Thinking About a 2016 F-150
The 2016 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 is still one of the most common trucks you will see on the road, and for good reason. Ford changed the game that year by switching the entire frame and body to high-strength steel alloys. That alone knocked roughly 300 to 700 pounds off the curb weight depending on the configuration, which meant better fuel economy and better towing numbers than the previous generation did anything close to matching. The XLT trim sits in the middle of the stack. It gives you the useful stuff without the luxury tax of the Lariat or King Ranch. You are getting four-wheel drive, a decent interior, and enough technology to be practical without a learning curve. I bought a used 2016 XLT 4x4 with about 68,000 miles on it for a work vehicle. It had been garage-kept, which is rarer than you would think. The main reason I picked this particular truck over the similar 2015 or 2017 models was the timing of when Ford resolved some of the early 2016 teething issues. Early 2016 production had a few rough patches around the 10-speed automatic transmission not being quite ready, so if you are looking at a low-mile example from early 2016, make sure it got the firmware updates. Dealers ran those out the door for free back then, but you need to verify it was done. I had my mechanic pull the PCM logs before I even test drove it, and sure enough, the earlier truck I looked at was missing the updates. That was an immediate walk away.
The Ultimate American Icon 2016 Ford F150 Xlt 4x4 Your Next Truck
Engine options and what actually matters. The 2016 XLT 4x4 came with a few different powertrains, and the one you should be looking at depends entirely on what you are using the truck for. The base engine is the 3.5-liter V6, which makes 282 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. It is adequate for daily driving and light towing. If you are planning to tow anything over 5,000 pounds, the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 is the sweet spot. It puts out 325 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque, and it gets remarkably decent mileage for a half-ton with a twin-turbo setup. The 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is the third option at 385 horsepower, but it sacrifices a lot of fuel economy for that extra power. Most XLT owners stick with the 2.7 EcoBoost or the 3.5 V6. The transmission in these trucks is a six-speed automatic in most configurations, with the 10-speed reserved for higher trims and the heavy-duty towing packages. The six-speed is actually a strength here. It is proven, it shifts cleanly, and it is not the kind of complex unit that will leave you stranded with a dealer backlog. I have seen a lot of people chase the 10-speed for the gears, but the 6R80 in the 2016 XLT is bulletproof if you change the fluid every 60,000 miles. That is not a Ford recommendation, that is just what happens if you want it to last past 150,000 miles without a rebuild. 4x4 system and off-road capability. The 4x4 system on the 2016 XLT is part-time with an electronic shift-on-the-fly interface. You can engage four-wheel drive high at speeds up to 55 mph, which is useful for sudden slick spots. There is no low range unless you stop completely and manually shift the transfer case using the dial on the center console. This is where beginners make mistakes. I learned the hard way after taking a trail ride with friends who had a Tacoma with full-time 4WD. I tried engaging 4Hi while crawling over a rocky section at 10 mph, and the truck refused to engage. The system locked me out. You have to come to a complete stop for 4Lo, and you need to be moving slowly for 4Hi. It is not a limitation of the truck, it is just how the design works, and it catches a lot of people off guard.
The XLT 4x4 comes with a front locking hub system that is automatic. You do not have to get out and crank the hubs like you would on older trucks. The fronts disengage when you are in two-wheel drive and engage automatically when 4WD is selected. This works well in normal conditions, but I did have an issue where the front hubs did not fully disengage after a few months of wet winter driving. One front wheel bearing started showing premature wear because the hubs were partially engaged, causing drag. The fix was cleaning and lubricating the hub actuator links, which is a cheap and straightforward job. Worth inspecting if you buy one with any history of winter use. Interior and technology. The XLT interior from 2016 is functional without being impressive. The seats are cloth, the dash is hard plastic, and the infotainment system is the MyFord Touch with the 8-inch screen. My biggest gripe with this setup is the latency. The system can take up to 15 seconds to boot up after a cold start, and Bluetooth pairing is unreliable unless you delete and re-pair your phone regularly. It is not a dealbreaker, but it is annoying. The physical buttons for climate control are still there, which is more than you get in newer trucks where everything is buried in the touchscreen. I actually prefer that about this model year. The XLT does come with some useful features that upper trims get too. Forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert are available and highly recommended. If the truck you are looking at does not have those, consider adding them after purchase because they save you money on dents and fender benders. The Ford Pro Power Onboard option was not available on the 2016 XLT, so if you need a built-in generator, you will be looking at a higher trim or a 2017 and later model year.
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Real-world maintenance and known issues. The 2016 F-150 has a few things that go wrong, and knowing them before you buy will save you thousands. The upper control arm bushings are a known failure point, especially on trucks that have been lifted or used for towing. The factory bushings crack and wear out, causing vague steering and uneven tire wear. Replacing them with upgraded polyurethane bushings is a common fix, and it usually costs around $300 to $500 in parts and labor. I replaced mine at 72,000 miles and the truck felt significantly tighter afterward. The fuel tank filler neck can crack on high-mileage examples, leading to fuel vapor leaks that trigger check engine lights. The code is usually P0441 or something in the EVAP family. It is not dangerous, but it will fail an emissions test and it is a pain to diagnose because the leak is often intermittent. A visual inspection of the filler neck during a pre-purchase check can catch this before it becomes your problem. Another thing that is easy to miss is the condition of the rear differential. The 2016 XLT 4x4 with the 3.31 gear ratio is geared for highway efficiency, but if the previous owner towed heavy loads frequently, the rear diff fluid may be degraded. Check the fluid color and smell. It should be amber and not burnt. If it is dark or smells like burnt toast, plan on a fluid change immediately, which runs about $100 to $150 including the filter.
Should you buy one. The 2016 F-150 XLT 4x4 is a solid truck if you approach it with realistic expectations. It is not the most refined truck in its class, and the MyFord Touch is still a weak point. But the structural improvements Ford made that year, the available 2.7 EcoBoost, and the availability of useful tech features make it a strong value in the used market. You can find clean examples in the $20,000 to $28,000 range depending on mileage and condition. Just do the inspections I mentioned, verify the PCM updates, and budget for some preventative maintenance if the previous owner skimped. Most of these trucks are perfectly capable of another 100,000 miles if they have been cared for, and the parts availability is excellent because Ford sold millions of them.
