2016 Ford F-150 Reliability & Recall Report
Based on 14 NHTSA recalls and 1,789 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.
F
10/100
Very High Reported Activity — 2016 Ford F-150
The 2016 Ford F-150 shows very high recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Counts are raw and are higher for popular models, so see how we score this below. Review the issues and recalls carefully, and have the vehicle inspected before buying.
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14
NHTSA Recalls
14 recalls on record
1,789
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
53
Crash Reports
23 fire reports
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NHTSA Recalls — 2016 Ford F-150 (14)
All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Ford dealer at no charge to the owner.
🔧 Engine
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….
🔧 Engine
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…
🔧 Seat Belts: Pretensioner
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….
🔧 Latches/Locks/Linkages: Doors: Latch
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…
🔧 Seat Belts: Rear/Other
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…
🔧 Latches/Locks/Linkages: Doors: Latch
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…
🔧 Seats: Front Assembly: Recliner
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…
🔧 Seats
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…
🔧 Air Bags: Sensor: Occupant Classification
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…
🔧 Engine
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…
Showing 10 of 14 recalls. View all on NHTSA.gov →
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Most Common Problems — 2016 Ford F-150
Based on 1,789 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.
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Ford F-150 — Complaints by Year
A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2016 model year is highlighted.
→ Recently checked Ford F-150 VINs — free recall, safety and specs report for any VIN.
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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2013 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.
✅ Best model years: 2020 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.
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Frequently Asked Questions — 2016 Ford F-150
Is the 2016 Ford F-150 reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 Ford F-150 has 14 recall campaigns and 1,789 owner complaints. This model year shows elevated recall or complaint activity — review the details and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
How many recalls does the 2016 Ford F-150 have?
The 2016 Ford F-150 has 14 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford F-150?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2016 Ford F-150 are: Power Train, Service Brakes, Engine, Structure. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2016 Ford F-150 safe to buy?
The 2016 Ford F-150 has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 14 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year Ford F-150 should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Ford F-150 are: 2020. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2013.
How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update.
For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit
NHTSA.gov/recalls.