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
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that there was oil leaking from the oil pan. There was oil on the driveway and garage floor. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called an independent mechanic, who determined that the oil pan gasket needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the parts were on back-order. The local dealer was contacted and suggested a diagnostic test be performed; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
The recall currently on the 2014 F-150 our 2016 is doing the same thing. It randomly shifts down into lower gears or won't shift at all. Or it will go into 6th gear and not move.
Exhaust manifold broken studs(bolds) causing exhaust fumes in cab. Carbon monoxide and also loss of performance. This is an ongoing issue with the 3.5 L equal boost motors. Pre 2017. The 2017 motor and further have been redesigned. Why aren’t they doing a recall on pre 2017?
Traveling at a speed of 55 mph, truck downshifted from 6th gear to 2nd gear. Pulled off the road, and truck would not restart. Towed to Ford dealer who replaced the transmission lead frame at a cost of $1200. This is a serious safety concern! Thankfully no one traveling behind me, or an accident would have occurred.
The truck went into limp mode while driving in the highway and did a hard shift down. The truck almost crashed due to the sudden problem. The code that came up was P0706 and P0707. From what I understand, Ford has had problems with this in previous years. The problem still occurs with my truck model as well.
When I’m driving my truck’s transmission wants to down shift to first gear at highway speeds making the rear wheels lock up doing 60 plus mph at random times and ford is aware of the issue this could have put me and my small children in a car accident I could only imagine what a first time driver would do
Lead frame faulty causing transmission issues. Downshifting while driving or getting stuck in lower gear.
Started July 2023. No code ever shows when issue happens. Ford technician has personally taken it home (with our permission) at night then driven it back to work (last July) and couldn't get the issue to occur. When idling at a stop sign/light, the vehicle will vibrate then stall. Have to put the truck in park from drive, touch brake and push start button to get it going again. We spent $1700 in January 2024 where they replaced some computer program. This did NOT fix the problem. Yesterday, we went to Pensacola, FL from Foley, AL and it stalled 5 times when idling. In the 10 months this has been happening, we can go two to three weeks without it stalling, then it will stall 1-3 times in the same trip. Researched internet - this seems to be a common problem but did not find a common resolution. So for now, we are thinking this is an engine issue. We haven't received any codes for any other issues. Also, Ford had a recall on this truck model for random tailgate opening. WE did take the truck in for this recall. This too did not fix the problem. Our hands are tied. I'm putting yesterday's date and information. It started July 2023 after 4th of July.
Got into vehicle and before starting window just shattered. No issues prior with the rear window just random and for no apparent reason it shattered from inside out.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel almost seized, and was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact stated that her husband was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that her husband pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the electrical steering assist had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
TSB22-2089 Issue: Some 2015-2022 F-150, 2017-2022 Super Duty and 2018-2022 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit poor air conditioning (A/C) performance, loss of airflow and/or engine cooling fans running continuously from high A/C pressures. This concern may be from the evaporator freezing up due to the evaporator temperature sensor being biased. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to replace the evaporator temperature sensor. Many vehicles are experiencing this same problem including my fathers truck at 20k miles , sometimes for others at, as little as, 500 miles, the problem not only causes ac shut off after 30 minutes of driving, it also causes intermittent surges of the front fan causing the fan to turn on at high rates of speed causing wear and tear on the fan. This must be assessed on vehicles with this engine and similar equipment
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine brake maintenance, and it was discovered that there was an oil pan leak present. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty and the repair would be out of pocket. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer recognized that the oil pan had been improperly manufactured before and currently there was a permanent repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 62,533.
I was driving on [XXX] in the City of Chester, PA, at the merge with [XXX]; this is a high traffic, multi-lane, confusing merge for drivers unfamiliar with the road ( I know it well). My truck just shut down, and I had to put it in neutral to re-start it. I knew there was a problem, because it had previously shifted roughly at times. But I just had it inspected at the Garnet Ford dealership, told them about the problem, and they could not diagnose/fix it. It passed inspection, and I thought that it would iron out, but instead, I could have been in real trouble. I took it to another mechanic, and they told me it was something else. I paid $1,206 and the problem was still there. I finally think I figured it out by going on a chat with other Ford owners. I just made another appt. with Garnet to do the repair. This should be re-called. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended with a knocking sound coming from the engine. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the cylinder head or the engine might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
Rupture of soft brake line approximately 1/2 inch below crimp near the connection to hard brake line. Pedal immediately went to floor and lost nearly all braking.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, causing the vehicle to decelerate to 15 MPH. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the transmission conductor plate, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Very slowly a noise started on the passenger side of the engine and kept getting louder, didn’t know if it was a vacuum hose leak or something else. Finally the noise was very loud especially when accelerating, I took to my local Ford dealership to have them find the noise and let me know. 3 days later, I get a call from the service writer and he tells what the problem was, so I told I would be by to pickup the vehicle and he tells me that I can’t as the engine was taken apart on the passenger side. I told him, I didn’t authorize him to do that, only to find the noise, needless to say I was quite angry and I had no choice but to have them repair the exhaust manifold bolts which had broken towards the rear of the engine. After much discussion, he told me that this was a normal incident with this engine/vehicle combination due to heat buildup. I asked if there was a service bulletin on it and he played dumb and said no there wasn’t after telling me it happens a lot. To me this should have been covered under the long term factory warranty. The vehicle only had 61,500 miles on it. After hassling with him, I asked the price and it was going to over $6000.00, Again I am very angry, as I have no choice, and they end up replacing turbo parts that were just replaced 5,000 miles ago. I can’t believe how they handled it, no recourse and out of pocket $6,000. I made numerous calls to Ford in Michigan and got the total run-around. I really like this truck as it has served me well. Since, the service writer admitted that it was a continuous problem with this issue, as they have steel bolts going into an aluminum head, of course with heat there will be problems. I have heard of a few F-150 owners on a Ford website with the same issue and they ask the same thing, why not a recall? I would love to get reimbursed for all that money I had no choice to put out, as I would taken it to a certified mechanic that does all my work now! Total BS on the dealer and Ford!
Bad valve guide causing oil to leak past into the cylinder head. Bad smoke at startup and poor gas mileage. Motor needs replacement because it's cheaper than replacing the bad guides or cylinder heads.
While driving after making a right turn steering wheel started whining then a loud popping noise then steering wheel starts jerking back and forth then locks on me without any warning lights coming on. I was going over 15 miles with cars behind me. Put on breaks to come to a complete stop and put the truck in park because the steering wheel had locked. Terrified!!! After turning the truck off and back on that’s when the light comes on about faulty steering. Thank God no one ran into the back of me.
When driving the transmission will shift to different settings forcing the rear wheels to lock up and sending the truck into limp mode. The wrench light will appear for a short amount of time and the truck will go back to running like normal. I was told by the dealer the Transmission Lead Frame needs to be replaced and my vehicle is currently in the shop facing a $1500 repair. I had the power train control module replaced a few weeks ago because the truck had similar problems but not to the extreme of what I faced yesterday [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving and when I was making a right turn I hear one loud pop noise then a whining sound then the steering wheel jerked back and forth a couple of times out of my control and lock on me. Terrifying! Glad no one hit me from behind or me hitting someone or something. After I rolled into a parking lot, then all these lights started popping up on the dash saying steering default and etc. I turned the truck off and back on I can only move the truck forward and backwards because the steering wheel had locked and I could not turn left or right. I had the truck towed home. I’ve made an appointment with the Ford dealership but it’s not until [XXX], 2024 at [XXX] in Chattanooga, Tennessee. My number is [XXX] or [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Backup camera only works intermittently. Half the time it only shows a "white square with a truck icon" instead of the actual view.
Transmission does not shift into gear when idle and pushing in the gas pedal. Truck randomly shuts off when at stop lights and have to restart it. Transmission shifts randomly into different gears at different speeds while driving. Transmission struggles to shift into gear and when it does the whole truck shakes and loud clunk noises happens. Cruise control speeds go up and down while driving and engine has trouble shifting into gears to keep up speed.
The 6r80 transmission lead frame cause my truck to slam into first gear when going 55 miles an hour.
I have 79k miles on my truck. Its almost 8 years old. I was told by ford and by a ford dealership that my exhaust manifold was covered. Now they are saying its not. It is leaking exhaust into the cabin because its leaking exhaust fromt the engine. They want $5,000 to fix it. When I went online, I find out this is very very common. Shouldn't this be a recall for safety? Also, their own warranty covers emmissions up to 8 yrs or 80k miles. Thank you.
Car abruptly switched gear and slowed down while driving. Stepped on the gas but the car did not move while the rpm was spiking
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the transmission became very difficult to shift into first gear. The contacted that the transmission was partially engaged. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the leadframe. The contact was informed that the leadframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but instructed the contact to call the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 68,878. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to the dealer for regular maintenance, the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen, and the mechanic was unable to remove the wheel to replace the tires. The tires were not replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
My truck keeps going into a limp mode where there is zero power even when pressing gas pedal. While in limp mode, engine won't rev up at all. In addition, the vehicle begins to show errors such as "Service AdvancetTrac", "Collision Warning not available", "Hill Start Assist nit available". From the research I have done, this appears to be a well-known throttle body issue documented by Ford. The question is why hasn't there been a recall. This is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS as the truck essentially becomes powerless on the road. Please advise.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver's seat became unstable and was moving unintendedly. Upon inspection it was discovered that the front driver’s side seat mounting bolt had become unscrewed causing the side of the seat to move. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 76,600.
This has happened quiet a bit I'm driving on the highway going 75mph set my cruise control and I go to pass or up a hill and the truck engine and tranny light start flashing the truck losses power it won't go even when u push petal to floor it also spits and sputters if u turn of the cruise control put the car n neutral and shut it off then back on it stops this seems to b an constant thing there's no engine light or tranny lights on after it happens it
Faulty lead frame. Resulted in truck getting stuck in high gear while driving and after multiple occurrences the truck won't start. Transmission sensor malfunction has been confirmed by codes pulled. Very important safety issue that Ford has issued recalls on (just not my VIN) and also has known service bulletins on. Yet no one is fixing for customers or holding Ford responsible for this obviously known issue and ongoing failure.
I was driving the truck and the wheels seized up. Making me skid. Luckily I wasn’t driving fast. So I looked up what could cause this and it stated it was the lead frame sensor. Before I could get it into the dealership for repairs the truck downshifted several more times. I was able to find the repair online. Unfortunately the dealership tried to sell me a new transmission. I relented and told them what the issue was due to investigating in F-150 chat groups. The rear collision sensor went off. Also the shift sensor went out as well.
At approximately 62,000 miles, a loud noise started from the passenger side of the engine, car was taken to the local Ford dealership for repairs, and it was determined that the bolts for the exhaust manifold broke which was causing fumes to enter the passenger compartment. Repairs were made at my cost of $6000, and calls were made to Ford Corporate for monetary help but they declined any help at all!
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH with the Adaptive Cruise Control activated, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, causing the vehicle to decelerate. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle, the gear indicator displayed that the transmission was shifting to different gears continuously. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the transmission inadvertently downshifted to second gear, nearly causing the contact's face to strike the steering. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle started hesitating and went into LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times, and the vehicle was able to drive after 10 minutes. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a significant delay while attempting to shift into first gear. The contact who is mechanically inclined had replaced the transmission lead frame; however, the failure recurred 4-5 months later. The contact stated that failure had progressively worsened, and the vehicle was shuddering upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH in heavy traffic, the contact attempted to slow down while approaching an intersection and the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to third gear. The contact pulled over and disconnected and reconnected the battery and restarted the vehicle to reset computers. Additionally, the contact stated that occasionally while driving at high speeds, the transmission downshifted to 5th gear unexpectedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
Transmission stuck in low gear during highway speeds. Lead Frame failure.
I was traveling down the road at about 45 mph when the vehicle suddenly fell out of gear and the rear wheel locked up for a second. Then the truck would not go above 30mph. I had to have it towed to the dealer and was told the lead frame sensor failed. Had to pay for repairs. Should be part of your current investigation
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted to first gear. The contact stated that on one occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted from 6th gear to 1st gear and the engine revved loudly. Additionally, while the vehicle was in 5th gear, the gear selector failed to shift to any other position except for park(P). The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the transmission was downshifting, the vehicle jerked when the brake pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed about DTC code: P061E: 00-28. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that there was no recall coverage on the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
OEM lug nuts swelled according to Pinnacle Ford resulting in extraordinary measures and costs to remove them. The lug nuts are available for inspection.
take your truck to a ford dealer to see if they car refresh or reprogram the tcm for the transmission shudder witch is being caused by the torque converter if they can’t refresh or reprogram your truck will need a new torque converter.
The engine in my 2016 2.7L ecoboost F-150 overheated, while I was driving on the highway, without any warning that the temperature in the engine was rising. The temperature rose so much the engine cracked, resulting in a catastrophic failure. The coolant temp sensor came on when it cracked but the damage was done. There was absolutely no warning I was having a mechanical issue prior to the damage. I was barely able to get it onto the shoulder of the highway, with my children in the backseat. On top of that, Ford has made it impossible to find a replacement engine for that model. I have been fighting for months to find a replacement. The dealerships inform me they can't get a new engine because Ford no longer produces it. I spoke directly to Ford customer relations and they confirmed there is no replacement and are not willing to help me. My truck is currently at a mechanics shop and available to be inspected if necessary. I know of several other F150s that have experienced the same issue. Ford knew they had a problem with the ecoboost engine and have done nothing to fix it.
The rear seat not lock in seat position its very dangerous in accident. Another problem ist when the transmmission decelerate she past the 3 at 1 speed dirrectly and a knoging in the transmission. Can you expect that please
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH uphill on several occasions, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to Lonstein's Motors Inc, where the gears were taken apart, and the mechanic diagnosed that the integrated wheel end (IWE) of the 4WD system was partially engaging unintendedly, causing gears to grind against each other and to become damaged. The mechanic noticed the presence of metal shavings. The mechanic replaced the left and right hub assemblies, two actuators, the vacuum lines, and the tubing solenoid. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 18-2273. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
2016 Ford F150 Platinum 5.0L V8 with automatic 6R80 transmission. Erratic gear shifting while driving. Sometimes not getting out of/stuck in 3rd gear and sometimes not downshifting below 3rd gear. Orange wrench or illuminated MIL light came on followed by a solid check engine light. Took it to dealership - DTC P0720 and P0722 appeared. Dealership tech states that he reprogrammed the PCM and output shaft speed sensor, and that the next step is to drive it and see how it does and if it didn’t fix the problem then he will have to change the molded leadframe. This issue is exactly the same issue as the customer satisfaction program 19N01. The safety concern is I don’t want to drive it around, waiting for the leadframe to fail one day while I’m driving down the freeway with my family in 6th gear and have the truck shift abruptly to 3rd or 1st gear and lose control. This issue is exactly like the 19N01 with the same 6R80 transmission.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was in the dealer for a repair, the diagnostic test discovered that there was oil leaking and the valve cover needed to be replaced. No warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
Unknown Downshifts for no reason
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the front driver's side seat belt buckle assembly and the rear driver's side seat belt inflator were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,026.
A common transmission failure on these trucks is the lead frame. My truck threw two codes related to the input speed sensor failing which resulted in $2,200 in repairs on a truck with 24,500 miles. This is a common issue that is unresolved and could cause accidents, injury, or death due to truck spontaneously going into limp mode.