Diagsheet

2016 Ford F-150 · symptom sheet

Doors, latches or locks fail

  • 52owner reports
  • 50,200median miles
  • 0involved a crash

Newest report Jun 5, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

57 of the 2,036 complaints on this car are about the latches/locks/linkages. 52 of those describe door latch.

Tick what matches of 52 reports

2
4
51
12
35

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the latch (50 reports) and the handle (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the latches/locks/linkages cover the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

17V-652Oct 16, 2017
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the doors opening while driving although they appear to be closed.

Risk and remedy
Risk: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S33.
17V-331May 22, 2017
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles originally produced with black or body colored exterior door handles that may have been subsequently equipped with a chrome exterior door handle cover accessory kit purchased from a Ford dealer. These accessory door handle covers may cause the doors to unlatch in a side impact collision. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."

Risk and remedy
Risk: If the doors unlatch and open in a side impact collision, the occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the accessory covers and refund the purchase price. The recall began July 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 17C09.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 13,000 and 82,550 miles, from the 21 reports that gave a mileage.

316
1217
1018
519
120
421
822
323
224
225
226

What owners wrote

“The driver door latch froze during cold outside temperatures and the door would not latch closed. I had to drive while holding my door closed with my hand. This is extremely dangerous. This is a known recall from Ford and the repair was already performed. This happened 2 days in a row. Tomorrow I will be contacting Ford for a solution.”

Filed Feb 5, 2024

“On 4 occasions the tailgate has unlatched itself while the truck was being driven”

Filed Dec 8, 2022

“The rear power door locks freeze and won't latch in cold temperatures 15-20 degrees F, unable to keep the doors closed, cannot operate the truck safely. The power lock assembly fail to respond in freezing cold weather.”

Filed Feb 11, 2022

“My door latch wouldn't close in the cold. And then it opened on the highway one day without me doing anything”

Filed Feb 7, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 52 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

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