The truck continuously went into limp mode upon acceleration. Numerous warning lights wrench, I have a 2016 2.7 with 159k miles that is stalling, loosing all power, stuttering and showing these codes on heavy acceleration. When I turn off the ignition and restart all codes go away.
2016 Ford F-150: engine stalls while driving
101 of the 2,095 complaints about the 2016 Ford F-150 describe engine stalls while driving.
- owner complaints
- 101
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,500
- typical mileage
- 56,600
- recalls
- 3
Engine stalls while driving by model year
What owners say
I was at my granddaughters and I went to leave and it was like dead except the wrench came up in the dash panel , I waited before calling my husband and I went back to try and start it again and it started no wrench in the display or anything , this was in February 2026. In March of 2026 I was in the middle turn lane on [XXX] by Tuttle, Ok. And it stalled as I was trying to turn and would not move I put it back into park and then back to drive and it turned . Next incident was in April2026 and I was on [XXX] south of Mustang , Ok. And I was in the passing lane passing a vehicle going 65 mph and it just stalled and went down into 1 st gear I managed to get it to the shoulder of road an then it died it would not start but the radio and lights were still on and there was a wrench popped up in the panel . I waited for about 30 minutes and kept trying to start it after several attempts it started again and I made it home . The next incident my husband drove to doctors office and it did the same thing to him and would not move in the parking lot . About 15 minutes later he got it to start and he made it home . We quit driving it. Then we got a letter from Ford with the recall 26V237 .i waited for 2 nd letter and had not gotten it with a fix for it so I called the Ford Service Repir Center and they got us on the phone connected to a Ford Dealership in Yukon , Ok and they came and got the pickup on August 10 th and took it and brought it back on August 11 th and they did the soft ware update and told us no codes came up and we know better . When I had previously talked to the Ford Repair Center I was told if the wrench came up that they would replace the lead frame at no cost to us and give us a 150000 mile warranty. So it is now our word against the mechanics that the wrench ever came up INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
dangerous, unpredictable transmission behavior Violent Downshifting Sudden jerks and Deceleration and Power Loss: heavy jerking loud clunks gears making noises following the forced downshift, the truck will experience a massive, unexpected drop in speed, sluggish and difficult maintaining speed like limp mode driving in normal speeds then loss of power engine stalling in the middle of rush hour traffic The Orange Wrench Light and check engine light will come on with codes p0720 I went did the reprogramming as recommended Ford dealer performed Safety Recall 26S28, which immediately aggravated the transmission failure and left the vehicle completely disabled. in the highway the dealer's recall software update directly caused a total transmission failure the next day, and i feel unsafe driving the vehicle due to the severe unprompted downshifting risks outlined in the federal safety agency Campaign 26V237 Felt unsafe to drive truck and also it became undrivable and had to have it towed to the Ford dealership that did recall.
The contact’s son owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55-60 MPH, the park, neutral, and drive lights started to cycle and flash. The transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear with the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The local dealer was contacted about the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 162,009.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently downshifted. In addition, the vehicle stalled and then the vehicle independently accelerated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or 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 81,400.
VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT STATEMENT Prepared for the federal safety agency Submission Regarding Recall 26V237 / 26S28 To: the federal safety agency Subject: Report of Accident and Vehicle Control Loss Due to Defect Specified in Recall 26V237 VEHICLE INFORMATION: Year/Make/Model: 2016 Ford F-150 VIN: [XXX] INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: In March, while driving during a snowstorm, the vehicle experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of traction and stability. Without warning, the rear wheels appeared to lock or drastically reduce speed, causing the truck to slide uncontrollably and strike a roadside barrier. Following the initial impact, while attempting to move the vehicle to a safe location as instructed by insurance/authorities, the engine suddenly stalled and shut down completely while in motion, nearly resulting in a second high-speed collision with the vehicle ahead. CORRELATION WITH RECALL 26V237: In May, I received a Safety Recall Notice (Ford Recall 26S28 / the federal safety agency Recall 26V237). The description of the defect—an "unexpected downshift to a lower gear causing abrupt wheel speed reduction and rear tire slide"—exactly matches the catastrophic event I experienced in March. The recall also notes that the engine may malfunction or stall, which occurred during my incident. IMPACT & DAMAGES: The insurance company evaluated the damage at approximately $6,000 for structural repairs. However, the vehicle remains unsafe and mechanically compromised. Despite the structural fixes, the core safety defect involving the transmission and engine software remains unresolved as Ford has stated that a remedy will not be available until July 2026. REQUEST: I am filing this formal complaint to document that the defect in Recall 26V237 resulted in a real- world accident and total loss of vehicle utility prior to the notification being sent. I request that the federal safety agency takes note of this incident as part of its oversight of Ford's recall execution, as the vehicle is currently un-dri INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled, with the powertrain warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted but hesitated while driving. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The WRENCH symbol (Powertrain Malfunction Indicator Light) was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Transmission will randomly shift gears. At speed sometimes it will shift into a lower gear causing rapid deceleration. From a start it will jump to 5th then back to 1st and stall the rear tires.
My F150 engine stalls while driving when I am at a1/4 tank or less in hot or cold weather in stop and go traffic, at a stop sign or red traffic signal. I am able to restart the engine after placing the transmission in neutral or park. I have reported this issue to my ford dealer, but they say there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. There is currently a recall (#25S75) for this issue in later model F150s, but my vehicle is not covered. The Ford hotline instructed me to report this issue to the federal safety agency.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed highway speeds, the vehicle stalled after the transmission shifted to the sixth gear. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed; however, the failure recurred while accelerating and shifting to the sixth gear. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 79,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This article supersedes TSB 23-2330 to update the Parts List
- Some 2011-2024 Mustang and F-150 vehicles equipped with a 5.0L engine may exhibit a tick tap and/or...
- For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an...
- This article supersedes TSB 23-2083 to update the Service Procedure and the Part List
- Some 2015-2017 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an oil leak from the oil...
- Some 2015-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 2.7L, 3.5L or 5.0L engine may require replacement of the...
- Some 2015-2022 F-150, 2017-2022 F-Super Duty and 2018-2022 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit poor...
- Some 2015-2021 F-150, 2017-2021 Super Duty and 2018-2021 Expedition/Navigator vehicles may exhibit poor...
Related recalls
Engine
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2016 F-150 pick-up trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines and block immersion heaters that were potentially relocated from their originally installed location. The incorrect location could put the heater too close to hot engine components, possibly resulting in a damaged cable.
- Risk
- A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the block heater's location and its cable, replacing components as necessary, free of charge. If the replacement parts are not available, dealers will disable the existing block heater cable from being used until parts become available. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S08.
Recall number 20V098000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.
- Risk
- A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.
Recall number 19V278000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
- Risk
- When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45.
Recall number 18V894000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2016 Ford F-150 stalling
Is engine stalls while driving a common problem on the 2016 Ford F-150?
101 of 2,095 owner complaints about the 2016 Ford F-150 (5%) mention engine stalls while driving. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
How much does it cost to fix engine stalls while driving on the 2016 Ford F-150?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,500 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2016 Ford F-150?
There are 3 recalls and 49 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2016 Ford F-150
Check engine light 173Brake failure 149Door locks 135Loss of power 80Won't shift 75Backup camera 56Jerking 53Fire or smoke 42Adaptive cruise 37Wipers 37Harsh shifting 36Transmission failure 36Engine failure 29Shudder 26Grinding brakes 25Hesitation 20Misfire 20Won't start 20Slipping 19Overheating 18Screen failure 17Power steering loss 16No deployment 15Key fob 15Fuel smell 14Warning lights 14Water leak 13Airbag light 12ABS 8Knocking 8Fuel pump 8Sudden acceleration 8Sunroof shattered 8Collision warning 7Oil consumption 7Seat belt 7Spongy pedal 7Pulling 7Steering lock-up 6Headlights 5Steering noise 5
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