2016 Ford F-150: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2016 Ford F-150: 13 recalls, 2069 owner complaints and up to 21 mpg combined.
Recalls
13 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer, plus 1 equipment/tire recall that can apply. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V110000 · 2016 · 2,894 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Seats Vehicle recall #16V475000 · 2016 · 5,280 vehicles
What's wrong: 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."
Why it matters: The seat back May not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: 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.
Latches & locks, Body & structure Vehicle recall #17V331000 · 2017 · 14,410 vehicles
What's wrong: 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."
Why it matters: If the doors unlatch and open in a side impact collision, the occupants have an increased risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the accessory covers and refund the purchase price. The recall began July 13, 2017.
Seat belts Vehicle recall #17V526000 · 2017 · 117,423 vehicles
What's wrong: 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."
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Latches & locks Vehicle recall #17V652000 · 2017 · 1,101,107 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: 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.
Seats Vehicle recall #17V767000 · 2017 · 177,264 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: In the event of a crash, a seat occupant that is not properly restrained has an increased risk of injury.
The fix: 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…
Seat belts, Body & structure Vehicle recall #18V568000 · 2018 · 1,619,112 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
The fix: 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.
Engine Vehicle recall #18V894000 · 2018 · 410,289 vehicles
What's wrong: Water and contaminants May get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Engine, Equipment Vehicle recall #19V278000 · 2019 · 131,068 vehicles
What's wrong: During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector May have been damaged.
Why it matters: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: 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.
Engine, Equipment Vehicle recall #20V098000 · 2020 · 13,854 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: 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…
Brakes (hydraulic), Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #20V332000 · 2020 · 292,311 vehicles
What's wrong: 5l ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder May leak brake fluid into the brake booster.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Brakes (hydraulic), Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #22V150000 · 2022 · 195,864 vehicles
What's wrong: 5l ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder May allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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…
Transmission & drivetrain Vehicle recall #26V237000 · 2026 · 1,392,935 vehicles
What's wrong: A loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear.
Why it matters: Unexpectedly downshifting into second gear May result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2026.
1 aftermarket equipment / tire recall replacement parts sold to fit this car, not the car itself
Suspension Equipment recall #21E027000 · 2021 · 2,394 vehicles
What's wrong: The ball joint May have a misaligned dust boot and May be missing alignment hole and installation warning tag, which May lead to improper alignment of the ball joint.
Why it matters: An incorrectly installed ball joint May cause the ball joint stud to break, which can compromise front wheel control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Driv will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary replace the ball joint, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 5, 2021.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 25 mention a fire, 50 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Transmission & drivetrain (595): the most common themes are hard / delayed shifting (400), warning light on (215).
- Engine (317): the most common themes are stalls / loses power (101), warning light on (99), leaks (54).
- Brakes (302): the most common themes are brake failure / soft pedal (158), warning light on (67).
- Other / unknown (254): the most common themes are warning light on (28), stalls / loses power (26).
The 2016 Ford F-150 has 2069 owner complaints, ranking #5 of 37 F-150 model years for complaints (2.0× the average F-150 year). Complaints peaked in 2026 (286 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 5 years old, at a median of 45,400 miles. Neighboring years: 2015 (1728 complaints, 13 recalls), 2017 (1447 complaints, 17 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7 L 6-cyl turbo | Automatic (S6) | Rear-Wheel Drive | 19 | 25 | 21 | Regular |
| 3.5 L 6-cyl turbo | Automatic (S6) | Rear-Wheel Drive | 17 | 24 | 20 | Regular |
| 3.5 L 6-cyl | Automatic 6-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 18 | 24 | 20 | Gasoline or E85 |
| 2.7 L 6-cyl turbo | Automatic (S6) | Part-time 4-Wheel Drive | 18 | 23 | 20 | Regular |
| 3.5 L 6-cyl | Automatic 6-spd | Part-time 4-Wheel Drive | 17 | 22 | 19 | Gasoline or E85 |
| 5.0 L 8-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Rear-Wheel Drive | 15 | 22 | 18 | Gasoline or E85 |
| 3.5 L 6-cyl turbo | Automatic (S6) | Part-time 4-Wheel Drive | 16 | 22 | 18 | Regular |
| 5.0 L 8-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Part-time 4-Wheel Drive | 15 | 21 | 17 | Gasoline or E85 |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2016 Ford F-150.
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FAQ
Does the 2016 Ford F-150 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 13 vehicle recalls for the 2016 Ford F-150, plus 1 equipment or tire recalls that can apply. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2016 Ford F-150 problems?
Owners have filed 2069 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are transmission & drivetrain (595), engine (317), brakes (302).
What gas mileage does the 2016 Ford F-150 get?
EPA ratings run up to 21 mpg combined (2.7 L, Automatic (S6)), across 8 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2016 Ford F-150 repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.