. It's almost as if the gears are hiccoughing. I do remember they were having one issue on the highway upon accelerating where it dropped a few years, almost lags, but then came back. Like I said, it worsens in 4 x 4 and especially during hard accelerations, that is worth, I would emphasize the most. My biggest issue is upon hard accelerating. The gears slam, is the best way I could describe it. It's a noticeable and loud, slamming noise that happens when the gearshift from 1st to 2nd into third I haven't tried pushing it past fourth on hard acceleration I'll usually let off because it's such a loud slam, and noticeably shakes the vehicle.

Transmission downshifted unexpectedly during normal driving .

I’ve been having persistent issues with my transmission for some time now. It occasionally would have a hard shift or a lagged shift where it would rev high and not go into the next gear for a few second. This has been accompanied by an odd “clown honk” type sound whenever shifting from 3rd gear into 4th gear after the truck is warm. Sometimes it would get stuck in one gear or another or unable to shift to certain gears until it was shut off and reset. These problems are sometimes accompanied with each other and sometimes on their own. Not until recently did my transmission downshift on its own when I was going around 50-60MPHs to first gear, throwing my back end out and almost causing me to crash. Luckily I was on open and empty road. This occurred sometime in December and it finally threw a code which it had not for any incident previously. This issue has not happened again since. Not only was the incident itself a case of deja vu but when I was able to have the code read, It was almost the exact same issue/code that I had with my previous truck, a 2013 Ford F-150. My 2013 ford f-150 did the same exact thing, almost causing an massive accident as I was merging onto I-85 at 4:30 PM. This issue was recalled and fixed by Ford in the 2013 F-150 but has no correction for my current 2016 F-150. I believe the cause of this is a faulty lead frame and/or Output Speed Shaft Sensor on the 6R80 transmission from Ford. I’ve now had two of these power trains (5.0/6R80) and both have had problems occasionally up until around 120K miles then the problems become consistent and the downshifting issue started which throws the code/is the real dangerous issue. I have reported the Issue to Ford through a dealer and called the customer support line but since there is no open recall on my specific VIN for this issue they are unable to offer assistance. The truck is open for inspection and has the code stored. This can be a very dangerous issue and needs to be addressed.

THE TRANSMMISSION DOWN SHIFT WHEN GOING 60 MPH

While decelerating from approximately 80 mph to 65 mph under very light throttle, the transmission in my vehicle unexpectedly shifted into 1st gear for a brief moment at highway speed, without any driver command. This caused a sudden and severe deceleration event and created a loss-of-control safety risk, especially in traffic. The transmission immediately corrected itself, however after the event the vehicle avoided normal downshifts and remained in higher gears (5th and 6th), indicating abnormal transmission behavior following the incident. No warning lights or messages were displayed at the time of the event. The vehicle is a 2016 Ford F-150 5.0L equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission (6R80). The vehicle has approximately 91,100 miles. The automatic transmission was serviced at approximately 80,000 miles, including fluid and filter replacement only. No transmission flush was performed. The vehicle has a new AGM battery, properly programmed to the vehicle. The vehicle was originally sold in Canada and is currently operated in the United States. The defect occurred during normal on-road driving and presents a serious safety concern due to the possibility of unintended wheel lock or loss of vehicle control at highway speeds.

Transmission downshifting and electrical issues

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.

Vehicle is having ECM module errors and sensor issues just like other Ford models. It throws a code and then will not go above 5th gear or go below 3rd gear until vehicle is shut off and restarted. Once it restarts it is fine for a bit. It can go a few days in between malfunctions or can happen multiple times per day.

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

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change and tire rotation, the contact was informed of an unstated fluid leak and that the rear brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to Classic Ford of Madison (6251 N Ridge Rd, Madison, OH 44057); where additional repairs were performed. The dealer test-drove the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle was experiencing hard transmission shifts and shuddering. The dealer replaced the transmission, the front sway bar and links, and the stabilizing bar. Additionally, the transmission adaptive learning was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,867.

While traveling at interstate speed (75 mph) the transmission downshifted to 1st gear. truck slowed down ad engine revved up. i was able to get to the shoulder and stop. I attempted to take off again and the truck would on up shift to 5th gear and displayed the wrench icon on the instrument cluster. Had truck towed home, about 90 miles. Was advised that the problem was the molded lead frame in the transmission.

Our 2016 Ford F-150 experienced a sudden, forceful, uncommanded lane deviation while traveling at highway speed. Without warning or driver input, the vehicle abruptly jolted into the left lane. The steering was corrected and returned to our lane, but shortly afterward the truck again forcefully veered left. The movement felt comparable to being struck by another vehicle. There was no oncoming traffic at the time; however, had there been oncoming traffic, this would have resulted in a head-on collision. Weather conditions were calm, roads were dry, and visibility was clear. Prior to this incident, the vehicle exhibited no warning signs, including no pulling, steering issues, warning lights, or diagnostic codes. We immediately pulled over and had the vehicle towed to a mechanic who inspected the truck but could not replicate the issue. Although the vehicle was later driven approximately 120 miles home and short distances locally without recurrence, we believe it remains unsafe due to the unpredictable nature of this failure. A vehicle should never abruptly and forcefully change lanes without driver input. We have also experienced ongoing issues with the key becoming stuck in the ignition and intermittent starting problems, raising concerns about potential electrical or mechanical defects. This incident involved two uncommanded lane deviations under normal driving conditions with no identified cause or warnings. Due to the risk of serious injury or fatal collision, this remains an unresolved safety concern requiring investigation. We are requesting that NHTSA review this complaint, evaluate whether similar incidents indicate a pattern or defect involving the steering, transmission, or electronic control systems in the 2016 Ford F-150, and take appropriate action to protect public safety. Once we receive the NHTSA complaint number, we will also be submitting a formal complaint to Ford Motor Company requesting a thorough investigation and resolution.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shuddering. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with heater exchange failure and coolant intrusion in the transmission. The contact was informed that the heat exchanger needed to be replaced, and the transmission needed to be flushed and refilled. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the heater exchange part was on back order. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the repair was performed. The contact visited a chat forum online, which advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that during the failure, there were no warning lights illuminated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,200.

I've been reading the reports that there could be a recall for transmission issues in 2016 F150's. I've noticed similar issues as what's been reported. This is irregular shifting, down shifting hard at times, and irregular shifting in cruise control.

My transmission has unpredictable and harsh downshifts as well as downshifts to a to low of gear

Severe rust on frame, both sides. Mechanic refused to do service until rust situation is remediated. Said vehicle is unsafe to drive!

The truck will down shift while on the highway. There is also a hard shift from gears 4 through 6. But mostly between 5-6. There are also times when the RPM go high to change gears when taking off. Yes it has put my family and I at risk when it does a sudden down shift while cruising at highway speeds. I am taking it to a shop to be looked at. There was no warning, or lights before this happened.

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 would illuminate. Diagnostic trouble code P0720 (Output Shaft Speed Sensor Circuit) was consistently stored. This pointed to a failure within the transmission molded lead frame, which houses the output shaft speed sensor and related circuitry. Due to the severity of the symptoms and the known issues with the Ford 6R80 transmission molded lead frame, I replaced the molded lead frame myself. After replacement, the erratic downshifting, wheel lockup, warning lights, and fault codes were completely resolved. The vehicle has operated normally since the repair. Ford has a documented history of issues related to molded lead frame failures in 6R80 transmissions, including erratic shifting and loss of speed sensor data. This failure presented a significant safety risk, particularly at highway speeds, due to sudden and uncontrollable deceleration and momentary wheel lockup.

Vehicle showed wrench lite and went into safe mode when stopped went back to normal continue to drive and then vehicle showed wrench lite lite and engine check lite went into safe mode stopped vehicle and engine died would not restart checked codes received 706,708,and 1702. Prior to this no indication of problems

The voice recognition quit working on my Ford Sync. When I took it in for diagnosis, an update was attempted by the Ford dealer and wiped out my system, which means I have no back up camera, no radio, no USB ports, etc. I was told this is something I have to pay for to get repaired. The primary safety concern is, according to the dealer, the update cause the APIM module to fail, which means I no longer have a back up camera unless I pay for the repair.

MY 2016 F150 HAD A RECALL (22S11 IN MAR 11,2022 WHICH THEY REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER ON MY TRUCK. THIS WEEK 10/16/2025 I NOTICED MY BRAKES ARE FAILING AGAIN, THE PEDAL GOES ALLMOST TO THE FLOOR. I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED AGAIN. DON'T KNOW IF DEALER WILL REPAIR FREE OF CHARGE?

The Hood is peeling the clear coat. The upper cab on both drivers side and passengers side from front to back is down to bare metal. Top of the pickup box is down to the bare metal along both sides. Tailgate top is down to bare metal. These spots are clearly do to the prep and paint work.

vehicle going downhill at about 65 mph shifted to lower gear and warning light (wrench image) comes on dash. truck would not accelerate going up next hill for several seconds and then warning light went off and operation/acceleration resumed and secondary light also cleared This had occurred on another occasion but second warning light stayed on. Service station checked code and indicated that the code was for a sensor in the transmission which they cleared. Have had several instances of intermittent warning light and loss of acceleration which have cleared after several seconds or when I pulled off road and put it in Park and then back in Drive

Transmission unexpectedly down shift.

The seat track pivot link bolt has failed, yes it is available for inspection. The seat now has tons of travel in it, which will not restrain the driver in event of a crash. I have visual evidence of the part failure. The issue was part of a safety recall 17S40 which Gwinnett Place Ford claims to have addressed in 2024. The part has now failed.

Sudden downshift when going down a long hill while driving at highway speeds then applying brakes to slow down. Luckily no one was behind me because its like slamming on the brakes with no brake lights. I could have easily been rear ended or gone into oncoming traffic if it I was on wet snowy or icy roads. It's happened more than one time. Something needs to be done before someone is killed!

I was driving down the highway and the transmission started shifting erratically and went to 3rd almost causing me to wreck. Check engine light and wrench icon came on and had to pull over immediately. Code says faulty transmission range sensor and lead frame are the cause.

The truck suddenly downshifted to 6th to 2nd gear on the highway. Engine rpm hit more than 7000. Transmission now grinds, shudders and slips. Almost caused a wreck. Hasn't been documented to anyway, just by word. Has not been inspected as there is no way to inspect. No warning before incident, transmission now grinds 4th to 3rd gear, shudders in every gear and slips.

Hard down shifting from 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 1st. Lead frame needs replaced. Only 70,000 miles.