Ford3 independent sources
2016 · Pickup (Regular Cab, SuperCab, SuperCrew)
2016 Ford F-150
A carry-over year in the thirteenth-generation F-150: Ford's 2016 engine table prints the same four engines at the same ratings as 2015, all on the six-speed automatic. It is the last model year before the second-generation 3.5L EcoBoost and the ten-speed automatic arrived. It drew more NHTSA complaints than the two model years either side of it, though not the most of the generation — the 2018 facelift year did.
Power282–385 hpTorque253–420 lb-ftEPA comb.18–21 mpgTows up to12,200 lbs
2016 Ford F-150 Regular Cab XL in Green Gem Metallic, front left, 07-08-2026 by Cutlass · CC0 · cropped and resized
Against 2015
What changed for 2016
- Nothing mechanical. Ford's 2016 engine table prints the same four engines at the same ratings as 2015, all still on the six-speed automatic.
- It is the last year before the second-generation 3.5L EcoBoost and the ten-speed automatic arrived.
Before you hand over money
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first — clean, salvage, rebuilt or flood. On a truck this age a rebuilt title is common enough to be worth confirming before anything mechanical.
- Work out from the VIN whether a 3.5L truck has the naturally aspirated Ti-VCT V6 or the twin-turbo EcoBoost. Both are 3.5 litres, and they are not the same engine to own or to repair.
- Every 2016 engine uses the six-speed. A 2016 truck advertised with a ten-speed is either mis-described or is not a 2016.
- Look for open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. This model year carries 14 recall campaigns, and dealers fix open ones free.
Four engines offered that year
Engines
Which engine a listing has is the first thing that changes the answer.
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission | Drive | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5-TiVCT3.5L V6 | 282 hp | 253 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 18 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined2WD |
| 2.7-EcoBoost2.7L V6 turbo | 325 hp | 375 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 19 city / 25 hwy / 21 combined2WD |
| 3.5-EcoBoost3.5L V6 turbo | 365 hp | 420 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 17 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined2WD |
| 5.0-Coyote5.0L V8 | 385 hp | 387 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 15 city / 22 hwy / 18 combined2WD |
EPA city / highway / combined, from fueleconomy.gov.
NHTSA public records
Complaints and recalls
Where the complaints land · top 6
POWER TRAIN335
SERVICE BRAKES297
ENGINE177
STRUCTURE165
UNKNOWN OR OTHER158
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM129
All other categories446
A complaint count is not a failure rate. It tracks how many of these were sold and how much attention a problem drew, so a popular car will always show more complaints than a rare one. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, retrieved 2026-08-11.
Against the rest of the generation: 1.17 where 1.00 is the average complaint volume per year on the road across the 6 model years written up here. Dividing by age is what makes the comparison mean anything; the raw counts alone favour whichever year is youngest.
Same car, different year
This year, or the one next to it?
Mechanically this is 2015. The choice between them is a year of age and a complaint record: 2016 sits at 1.17 against the generation average once years on the road are divided out, and 2015 at 0.89. Looking forward instead, 2017 is where the second-generation 3.5L EcoBoost and the ten-speed automatic arrive - a real difference if the 3.5L EcoBoost is the engine you want, and none at all if it is not, because every other engine stayed on the six-speed that year.
Documented mechanisms
Known problems
Charging system: battery and alternator
The alternator charges the battery while the engine runs and powers everything electrical. Both are consumable parts with a service life, and on a used car at least one of them has usually been replaced already — or is due.
Air conditioning compressor failure
The compressor is the pump in the air conditioning loop. When it seizes it can send metal debris through the whole system, which turns a component replacement into a system job.
Suspension and steering noise
Bushings, ball joints, link rods and strut mounts are rubber and grease components that wear continuously. They rarely fail suddenly; they get gradually noisier and vaguer, which is why a test drive on a rough road tells you more than one on smooth pavement.
Turbocharger wear and failure
A turbocharger runs at very high speed on an oil-fed bearing, driven by exhaust gas. Its condition is tied directly to the engine's oil history, which makes service records more informative here than on most components.
Carbon buildup on intake valves
In a direct-injection engine the fuel is sprayed into the cylinder rather than at the intake valve. Nothing washes the back of that valve, so deposits from crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation accumulate there over time.
Unexpected downshift into second gear
Ford recalled 1,392,935 F-150s in April 2026 because the truck can drop into second gear on its own at speed. Owner letters went out on 24 July 2026, so this is live: if you are looking at a 2015, 2016 or 2017 F-150 right now, there is a good chance the repair has not been done yet. It is a free software update.
Brake master cylinder leaking into the booster
On F-150s with the 3.5L EcoBoost, the brake master cylinder can leak fluid into the brake booster. Ford recalled 292,311 trucks for it in 2020 and pays for a new master cylinder and, where needed, a new booster. Six years on, the useful question is simply whether this particular truck has had it done.
Doors that can open while driving
A door that looks shut and is not. Ford recalled 1,101,107 trucks in 2017 for two ways this can happen — a bent latch cable, or a latch that freezes after water gets into it. The repair is free and does not expire, so the only thing to establish is whether it was done.
Seat belt pretensioner that can start a fire in a crash
A front seat belt pretensioner fires in a crash, as it is supposed to, and the sparks it throws can set light to the insulation inside the door pillar. Ford recalled 1,619,112 F-150s for it. The repair is free with no expiry, and the cab style tells you in seconds whether a particular truck is in scope.
Engine block heater cable and the risk of fire
A cold-weather option most owners never think about, recalled three times in three years — including once for damage caused by the previous recall repair. If the truck has a block heater, "recall completed" on a VIN check is not the end of the question here; what matters is whether the cable was replaced or only switched off.
What it is good at
Strengths
Running it
Ownership and maintenance
Drivetrain
RWD or part-time 4WDTows up to 12,200 lbs (3.5L EcoBoost, properly equipped)The maximum figure needs a specific combination of engine, axle ratio and the Max Trailer Tow Package. Tow and payload ratings otherwise depend on engine, cab, bed length and axle. The door-jamb sticker gives the numbers for that specific truck; a range quoted for the model does not.
Parts
Common — parts and independent shops are easy to findThe best-selling vehicle in the US for over four decades. Both original and aftermarket parts are widely stocked and independent shops know the truck well. The exception is body repair: the aluminium panels need a separately equipped shop.
Service intervals
Engine oil and filterPer the Intelligent Oil-Life MonitorThe interval is calculated rather than fixed. Turbocharged engines are less forgiving of a stretched interval than the naturally aspirated ones.
Transmission fluidPer the manufacturer's stated intervalEvery 2016 engine uses the six-speed automatic.
Spark plugsPer the manufacturer's stated interval
Engine air filterPer the manufacturer's stated interval, shorter in dusty use
Cost items
Relative bands only. What a job costs depends on your region, the shop and where the parts come from, so a dollar figure written here would be wrong for most readers — and a wrong number costs more trust than a missing one.
HighTurbocharger replacementEcoBoost engines only.
HighTiming chain and cam phaser workOne of the larger engine expenses, and labour is the bigger share of it.
HighAluminium body panel repairAluminium repair needs a shop equipped and certified for it, which is a smaller pool than for steel.
MediumBrakes and suspension wear itemsLoads and towing use shorten these intervals.
MediumTransmission service