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Home›Ford›2016 Ford F-150› transmission and drivetrain problems
Owner complaints · Power Train

2016 Ford F-150 transmission and drivetrain problems

588 of the 2,059 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford F-150 name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 23 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall, 2 NHTSA investigations. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.

588 complaints 29% of this model year’s 7 reports a crash 1 a fire typically at 98k miles

What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain

Source: NHTSA complaint database
588complaints name the transmission and drivetrain

7 of the 588 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 3 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.

Filed per year: 2016: 7 · 2017: 11 · 2018: 13 · 2019: 17 · 2020: 12 · 2021: 13 · 2022: 31 · 2023: 52 · 2024: 84 · 2025: 142 · 2026: 206

98kmiles, typically

Half of the 228 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 57,000 and 130,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

29%of this model year’s complaints

2,059 complaints in all about the 2016 Ford F-150, 206 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →

Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.

Across model years: Ford F-150 transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →

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In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

2016 Ford F-150. Consumer writes in regards to issues with transmission. Consumer is also seeking reimbursement for vehicle price or replacement vehicle
Power Train Apr 9, 2018 NHTSA owner report
Power steering failed twice while backing up there is a shutter when coming to a stop. Sometimes hard enough to feel like you were hit from behind
Power Train at 2,500 miles Feb 6, 2018 NHTSA owner report
The truck hesitates when shifting from 2nd to 1st gear.. This is causing a bump in the drive train. I've taken it to 3 different dealership for repair but they cannot fix it. When I stop I have to wait about one to two seconds before I can start back off. Its becoming dangerous to drive
Power Train at 53,000 miles Nov 16, 2017 NHTSA owner report
There appears to be "slack" in the drivetrain, as if it has a bad universal joint. There is often a clunk when you step on the gas when pulling away from a stop. It was recently checked at the dealer while in for an oil change. They said they found nothing wrong with it.
Power Train at 11,000 miles Sep 17, 2017 NHTSA owner report
Sudden high vibration and shaking in rear drive train, loss of engine throttle power, while driving on freeway. Loss of turn signals. Able to pull over to shoulder, stop engine, and restart and event goes away, only to random happen again 50-100 miles later. 5 events, very dangerous on public hiways to loose power in heavy traffic.
Power Train at 15,900 miles Jul 31, 2017 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall filed under this heading

NHTSA investigations

23 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading

The 2 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Trouble codes named on this system

P0706 P0707 P0720 P1702 P0722 P0705 P0011 P0015

Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Ford F-150 names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.

Other systems with a record on the 2016 Ford F-150

Source: the same files
From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Are transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2016 Ford F-150?

They are documented: NHTSA holds 588 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (29% of everything owners filed about it), and 23 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall, 2 NHTSA investigations are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.

Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2016 Ford F-150?

Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 26V237000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2016 Ford F-150?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 98,000 miles; half of them between 57,000 and 130,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?

The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.