Ford F-150 2016 Engine Recall: Fire Risk from Damaged Cable
Ford is recalling 2015-2016 F-150 trucks with 3.5L GTDI engines and block heaters that may have been incorrectly installed, risking fire due to damaged wiring. Owners should contact Ford for free inspection and repair.
Use caution until it’s fixed
A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
What happened, in plain English
Ford is recalling certain 2015-2016 F-150 trucks with 3.5L GTDI engines and block heaters that were potentially installed in the wrong location. This could cause a damaged cable, increasing fire risk. Affected owners should get their vehicles checked by a Ford dealer. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1226891-ford-f-150-2016-engine-recall-fire-risk-from-damaged.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1226891-ford-f-150-2016-engine-recall-fire-risk-from-damaged · Updated October 5, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #20V098000
Cite this page
“Ford F-150 2016 Engine Recall: Fire Risk from Damaged Cable.” GovInfoNow, updated October 5, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1226891-ford-f-150-2016-engine-recall-fire-risk-from-damaged. Based on NHTSA recall #20V098000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=20V098000).
Why it’s dangerous
The block heater cable may become damaged if the heater is installed too close to hot engine parts. This can cause a resistive short, leading to overheated or melted wiring and potentially a fire.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2015-2016 Ford F-150 trucks with 3.5L GTDI engines and block immersion heaters that were relocated during installation. Drivers using these vehicles in cold weather are at higher risk due to potential overheating.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2015-2016 F-150 has a 3.5L GTDI engine and a block immersion heater that was relocated during installation. The recall started April 9, 2020.
- Brand
Ford- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Ford
Call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 to schedule a free inspection and repair.
Get Inspection
Dealers will inspect the block heater's location and cable, replacing parts if needed.
What NHTSA says to do
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.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 48 days.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #20V098000 (February 21, 2020)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 5, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.