RoadVitals

2016 Ford F-150 Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
14
Latest Apr 22, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
<1%
of 2,010 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2016 Ford F-150 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceExterior lightingPowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 22, 2026

Turn Signals stop working Cruise Control stopped working Vehicle Control Stopped working All Buttons on Steering column stopped working Windshield Wiper controls stopped working 4WD Controls stopped working Radio Controls stopped working Lawsuits have been filed and won by people against Ford yet No Recall has been opened !

NHTSA ID
11733018
Incident
Dec 31, 1969
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jan 4, 2025

I NEED TO REPORT FAILURE FIXING MY CAR RECALL NAMED *Faulty door Latch HARVARD FORD TEXTED ME TO RAKE MY CAR TO GET DONE BUT THEY DID A BAD JOB REPAIR INSTEAD OF REPLACE RECALL PART THEY DIDNT THEY DID CUT OUT WIRE HARNESS INSTEAD .Therefore THAT DAMAGED TYE AUTO NOW REVERSE CAM SCREEN IS NOT WORKING .TYE DOORS OPEN ITSELF WHILE IM DRIVING IT .DASH Board IS NOT ALSO WORKING IM FILLING A COMPLAINT AGAINST HARVARD FORD DEALERSHIP THE SOLUTION zI need is the following they need to REPLACE ALL COMPLETE NEW WIRE HARNESS ASAP.ALDI NEW REVERSE CAM AND SCREEN .IM ATTACHED ALL PROOF OF THE DAMAGE ..

NHTSA ID
11634110
Incident
Jan 4, 2025
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Dec 12, 2023

The trucks horn and hazard lights contiunsley goes off anytime it rains. We can be driving down the road and the truck will start going haywire, lights flashing horn won't shut off . There's been times when the truck itself wouldn't turn off even after removing the key . It's very bad wiring problem with this truck.

NHTSA ID
11559636
Incident
Sep 15, 2023
Exterior lighting
Filed Sep 16, 2023

Both rear taillights fill up with water and shorts out the light bulbs. This makes the brake lights and turn lights non-functional. The taillights were replaced with OEM Ford parts and the new ones leaked as the previous ones. The water in the taillight assemblies could short out the wiring harness and the computer tied to it. The corrosion and rust on the wiring harness could cause fault codes up and down the wiring harness. Research online shows this is a common problem in late model Ford F-150. This problem must be fixed by Ford.

NHTSA ID
11544868
Incident
Sep 8, 2020
Body & structureExterior lighting
Filed Mar 23, 2023

I'm writing in concern about my 2016 F150 brake lights. This concern is due to the rear break light assembly is breaking for no reason. I am on my third set of break light assembly. The driver and passenger side rear break light assembly keeps breaking on its own. There have been no accidents involving the rear end of the truck . It's becoming a safety concern . Looking to see if any other incidents have been reported. Please see attached photos of the most recent break light assembly and take note when the break light assembly clips into the truck the mounts are completely broken . The plastic where the screws would be going from the bed of the truck are severely cracked.

NHTSA ID
11513505
Incident
Mar 21, 2023
EngineExterior lighting
Filed Dec 9, 2022

I have had two problems worked on by my dealer and neither of them were fixed. The first problem is a leaky oil pan which they attempted to repair the leak 3 times but it still leaks. This may not be a safety recall but I do feel like it is a hazard and I would bet there are probably 1/2 of the 2015-2017 Ford F150 owners with the 2.7 engine with the same problem. If nothing else I would say this is a environmental issue. The second problem I have reported to my dealer is the very poor vision with the back up camera at night. I had to leave my vehicle with the dealer overnight to have the problem looked at but they were not able to fix the problem and did say the night vision is not good.

NHTSA ID
11496722
Incident
Dec 9, 2022
ElectricalExterior lightingVisibility
Filed Jan 6, 2021

ELECTRIC SYSTEM WENT DOWN, NO LIGHTS,TURN SIGNALS,HORN WIPERS, ETC. (RADIO KEPT WORKING) ENGINE STARTED AND DROVE HOME VERY CAREFULLY

NHTSA ID
11386800
Incident
Jan 5, 2021
Mileage
8,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 1, 2020

THE PASSENGER SIDE LED HEADLIGHT FIRST BEGAN TO FLICKER 2 MONTHS AGO. HEADLIGHT WOULD BE ON AND THEN SUDDENLY GO OFF. THEN THE PROBLEM SWITCHED TO THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT. NOW, SOMETIMES BOTH LIGHTS GO OFF. I HAVE OWNED THE TRUCK FOR 2 YEARS NOW AND HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PEOPLE FLASH ME AT NIGHT INDICATING THAT MY LOW BEAMS ARE STILL TO BRIGHT FOR THE OTHER DRIVERS.

NHTSA ID
11362206
Incident
Aug 1, 2020
ElectricalExterior lightingVisibility
Filed Nov 27, 2018
Fire reported

FIRE AND LOTS OF SMOKE INSIDE MY TRUCK WHEN I USED MY REMOTE START INSIDE MY GARAGE ...DROPPED BACK SEAT, PULLED CARPET BACK AND WITNESS AND RECORDED A BURNT WIRE HANGING DOWN ACROSS REAR WINDOW THAT KEPT BURNING AND NEVER STOPPED/POPPED A FUSE OR RELAY UNTIL I SHUT DOWN THE REMOTE START. FORD DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THE REAR DEFROSTER THAT AUTOMATICALLY TURNS ON WHEN USING REMOTE START ...REPLACED ENTIRE BACK WINDOW AND WIRE HARNESS SPLIT COST WITH FORD NOT UNDER WARRANTY '.

NHTSA ID
11154155
Incident
Nov 14, 2018
Mileage
55,810 mi
Body & structureElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Oct 18, 2018

PURCHASED USED 2016 F-150 IN OCT 2017. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE TAILGATE WOULD RANDOMLY OPEN WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. POWER TAILGATE WOULD ALSO OPEN WHEN KEY FOB WAS USED TO LOCK VEHICLE. TAIL LIGHTS WOULD ALSO ILLUMINATE BRIGHTLY AS IF BRAKES WERE APPLIED WHEN THEY WERE NOT WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. OTHER TIMES TAIL LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. WHEN COMPUTER WAS SCANNED NO TROUBLE CODES WERE FOUND. EVENTUALLY AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO BMW DEALERSHIP IN SPOKANE WA WHERE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WENDLE FORD IN SPOKANE WA. AT WENDLE FORD TECHNICIANS FOUND EXTREMELY FRAYED WIRING HARNESS IN AREA AT REAR OF TRUCK WHERE BED AND FRAME MEET. WENDLE TECH'S SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE / DEFECT BEFORE, AND WHEN CHECKING WITH FORD CORPORATE THERE WERE NO SERVICE BULLETINS REFERENCE THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THIS DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS WAS PROMPTED AFTER READING A NEWS REPORT OF FORD SUPER DUTY TRUCKS EXHIBITING TAIL GATE OPENINGS WHILE VEHICLE IN MOTION. ALL SERVICE NOTES AND DOCUMENTATION CAN BE OBTAINED THROUGH WENDLE FORD, SPOKANE WA

NHTSA ID
11141313
Incident
Oct 15, 2017
Mileage
32,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 23, 2018

VERY POOR TAIL LIGHTS. THE TAIL LIGHTS ARE ONLY VISIBLE AT A SMALL AREA AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM. I HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY THE POLICE FOR NO TAIL LIGHTS. VERY POOR DESIGN ON THIS MODEL.

NHTSA ID
11089594
Incident
Jan 1, 2016
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 8, 2017

MOISTURE IN HEADLIGHTS . MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT.

NHTSA ID
11044413
Incident
Jan 30, 2017
Mileage
5,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 6, 2017

THE HEAD LIGHTS ON BOTH DIM AND BRIGHT DO NOT SHINE AHEAD FAR ENOUGH TO SAFELY SEE AT NIGHT. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE 2015 MODEL YEAR OF THE SAME TRUCK AND THEY HAVE COMPLAINED TO ME ABOUT IT. AND IN BAD WEATHER THE SITUATION IS MUCH WORSE.

NHTSA ID
10940179
Incident
Jan 11, 2016
Mileage
150 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 2, 2016

2016 FORD F-150. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO INSUFFICIENT EXTERIOR LIGHTING AT NIGHT. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY CONSISTED OF VERY SMALL LED LIGHTS ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM, A LENS FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT AND EMERGENCY FLASHER ONLY, A LENS FOR THE SIDE SENSOR THAT WAS DARK AT NIGHT, A REFLECTOR AND BACK-UP LIGHT. THE CONSUMER ADDED REFLECTORS ABOVE THE REAR BUMPER FOR ADDED ILLUMINATION WHEN APPROACHED BY OTHER VEHICLES WITH THEIR LIGHTS ON. VEHICLES APPROACHING FROM THE REAR WITHOUT THEIR LIGHTS ON WILL ON SEE TWO SMALL STRIPS OF LIGHT ON EACH TAIL LIGHT. *JB THE CONSUMER STATE HE SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO ILLUMINATE THE BRAKE AND EMERGENCY FLASHER SECTION OF THE ASSEMBLY WITH AN LED TAIL LIGHT BULB. UPDATED 09/01/16.*JB *TR

NHTSA ID
10870996
Incident
Jun 1, 2016

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .