2016 Ford F-350 Sd Problems and Recalls (203 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2016 Ford F-350 Sd is Suspension (30% of 203 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Suspension — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 203 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2016 Ford F-350 Sd?

60 of 203 filings named Suspension (30% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Steering (34 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Tires, Airbags, and Rear camera / backup safety. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2015 has 201 reports on file; this year has 203. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2016 Ford F-350 Sd

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  3. Steering. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight.
  4. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Suspension. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Suspension 60 complaints · 29.6% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 5
  • Fires 4
  • Injuries 12
  • Deaths 0
All Ford F-350 Sd years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Suspension (SUSPENSION) appears in 60 of 203 owner complaints (29.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. Suspension (SUSPENSION): 60 complaints, 29.6% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 60 · 29.6% Steering (STEERING): 34 complaints, 16.8% of reports Steering (STEERING) 2 crash reports 34 · 16.8% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 21 complaints, 10.3% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 21 · 10.3% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 17 complaints, 8.4% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 17 · 8.4% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 13 complaints, 6.4% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 13 · 6.4% Engine (ENGINE): 12 complaints, 5.9% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 3 fire reports 12 · 5.9% Wheels (WHEELS): 10 complaints, 4.9% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 10 · 4.9% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 5 complaints, 2.5% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 5 · 2.5% Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION): 4 complaints, 2.0% of reports Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 4 · 2.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 37 complaints, 18.2% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 37 · 18.2% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 60 29.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 34 16.8% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 21 10.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 17 8.4% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 13 6.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 12 5.9% 0 crashes · 3 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 10 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 5 2.5% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 4 2.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 37 18.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2016; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2016. 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2019-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2020-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2020-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2020-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2021-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2022-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2022-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2022-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2022-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2023-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2023-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2023-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2024-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2024-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2016 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 16V246000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V246000 Recall campaign 20E090000 ◆ Recall campaign 20E090000 Recall campaign 22V337000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V337000 Recall campaign 25V572000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V572000 Investigation PE24014 ● Investigation PE24014
  • Campaign 22V337000 was reported 1,699 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 25V572000 was reported 1,487 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 3
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 6
2017-Q4 Owner reports 4
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 6
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 6
2019-Q3 Owner reports 10
2019-Q4 Owner reports 8
2020-Q1 Owner reports 3
2020-Q2 Owner reports 8
2020-Q3 Owner reports 12
2020-Q4 Owner reports 3
2021-Q1 Owner reports 6
2021-Q2 Owner reports 5
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q4 Owner reports 17
2022-Q1 Owner reports 7
2022-Q2 Owner reports 8
2022-Q3 Owner reports 11
2022-Q4 Owner reports 8
2023-Q1 Owner reports 6
2023-Q2 Owner reports 11
2023-Q3 Owner reports 9
2023-Q4 Owner reports 5
2024-Q1 Owner reports 3
2024-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q3 Owner reports 5
2024-Q4 Owner reports 3
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 5
2025-Q3 Owner reports 3
2026-Q1 Owner reports 2
2026-Q2 Owner reports 3
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 16V246000
Recall campaign 1 20E090000
Recall campaign 1 22V337000
Recall campaign 1 25V572000
Defect investigation 1 PE24014
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Tires, Airbags, and Rear camera / backup safety.

  1. Recall campaign 16V246000

    Tires

    Report date
    Component:
    Tires (TIRES)
    Consequence:
    A rapid loss of air or a tire rupture while the vehicle is being driven may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires for damage and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 23, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S17.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 20E090000

    Safety recall 20E090000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the steering locks, it can increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Icon will notify owners, and dealers will install a new shock assembly with a revised foam ring and steel support disc, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Icon customer service at 1-951-689-4266.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 22V337000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    A disconnected driver's air bag can result in it not deploying, as intended, during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the steering wheel clock spring, free of charge. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the 3rd Quarter of 2023. An interim notification letter informing owners of the safety risk was mailed on July 6, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed July 10, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S35.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 25V572000

    Rear camera / backup safety

    Report date
    Component:
    Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
    Consequence:
    A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 203 complaints · page 1 of 9
2026-07-10Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11749456
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The issue with truck is the rear window has a large mirror tint reflection. Causing a safety hazard when driving as the reflection leaves other drivers light blinded. Leaving a flash blindness.
2026-05-13Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
NHTSA ODI 11737528
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated while reversing, the rear view camera independently blanked on and off. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was completed. The failure reoccurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was peristent. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 216,000.
2026-04-22Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11732909
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear. The check engine warning light was occasionally illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
2026-04-12Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11730672
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The CP4 is failing, this has been a know problem on these F- series trucks for sometime now. This needs to be remedied on these vehicles. This has been known for years.
2026-02-26Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11720789
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My 2016 Ford F-350 is included in NHTSA recall [campaign number 25S89/25V572] for rearview camera failure. I received notice probably a year ago and it stopped working 2 days ago. The camera is currently malfunctioning and I can not see behind me when I back up. Dealers state no parts available and no timeline for repair, only willing to help if I pay a $200 diagnostic fee. Vehicle remains unrepaired.
2026-02-18Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
NHTSA ODI 11718742
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back-over prevention camera intermittently displayed a distorted, blue, or black screen. While driving at various speeds, the camera erroneously displayed an image of the rear of the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,293.
2025-08-20Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11681935
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was later taken for routine maintenance, and the mechanic discovered that the rear axle bolts had sheared off and were inside the wheel hub caps. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the rear driver’s side differential axle bolts had failed, and the axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 155,000.
2025-08-11Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11679935
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The junk cab mounts deteriorate so fast the cab settles and crushes the wiring harness causing many electrical issues. There are many forums that talk about bad cab mounts and what components to use to repair them, but in my opinion this is a Ford issue.
2025-07-15Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11673802
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving as normal and truck started shaking vigorously until I came to a stop. From I can tell, they call this a death wobble. I almost hit another car and have some video of it.
2025-06-11Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11666336
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the cylinder was not operating as needed, and there was engine damage. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer, Summerville Ford (9700 Dorchester Rd, Summerville, SC 29485); where it was diagnosed and determined that there were metal shavings in the fuel system in the high-pressure fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. There was black smoke while driving and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the turbo charger, body mounts, and coolant pump were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 82,800.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Ford F-350 Sd?

Owners named Suspension most often — 60 of 203 reports (30%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2016 Ford F-350 Sd?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Tires, Airbags, and Rear camera / backup safety. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2016 Ford F-350 Sd?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources