2016 Ford F-150: complaints, problems and recalls

THIS VEHICLE AS DESCRIBED BY THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER HAS A DRIVERS DOOR LATCH PROBLEM, DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE PROPERLY, WILL OPEN BY ITSELF WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMP IS BELOW FREEZING. THIS VEHICLE IS BRAND NEW SITTING ON THE DEALERS LOT, THERE IS AT LEAST 20 OTHER NEW VEHICLES ON THE LOT DOING THE SAME THING. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I HAVE BEEN SELLING FORDS FOR THIRTY PLUS YEARS, ONE THING I HAVE LEARNED, THE MANUFACTURER WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT.

Owner-reported narrative. 10 miles reported. Look up ODI 10821524 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN ITS COLD ONLY THEY WILL NOT SHUT THE DOOR WILL BOUNCE BACK. DEALER TRY TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM IN A WARM GARAGE AND PU NO PROBLEM FOUND ON WORK ORDER. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE AND NO HELP.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10836297 at NHTSA ↗

MY AUTO DRIVER SIDE VIEW MIRROR DEFAULTS TO A POSITION WHICH I CANNOT SEE BEHIND ME EVERY TIME I USE THE VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT FORD MAY HAVE INTENTIONALLY SET THE MIRROR TO BEHAVE THIS WAY. I FORGET TO ADJUST THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WITH EACH ENTRY AND REALIZE THE MIRROR IS NOT ADJUSTED AFTER I AM ALREADY BACKING, SO I HAVE TO SLAM MY BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE SO THAT I CAN ADJUST THE MIRROR TO BACK SAFELY.

Owner-reported narrative. 1,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10836771 at NHTSA ↗

SINCE 2015 FORD HAS HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE DOOR LOCKS NOT LATCHING IN COLD WEATHER. I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE FOR A MONTH AND A HALF AND HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR SERVICE TWICE NOW FOR THE SAME ISSUE. MOISTURE GETS INTO THE LOCKING MECHANISM AND THEN FREEZES. AFTER OPENING THE DOOR THERE IS NO WAY OF CLOSING IT AS LATCHES DO NOT GRAB AGAIN OR ON THE OTHER HAND THEY DON'T RELEASE. TWICE NOW I HAVE BEEN OUT AND ABOUT AND HAD DOORS THAT WOULD NOT LATCH. I HAD TO DRIVE AROUND WITH MY 18 MONTH OLD SON'S DOOR HELD CLOSED WITH A RATCHET STRAP TO BE ABLE TO GE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,361 miles reported. Look up ODI 10838547 at NHTSA ↗

AIR LEAKING NOISES AND HIGH PITCH WHISTLES AROUND DOORS WHEN MOVING OVER 40 MPH. FORD SAYS IT'S NORMAL AND I SHOULD GET USED TO IT.

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10851494 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2016 F150 HAS ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL ("ACC") THAT APPLIES BRAKES IN THE EVENT A VEHICLE IS DETECTED IN LANE AHEAD IN ORDER TO MATCH SPEED AND MAINTAIN SAFE DISTANCE. F150 ALSO HAS COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM THAT INCREASES SENSITIVITY OF BRAKES IF IMMINENT COLLISION IS DETECTED. 2015 FORD F150 HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO A RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V614000) TO FIX PROBLEMS WITH ACC - THE ACC MAY FALSELY DETECT AN OBSTACLE IN ITS PATH AND MAY UNEXPECTEDLY APPLY THE BRAKES INCREASING THE RISK OF A REAR-END COLLISION FROM A FOLLOWING VEHICLE.…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10852685 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE IN PARK WITH THE DRIVER DOOR OPEN, TRUCK OFF, RADIO ON, CONFIRMED SHIFTER WAS IN PARK POSITION. I ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGED MANUAL TRANSMISSION CONTROL IN FRONT OF AND GEAR SELECTOR AT THUMB POSITION OF SHIFTER AS BOTH ARE UNAVOIDABLE. AS I WAS GETTING OUT TO REACH SOMETHING IN THE BACK SEAT, TRUCK RELEASED PARK AND ROLLED AWAY. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING IN D (DRIVE) THUMB ACCIDENTALLY MADE CONTACT WITH (-) CONTROL AND QUICKLY DECELERATED TO A QUICK STALLED STOP, BEGINNING AT 50 MPH DOWN TO A STOP IN THE ROAD IN LESS THAN ONE QUARTER OF A MI…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10853708 at NHTSA ↗

ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL BRAKING ISSUE. MY NEW 2016 FORD F150 PLATINUM EDITION PICK UP TRUCK WILL AUTOMATICALLY BRAKE HARD WHEN PASSING SOME LARGE TRUCKS WHILE OPERATING IN ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. THE LANE AHEAD OF ME WAS CLEAR WITH NO VEHICLES IN SIGHT IN MY LANE EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE LARGE TRUCKS I PASSED WERE ON MY RIGHT AND NOT IN MY LANE OR EVEN CLOSE TO THE LANE MARKERS. THE LARGE TRUCKS DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING HANGING OVER INTO MY LANE. THESE DANGEROUS BRAKING EVENTS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON VERY GOOD DRY HIGHWAYS AND FR…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10854403 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-02-25 (February 25, 2016)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 F-150 trucks manufactured April 27, 2015, to November 22, 2015, and equipped with Multi-Contour Seats (MCS). The front passenger seat Occupant Classification System (OCS) that calibrates the air bag deployment level may incorrectly classify an adult as a child when the seat massage feature is activated.

Consequence: If an adult is incorrectly classified as a child, the passenger frontal air bag will not deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Occupant Classification System Module (OCSM) with new software, free of charge. The recall began on March 11, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S05.

Reported: 2016-06-28 (June 28, 2016)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Explorer and F-150 vehicles equipped with a manual recline driver's seat. The seat back frame may have insufficient welds which may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

Consequence: The seat back may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall begin on August 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 16C11.

Reported: 2017-05-22 (May 22, 2017)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles originally produced with black or body colored exterior door handles that may have been subsequently equipped with a chrome exterior door handle cover accessory kit purchased from a Ford dealer. These accessory door handle covers may cause the doors to unlatch in a side impact collision. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."

Consequence: If the doors unlatch and open in a side impact collision, the occupants have an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the accessory covers and refund the purchase price. The recall began July 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 17C09.

Reported: 2017-08-28 (August 28, 2017)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250 and F-350 trucks equipped with a crew cab. The left rear inflatable seat belt buckle assembly may be inadequately attached to its mounting bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

Consequence: If the left rear inflatable seat belt buckle separates from it's mounting bracket, the seat occupant may not be adequately restrained, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt assembly, replacing the attaching rivet as necessary, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed October 18, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C12.

Reported: 2017-10-16 (October 16, 2017)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the doors opening while driving although they appear to be closed.

Consequence: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S33.

Reported: 2017-11-29 (November 29, 2017)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 F-150 and Explorer vehicles. Loose power seat adjuster pivot bolts may cause the front seat cushions to detach and not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, a seat occupant that is not properly restrained has an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tightness of the power seat track upper pivot link bolt, either applying threadlocker or replacing the lift link and hardware, free of charge. Interim letters are expected to go out January 15, 2018. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S40.

Reported: 2018-08-31 (August 31, 2018)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.

Consequence: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S27.

Reported: 2018-12-18 (December 18, 2018)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.

Consequence: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45.

Reported: 2019-04-08 (April 8, 2019)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.

Consequence: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.

Reported: 2020-02-21 (February 21, 2020)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2016 F-150 pick-up trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines and block immersion heaters that were potentially relocated from their originally installed location. The incorrect location could put the heater too close to hot engine components, possibly resulting in a damaged cable.

Consequence: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the block heater's location and its cable, replacing components as necessary, free of charge. If the replacement parts are not available, dealers will disable the existing block heater cable from being used until parts become available. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S08.

Reported: 2020-06-08 (June 8, 2020)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2017 F-150 pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may leak brake fluid into the brake booster.

Consequence: A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel and feel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, possibly requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. These conditions can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and inspect the brake booster, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Ford issued owners an interim notification on June 30, 2020. The recall began on October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S31.

Reported: 2022-03-11 (March 11, 2022)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and 2016-2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.

Consequence: A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. These conditions can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. An interim owner notification letter notifying customers of the safety defect were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed April 29, 2022. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-332. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S11.

Reported: 2026-04-14 (April 14, 2026)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150 vehicles. A loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear.

Consequence: Unexpectedly downshifting into second gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S28. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 15, 2026.