2016 Ford F-150 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2016 Ford F-150 has 13 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 5,473,811 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2,503 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

POWER TRAIN 26V237000 2026-04-14 1,392,935 affected
Defect

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. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed May 1, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in July 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 22V150000 2022-03-11 195,864 affected
Defect

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…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 20V332000 2020-06-08 292,311 affected
Defect

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. …

ENGINE 20V098000 2020-02-21 13,854 affected
Defect

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…

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,…

ENGINE 19V278000 2019-04-08 131,068 affected
Defect

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…

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…

ENGINE 18V894000 2018-12-18 410,289 affected
Defect

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…

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.

SEAT BELTS 18V568000 2018-08-31 1,619,112 affected
Defect

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.

SEATS 17V767000 2017-11-29 177,264 affected
Defect

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…

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 17V652000 2017-10-16 1,101,107 affected
Defect

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…

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.

SEAT BELTS 17V526000 2017-08-28 117,423 affected
Defect

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…

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…

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 17V331000 2017-05-22 14,410 affected
Defect

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…

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.

SEATS 16V475000 2016-06-28 5,280 affected
Defect

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,…

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.

AIR BAGS 16V110000 2016-02-25 2,894 affected
Defect

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…

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.

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN
516
6crashes1fires3injuries
ENGINE
310
3crashes6fires2injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
297
21crashes18injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
244
5crashes5fires5injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
184
3crashes1fires5injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
173
3crashes14fires6injuries
VISIBILITY/WIPER
104
3fires3injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
93
4crashes1fires1injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
82
1crashes1fires2injuries
STEERING
61
2crashes
Total complaints2,503

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Steering knuckle broke while driving which caused the driver to lose control and crash into parked car. After the crash, we reviewed what happebed and noticed the front passenger side wheel, rotors, control arms and brake line was completely removed from the truck. Also the steering knuckle was…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2026-06-25

“The contact owns a 2016 ford f-150. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 26v237000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-06-20

“We received the safety recal 26v237 in may. Today 6/16/26, while driving the vehicle, it began acting like the recal said, however, the truck failed and will not start. My husband went and purchased a battery first because we didn't realize it was the recall at first. We cannot go without the…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-06-16

“We received the safety recal 26v237 in may. Today 6/16/26, while driving the vehicle, it began acting like the recal said, however, the truck failed and will not start. My husband went and purchased a battery first because we didn't realize it was the recall at first. We cannot go without the…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2026-06-16

“Horn stopped working. Took to dealer they diagnosed horn pin from bcm to bjb has pulled from wire. Said part to fix has 90 people waiting and indefinite wait time. Or can replace entire wire harness for $1700. After reading on ford forum learned this is common problem for truck. In nc horn is…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2026-06-16

“My 2016 ford f-150 (vin [xxx]) experienced an intermittent failure involving the transmission range sensor system. While driving, the vehicle displayed a check engine light and a “see service manualâ€� message. The truck became noticeably underpowered. When shifted into reverse, the transmission…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2026-06-16

“My 2016 ford f-150 (vin [xxx]) experienced an intermittent failure involving the transmission range sensor system. While driving, the vehicle displayed a check engine light and a “see service manualâ€� message. The truck became noticeably underpowered. When shifted into reverse, the transmission…”

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM · reported 2026-06-16

“My 2016 ford f-150 (vin [xxx]) experienced an intermittent failure involving the transmission range sensor system. While driving, the vehicle displayed a check engine light and a “see service manualâ€� message. The truck became noticeably underpowered. When shifted into reverse, the transmission…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-06-16

Defect investigations

Investigation EA26001 Opened 2026-01-30 · open

Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up

On March 21, 2025, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE25002) to investigate instances of unexpected transmission downshifting without driver input in model year (MY) 2015-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles (subject vehicles) manufactured by Ford Motor Company (Ford). The…

Investigation PE18008 Opened 2018-08-03 · closed 2018-12-17

Seatbelt Pretensioner Fire

On June 18, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE18-008) to investigate complaints alleging post-crash fires at the B pillar in the area of the seat belt pretensioners on MY 2014-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab, and Super Crew Cab Vehicles. On August 24, 2018, Ford Motor…

Investigation PE25002 Opened 2025-03-21 · closed 2026-01-30

Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up

On March 21, 2025, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE25002) to investigate instances of unexpected transmission downshifting without driver input in model year (MY) 2015-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles (subject vehicles) manufactured by Ford Motor Company (Ford). The…

Investigation RQ16001 Opened 2016-09-28 · closed 2020-07-05

Brake Master Cylinder Failure

On June 8, 2020, Ford Motor Company issued a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-332) of 292,311 model year (MY) 2014-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines and built from 9/1/2014 to 8/1/2016. Ford stated that the causes of brake fluid loss in the master cylinder are brake fluid contamination…

Investigation RQ16001 Opened 2016-09-28 · closed 2020-07-05

Brake Master Cylinder Failure

On June 8, 2020, Ford Motor Company issued a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-332) of 292,311 model year (MY) 2014-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines and built from 9/1/2014 to 8/1/2016. Ford stated that the causes of brake fluid loss in the master cylinder are brake fluid contamination…

Investigation RQ16001 Opened 2016-09-28 · closed 2020-07-05

Brake Master Cylinder Failure

On June 8, 2020, Ford Motor Company issued a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-332) of 292,311 model year (MY) 2014-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines and built from 9/1/2014 to 8/1/2016. Ford stated that the causes of brake fluid loss in the master cylinder are brake fluid contamination…

Investigation RQ16001 Opened 2016-09-28 · closed 2020-07-05

Brake Master Cylinder Failure

On June 8, 2020, Ford Motor Company issued a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-332) of 292,311 model year (MY) 2014-2017 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines and built from 9/1/2014 to 8/1/2016. Ford stated that the causes of brake fluid loss in the master cylinder are brake fluid contamination…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Ford F-150 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.