2016 Ford F-150: engine and transmission complaints
ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
40%
674 of 1,743 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
40% of relevant owner complaints on the 2016 Ford F-150 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.
Better than 54% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM01/22/2025CRASH1 INJURED
Unknown, I was pulling into a parking spot, at Sam's Club, and lightly tap the gas petal for the turn and the truck lunched forward in the one carlink, and hit a concrete parking pole (Sam's club in Southgate Michigan has security cameras) it warped around the pole and bent the frame as if though it was 90 mph and a t…
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE03/13/2023CRASH1 INJURED
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed. The vehicle failed to stop immediately rear-ending another vehicle. No air bags deployed. The contact sustained injuries to his neck and back but did not receive medical attention…
ENGINE12/10/20211 INJURED
Engine block exploded with less than 100,000 miles while moving forward after a stop sign, dropped all water through a side of an engine, lost power unable to move from road blocking traffic. Once token into a shop, melted metal was found on the engine cover, and a big hole was found on the engine head. A lot of engine…
Three of 674 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (14)
ENGINE
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 …
ENGINE
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 …
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
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 …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2016 Ford F-150
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
14 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.