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2016 Ford F-150
13 recall campaigns and 574 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 2016 Ford F-150; the recalls concern power train, service brakes, hydraulic and engine.
The component named most often is service brakes: 197.2 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 76.8 per 1,000 across all 2016 model-year vehicles and against 36.8 per 1,000 for the Ford F-150 line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 566.8 complaints per model year across the 41 Ford F-150 model years on this register; 27 complaints reported a crash and 8 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2018 (191); the most recent in the file is dated 15 May 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 4 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 26S28).
- 22V150000SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDERReported 11 Mar 2022 · 195,864 units
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 22S11); components: service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder; service brakes, hydraulic:power assist.
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 20S31); components: service brakes, hydraulic:power assist; service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder.
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 20S08); components: engine; equipment:electrical.
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 19S11); components: engine; equipment:electrical.
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 18S45).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 18S27); components: seat belts:pretensioner; structure:body:roof and pillars.
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 17S40).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 17S33).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 17C12).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 17C09); components: structure:body:door; latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch.
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 16C11).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 16S05).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2016 Ford F-150 (black) against all 2016 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2016 | F-150 line | All 2016 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 197.2 | 36.8 | 76.8 |
| Structure | 165.5 | 51.9 | 49.7 |
| Unknown or Other | 102.1 | 30.7 | 120.5 |
| Engine | 91 | 72 | 119.7 |
| Electrical System | 78.6 | 80.8 | 100.4 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 52.4 | 19.7 | 29.5 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 143 | 197.2 | 36.8 | 76.8 |
| Structure | 120 | 165.5 | 51.9 | 49.7 |
| Unknown or Other | 74 | 102.1 | 30.7 | 120.5 |
| Engine | 66 | 91 | 72 | 119.7 |
| Electrical System | 57 | 78.6 | 80.8 | 100.4 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 38 | 52.4 | 19.7 | 29.5 |
| Power Train | 37 | 51 | 101.8 | 128.6 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 41.4 | 70.8 | 54.3 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 29 | 40 | 6.4 | 4.5 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 28 | 38.6 | 22.1 | 43.9 |
| Steering | 18 | 24.8 | 56.7 | 56.4 |
| Air Bags | 16 | 22.1 | 33.6 | 48.1 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 13 | 17.9 | 5.2 | 24.7 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 13.8 | 54.6 | 2.3 |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 13.8 | 13.1 | 12.7 |
| Wheels | 9 | 12.4 | 14 | 24.3 |
| Seats | 7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 12.6 |
| Suspension | 7 | 9.7 | 32.8 | 28.8 |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 8.3 | 10 | 33.3 |
| Visibility | 4 | 5.5 | 64.1 | 7 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 2.8 | 82.8 | 4.5 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1.4 | 71.1 | 2 |
574 unique complaints, 725 component mentions; 26 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA26001 | Engineering analysis | Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up | power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) | 30 Jan 2026 | open | 26V237 |
| PE25002 | Preliminary evaluation | Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up | power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) | 21 Mar 2025 | 30 Jan 2026 | — |
| PE18008 | Preliminary evaluation | Seatbelt Pretensioner Fire | seat belts:pretensioner | 3 Aug 2018 | 17 Dec 2018 | 18V568000 |
| RQ16001 | Recall query | Brake Master Cylinder Failure | service brakes | 28 Sep 2016 | 5 Jul 2020 | 20V332000 |
Other Ford F-150 model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1987 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1989 NHTSA | 0 | 12 | — |
| 1990 NHTSA | 0 | 17 | — |
| 1991 | 3 | 302 | 9,033,419 |
| 1992 | 3 | 470 | 2,156,791 |
| 1993 | 7 | 577 | 6,438,180 |
| 1994 | 6 | 668 | 5,741,613 |
| 1995 | 2 | 620 | 4,531,000 |
| 1996 | 2 | 315 | 4,634,770 |
| 1997 | 14 | 2,742 | 9,402,062 |
| 1998 | 8 | 1,371 | 8,258,137 |
| 1999 | 7 | 1,038 | 5,640,333 |
| 2000 | 6 | 1,050 | 7,570,425 |
| 2001 | 8 | 1,192 | 8,579,768 |
| 2002 | 2 | 787 | 5,600,000 |
| 2003 | 4 | 389 | 4,855,884 |
| 2004 | 5 | 1,974 | 6,027,060 |
| 2005 | 3 | 1,035 | 2,142,116 |
| 2006 | 4 | 521 | 2,342,058 |
| 2007 | 2 | 437 | 416 |
| 2008 | 1 | 307 | 213 |
| 2009 | 2 | 277 | 289,681 |
| 2010 | 1 | 677 | 280,946 |
| 2011 | 6 | 1,548 | 1,465,982 |
| 2012 | 4 | 1,209 | 1,427,233 |
| 2013 | 3 | 1,473 | 1,595,920 |
| 2014 | 8 | 566 | 1,327,762 |
| 2015 | 13 | 628 | 5,137,616 |
| 2016 | 13 | 574 | 5,473,811 |
| 2017 | 17 | 197 | 5,424,650 |
| 2018 | 18 | 255 | 3,799,441 |
| 2019 | 9 | 8 | 1,823,432 |
| 2020 | 11 | 0 | 2,589,035 |
| 2021 | 29 | 0 | 10,684,336 |
| 2022 | 23 | 0 | 8,908,290 |
| 2023 | 13 | 0 | 7,038,115 |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 5,824,204 |
| 2025 | 13 | 0 | 5,393,797 |
| 2026 | 5 | 0 | 4,605,427 |
| 2027 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 223,472 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford F-150 model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2016 Ford F-150 have?
13 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 26V237000, was reported to NHTSA on 14 Apr 2026 and concerns power train:automatic transmission. Across all model years the Ford F-150 line has 169 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2016 Ford F-150?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 4 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2016 Ford F-150 complain about most?
Service Brakes: 143 of 725 component mentions (197.2 per 1,000). Next is structure with 120. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.