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 while driving at various speeds over a bumpy road surface, the front driver's seat lumbar support was significantly loosened and failed to restrain the contact as needed. Additionally, the lumbar support made abnormal cracking sounds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the lumbar support frame was replaced, and padding was added 3 times. Additionally, the independent mechanic added a steel plate for additional support; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that the independent mechanic had informed him that he had previously ordered the lumbar support frame; however, the part arrived fractured, causing him to make another order. The contact stated that the lumbar support frame welding was significantly thin, which caused the failure to recur. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver's seat became unstable and was moving unintendedly. Upon inspection it was discovered that the front driver's side seat mounting bolt had become unscrewed causing the side of the seat to move. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 76,600.
The rear bench seats in my Super Crew cab F150 do not lock when in the down/seated position. However, on page 154 of the owners manual it states the the following: Returning the Seat to the Seating Position WARNING Make sure that cargo or any objects are not trapped underneath the seat cushion before returning the seat cushion to its original position, and that the seat cushion locks into place. Failure to do so may prevent the seat from operating properly in the event of a crash, which could increase the risk of serious injury. I have tried to contact Ford many times about this conflicting info. Took my truck to a dealership and they didn't think the seats locked down but couldn't provide any guidance why the manual states otherwise. My main safety concern is if its safe to have someone seated in the back seats if the seats don't lock down. Especially, a child seat.
This issue is related to safety recall #17S40 involves over 177,000 2016 F-150 pickup trucks and Explorer SUV's with power seats. A defectively placed bolt in the sliding track that holds the front-row power seats in place may allow the seats to move more than they should during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to any front-seat passengers. My truck's recall was serviced by Riverbend Ford in 2018, but the seat has failed again. I have taken my truck to Hardy Family Ford. My complaint is Ford Motor Company should repair this safety recall free of charge to Hardy Family Ford and ME. I should not have to pay the expenses for this Ford manufactured defect. Can you help resolve? My name is [redacted] , and my contact number is [redacted] .
I am writing because I had the 3 recalls on my vehicle repaired 3 years ago but the dealership apparently may not have completed these because I just received a letter from Ford stating a quality audit discovered it may not have been done. Your website states they are incomplete which is beyond frustrating. I had to go through a lot just to get the dealership to work with me to give me a loaner car in order to get them done. Now I may have been driving around for 3 years in a vehicle I thought was fixed which could still injure me.
The seat track pivot link bolt has failed, yes it is available for inspection. The seat now has tons of travel in it, which will not restrain the driver in event of a crash. I have visual evidence of the part failure. The issue was part of a safety recall 17S40 which Gwinnett Place Ford claims to have addressed in 2024. The part has now failed.
The rear seat not lock in seat position its very dangerous in accident. Another problem ist when the transmmission decelerate she past the 3 at 1 speed dirrectly and a knoging in the transmission. Can you expect that please
While stationary (would also happen while in motion) in a parking lot with the engine running and driver and passenger seat heaters activated (driver on medium, passenger on high), a random clicking sound (believed to be the relay for the heated seats) was observed coming from under the passenger seat. It was then noticed that the heated seats were no longer functioning/providing heat, even though the lights on the controls were staying illuminated. A short while later, a burning (electrical) smell was observed in the cab, coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. Once the smell started getting stronger, the heated seats were turned off and the smell seemed to go away within 5-10 minutes. Upon arriving home, I inspected the seat heater control module (original Ford part number gu5t-14b663-aa) that is located under the front passenger seat. …
Seat headrest protrudes too much out of the seat and it pushes forward head of some drivers. The only adjustments available (slide up and down, tilt top forward) do nothing to alleviate the issue. The lack of ability to "scoot" the entire headrest backwards causes back and neck pain while driving for as little as 10 minutes. One solution people are resorting to is to re-insert the headrest backwards, but the tilting mechanism prevent the head from being stopped and sent backwards in the event of an accident. Another solution is to recline the seat back so much that your back is no longer supported. Again a safety issue. When hitting small imperfection on the road, even in dry weather, the vehicle feels as if it's about to fishtail. Some people have mention the suspension is too slow to compensate for bumps and thus the tire, for a small amount of time, does lose contact with the road. …
Front seat backs get extremely hot after running the cooling feature for an extended amount of time. It appears to be a result of poor exhaust plumbing from the heat exchange system. When the system creates cool air for the seat it also creates a stream of heated air, this heated air is dumped into the rear of the seat back and accumulates getting hotter and hotter. This results in poor efficiency of the system. The driver's back starts to be heated rather than cooled which May be a safety hazard if it results in the driver's lack of concentration. The system May overheat if left on too long (I never left it on long enough to test). Also, if long items are kept in the pocket along the back of the seat, they May get hot enough to cause injury to someone who touches them.
Related recalls
Seats
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 F-150 and Explorer vehicles. Loose power seat adjuster pivot bolts may cause the front seat cushions to detach and not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tightness of the power seat track upper pivot link bolt, either applying threadlocker or replacing the lift link and hardware, free of charge.
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Explorer and F-150 vehicles equipped with a manual recline driver's seat. The seat back frame may have insufficient welds which may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall begin on August 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Seat complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2016 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the seats of the 2016 Ford F-150, 1% of the model year's 2,080 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford F-150 seat problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-767 (seats, Nov 29, 2017); NHTSA recall 16V-475 (recliner, Jun 28, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford F-150 seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to seats 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.