Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the steering wheel air bag cover was cracked. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the air bag restraint system to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the air bag restraint system to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,419.
Unknown, I was pulling into a parking spot, at Sam's Club, and lightly tap the gas petal for the turn and the truck lunched forward in the one carlink, and hit a concrete parking pole (Sam's club in Southgate Michigan has security cameras) it warped around the pole and bent the frame as if though it was 90 mph and a telephone pole.. I had taken it in twice under warranty for the gas pedal not working correctly, the warranty company would not allow a 3rd repair nor did Ford dealership take that warranty company. The airbags did not deploy, and I now have a T4 fractured vertebrae.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the air bags inadvertently deployed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and the cause of the failure was determined to be water intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that a month before the failure occurred, he smelled an abnormal odor inside the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to depress the horn pad on the steering wheel, the horn failed to provide an audible sound as intended. The air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clockspring needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,825.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the front driver's side seat belt buckle assembly and the rear driver's side seat belt inflator were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,026.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with a clock spring failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The F-150 was involved in a car crash. It hit a street sign, an electrical pole and then a tree. The front bumper is split and insurance just devalued it a total loss. I am hereby reaching out to you, to let you know that none of the airbags in the truck went off. I have picture that I can provide to further confirm!
Was involved in a head on collision involving 2 cars; one which was hit in the front driver wheel panel and the other was directly head on and the air bags did not deploy. Resulting in major seatbelt bruising and knee injury.
On Friday, May 21, 2021, the horn pad / airbag cover on the steering wheel cracked beneath the Ford emblem on my 2016 Ford F150 with approximately 44k mi on the vehicle. A quick web search shows identical cracks on many F150 horn pads of this body style. There are no recalls and no TSBs, but there are many online reports of this failure, indicating it is common. Likewise, there are many stories of Ford faulting drivers for improper horn use to decline warranty coverage. Without improper use in my case, I can assure that the failure of the horn pad cover is a design flaw. Because the issue presents a safety concern by exposing the airbag or related hardware, I recommend a recall be issued to proactively address this common design failure. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact learned of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V110000 (Air Bags) and related the failure to the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side air bag sensor had failed. The dealer confirmed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V110000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included. The contact was also informed that the part needed for the repair, part number GL3Z6362A22A: CAD/SEAT, was no longer in production. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 666,100.
Related recalls
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 F-150 trucks manufactured April 27, 2015, to November 22, 2015, and equipped with Multi-Contour Seats (MCS). The front passenger seat Occupant Classification System (OCS) that calibrates the air bag deployment level may incorrectly classify an adult as a child when…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Occupant Classification System Module (OCSM) with new software, free of charge. The recall began on March 11, 2016.
Airbag complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2016 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the air bags of the 2016 Ford F-150, 2% of the model year's 2,080 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › driver clockspring/spiral cassette (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford F-150 airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-110 (occupant classification, Feb 25, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford F-150 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 28% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 16 crashes, 0 fires and 19 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.