Ford F-150 Complaints (2016)

2,093 consumer complaints on file.

#11718265February 16, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Frame is rusted through along the bottom weld. Most likely water, sand and debris entered the frame from side openings and this corrosive mixture sat in the bottom of the frame as there were no drain holes nearby. The problem was discovered by a Ford mechanic and the dealership said they could not repair it, and to try a collision center. An auto body said they could not strengthen the frame as Ford does not allow welding but they could replace the frame for $9,179 plus other cost for draining fluids, etc.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718098February 15, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Gets stuck in 3rd and 5th gears randomly, on the interstate it will get stuck and won’t shift, we believe it is a lead frame issue, in town it won’t down shift out of third, we can turn it off and on and it can jump from first to third gear while not moving, sometimes it runs just fine, it does this at random
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717714February 13, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Ford has known about these 2 issues but refuses to do anything about it one of them they flat failed to mention at to anyone. The climate control seat module burns due to a ground wire. But they have to release the information they on 2014-2019 you can’ use aftermarket thermostat as they’re not calibrated right for the motor and also fit bit differently which causes people to spend so much to fix a cooling problem that doesn’t exist
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717674February 12, 2026
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling and wind sound coming from the panoramic roof. While attempting to inspect the vehicle, the contact stated that the panoramic roof glass seized, opened, and failed to close. The contact stated that the panoramic roof glass seemed as if it was about to fracture. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was very expensive and not worth the cost. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717174February 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
While driving at approximately 55 mph the vehicle began to behave strangely. The "D" light for drive and the gear indicator began to flash. Then the transmission abruptly down shifted to 2nd gear from 5th then lost all power before returning to somewhat normal operation for a short period of time before happening again. The issue occurred multiple times in a 5 mile trip. If there was anyone close behind me it could have resulted in a crash, or it could result in myself losing control of the vehicle. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by a mechanic. There were no warning lamps or any messages prior to, during, or after the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717272February 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Over the past few years, I have experienced sporadic issues with my transmission. I am aware of an investigation into 2015-2017 F-150's with 6-speed 6R80 automatic transmissions which is what I have. According to articles I have seen, there have been reports of sudden down-shifts at highway speed from 6th to 2nd or 1st gear. While I have not experienced anything that drastic yet, I am concerned that it's just a matter of time. I have experienced slipping out of 6th gear or what I would describe as the transmission "hunting" to find a shift point between 4th and 6th. I first became aware of this while trailering an RV on the highway using cruise control in the summer of 2023. Periodically, I would notice a "lurching" sensation as the vehicle seemed to have difficulty maintaining 6th gear. As time has gone on, I've had this happen even when not trailering but when going up hills at times (transmission under load). Additionally, I have experienced sudden loss of power under acceleration like entering an on-ramp to a highway. Twice (at least) I have had this happen, the check engine light will begin flashing and I lose the ability to accelerate. After stopping, shutting off the vehicle and then starting again, the CEL turns off and I can resume driving. I have brought this issue up with my local dealer twice, but they have not been able to diagnose anything because of how sporadic the problem is.Their advice was to simply wait until the problem got worse and more predictable. Since my F-150 is not a daily driver for me, it has largely just sat in my garage since 2023 and rarely used. But on the handful of occasions I have driven it since this issue first appeared, I am constantly concerned I will run into a major problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716886February 9, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My 2016 F150 with a 6R80 transmission will randomly fail to go into gear resulting in my vehicle going into neutral and rolling. It will randomly go into neutral while driving down the road which makes my car roll forward unexpectedly, it will randomly when you shift into park it will go into neutral and roll, it will also downshift randomly at random speeds, it has caused me on more than one occasion to almost roll into another vehicle due to it unexpectedly going out of gear without notice almost causing an accident. I believe it to be the lead frame in the transmission. It has been replaced twice with oem ford parts and has failed once within a week and the second time failing the next day, all work done at a licensed service shop, inspected and has failed completely regardless of parts being replaced,
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716633February 9, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Sudden downshift from 4th to 1st gear. Rear end locked up, had to manually select 1st gear in order to get power back to the wheels.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716642February 9, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission downshifted unexpectedly during normal driving .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716685February 9, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH with cruise control engaged, the vehicle experienced transmission failure. The contact stated that the engine seized, and the vehicle abruptly stopped. The “Service Transmission Soon” message was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the message was cleared. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25002 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, who confirmed that the VIN was not under recall and there was no recall related to the failure. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with transmission valve body failure. The transmission valve body was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716521February 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle: 2016 Ford F-150, 5.0L V8, 6R80 automatic transmission Mileage at time of failure: Approximately 118,000 miles Approximate date of occurrence: Late 2025 (Late October to Early November) While driving at speeds above approximately 40 mph, the transmission would randomly and unexpectedly downshift, causing a severe and sudden jerking motion accompanied by extremely high engine RPMs. After several seconds, the transmission would violently upshift back into the original gear. Most occurrences involved the transmission downshifting one or two gears; however, on multiple occasions it downshifted from 6th gear directly to 2nd gear while traveling at highway speeds. This caused the rear wheels to momentarily lock up, creating a dangerous loss of traction and loss of vehicle control. These events occurred frequently, including during short trips, and were not related to driver input, braking, or road conditions. During these incidents, the check engine light and wrench warning light would illuminate. Diagnostic trouble code P0720 (Output Shaft Speed Sensor Circuit) was consistently stored. This pointed to a failure within the transmission molded lead frame, which houses the output shaft speed sensor and related circuitry. Due to the severity of the symptoms and the known issues with the Ford 6R80 transmission molded lead frame, I replaced the molded lead frame myself. After replacement, the erratic downshifting, wheel lockup, warning lights, and fault codes were completely resolved. The vehicle has operated normally since the repair. Ford has a documented history of issues related to molded lead frame failures in 6R80 transmissions, including erratic shifting and loss of speed sensor data. This failure presented a significant safety risk, particularly at highway speeds, due to sudden and uncontrollable deceleration and momentary wheel lockup.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716522February 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle showed wrench lite and went into safe mode when stopped went back to normal continue to drive and then vehicle showed wrench lite lite and engine check lite went into safe mode stopped vehicle and engine died would not restart checked codes received 706,708,and 1702. Prior to this no indication of problems
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716532February 8, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
while driving at about 50 mph, the truck will go from 6th to 1st, and lock up the rear end briefly. I'm the mechanic filing this for my customer, seems to me, its the lead frame failing in the trans, and they have done nothing about it, customer says ford worked on this transmission, the only updated part i found was 1 extra magnet. old part number for the lead frame, and a known failing lead frame #, I'm pretty sure you guys have a open case for these trucks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716558February 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission issue with the shift from 3rd to 4th gear. While accelerating, i,ve experienced grinding and a drop from 4th down to 1st gear, then jumping back up. This causes the RPM to rapidly increase and the truck to lose acceleration immediately. This problem has happened more than once, less than ten times over the past two years. I have not had the local dealership diagnose this yet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716561February 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Several times while at highway speed and while towing, the transmission suddenly downshifted into a very low gear causing the rear wheels to lock up and skid. This happened randomly and also left me stranded for a bit at a stop light. The vehicle was towed to porter ford and they replaced the lead frame harness
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716563February 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Transmission downshifting and electrical issues
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716578February 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Sudden downshift from 4th to 1st gear, rapid deceleration and loss of traction. Unable to accelerate until manually shifted back into 2nd gear.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716596February 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I have a 2016 f-150 5.0 L sport edition truck. Last year I had to replace the OSS on the transmission due to rear wheel lock up and transmission slipping/ down shifting while driving. I don’t see that my truck VIN is under the current recall or investigation that is taking place but I do have receipts of where I paid for a certified mechanic to replace that sensor. The truck has less than 100k miles on it currently and even less when that sensor was replaced. Any help regarding the current investigations or recalls so that I can be reimbursed would be great.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716597February 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Approximately a year ago I started having trouble with the shifting in my transmission. Had the fluid changed thinking this may be the problem. My engine light continued to stay on and has been on ever since. Periodically the truck will down shift or not shift into another gear without the rpms going above 3000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716613February 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The truck suddenly downshifted to 6th to 2nd gear on the highway. Engine rpm hit more than 7000. Transmission now grinds, shudders and slips. Almost caused a wreck. Hasn't been documented to anyway, just by word. Has not been inspected as there is no way to inspect. No warning before incident, transmission now grinds 4th to 3rd gear, shudders in every gear and slips.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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