2016 Ford F-150: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Jul 2, 2026 · Electrical · 141,000 miles · CA · fire · 1 injury

The contact owned a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH on the freeway, another vehicle driver pulled beside the contact on the front passenger’s side of the vehicle, and informed the contact that there was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the contact became aware of smoke coming from the rear passenger’s side seats. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned off, and then exited the vehicle. The contact became aware of the smoke and poured water between the seats of the vehicle, opened the rear passenger’s side door, pulled the rear passenger down, and noticed flames were coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact sustained minor burns to the left and right hands. Medical attention was not needed. The contact called the emergency services, but a police report was not filed. The contact immediately extinguished the fire. The Fire Department arrived on the scene, folded the driver’s side passenger seat down, and detached the electrical wiring component that was attached to the rear passenger’s side seat. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000.

Filed May 12, 2026 · Transmission · 128,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The RPM's increased. The contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood on the passenger side. The contact noticed an unusual odor in the interior of the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal sound and the power train warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received a recall notification, the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train) however the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

Filed Apr 27, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · LA · fire

Exhaust manifold studs broke off (as do they all break) and turbos oil lines leak engine oil causing fire. By the time I stopped and got out there was already flames coming out from the hood. It was so fast I didn’t have time to be get my firearms or tools out. I have not notified Ford or and I only had liability insurance on my 2016 f150. 3.5 eco boost.

Filed Jul 16, 2025 · Engine · 130,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle was idling rough. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing the cylinder head to crack. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to a known failure with the 2.7L EcoBoost engines. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Filed Jan 31, 2025 · Electrical, Visibility · MD

When operating the turn signal and using the wipers on delay, I smelled a plastic like burning smell thinking it was the wiring in the controller arm. This happened several times and eventually the wiper runs 100% on the time delay with no way to turn off except by pulling the fuse. I can operate the normal speeds of the wipers when it rains if needed but I still get a smell sometimes. I have not had the issue looked at but will next week at an independent repair shop. I'm concerned maybe an electrical issue could cause a fire at some point in time.

Filed Jan 3, 2025 · Electrical, Transmission · TX

Transmission gets stuck in 3rd or sometimes 5th gear when in Drive. Shifting to 1, 2, or M does nothing; shifting from Neutral to Reverse or Drive creates a large clunk and lunge. It seems to be the same issue as the 2014 F-150 & Expedition 6R80 transmission recall and is so common that it took no time at all to find out what my problem likely is.. This is the 5th time this has happened. Two times were when pulling out onto very busy roads, once in a parking lot, once in a field, and once turning into my alley; some incidents were years apart. If it were to happen again when I needed 1st gear to avoid being hit, I would not have the power for needed acceleration or to make a proper maneuver. It also acts very funny when it happens and creates a very large distraction from driving. When I was able to get back off the main road, it seemed like there was light smoke coming from under the truck so I shut the vehicle down in the middle of a smaller road, which was dangerous enough. I have less than 30,000 miles on my truck and am very maintenance minded; this should not be a worry I should have to have. This appears to be the result of a defective part in the transmission called the "Lead Frame" and it is not easy to find a new one right now due to the excessive amount of them needing replacement.

Filed Aug 7, 2024 · Engine · 133,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe while starting the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact state that the smoke was thicker while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the turbo was replaced; however, the failure returned intermittently after the repair. The vehicle was taken to various independent mechanics and dealers, but none were able to diagnose the vehicle and determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was then referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

Filed Aug 2, 2024 · Engine · 120,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal amount of blueish smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact became aware that there was an excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the turbo; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure with an unknown Technical Service Bulletin; however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Filed Jul 1, 2024 · Fuel system · 152,000 miles · TX · fire

The contact owned a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, smoke was coming from the rear passenger window with no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over and exited the vehicle safely and noticed that the rear of the vehicle caught on fire. The local fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire was undisclosed, but the fire marshal's report was provided to the contact. The contact suffered from smoke inhalation for a few days but did not seek medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the local towing facility and later picked up by the contact's insurance agency for investigation. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Jan 5, 2024 · Engine · 119,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle began to misfire and shake. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the contact stated that while starting the vehicle there was blue smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs, and the coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-2384 Oil Consumption, Rough Idle, Misfire with Or Without Blue Exhaust Smoke (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact relayed the information to the dealer who then determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

Filed Oct 23, 2023 · Electrical · WA · fire

Today 10/23/23 I remote started my f150 and the defrost on the rear window overheated causing the glass to explode and shatter. The wires burnt to the point of smoking out and catching on fire

Filed Jul 26, 2023 · WA

rear window shattered after use of Defrost. Smell of burning wires/plastic immediately before. looks like a burn spot at window base, last photo with white smudge