Your F150 P0016 Code, Documented for 2011–2021 3.5L and 5.0L

F150 P0016: which engine and year do you have?

A P0016 code means the engine computer sees a camshaft out of step with the crankshaft. The fix depends on your engine, build date and what Ford published.

Find your situation: cold-start rattle only, under warranty, holding a quote, or deciding whether to fix at all. See our year-by-year Ford coverage for the wider picture.

3.5L EcoBoost or 5.0L: confirm yours

A dealer can confirm engine and build date from your VIN. We found no Ford bulletin for these codes on 2.7L, 3.0L or PowerBoost trucks, so this covers the 3.5L and 5.0L only.

Why the build date matters

Ford’s bulletins gate on build date: TSB 17-0026 stops at trucks built on or before 10 October 2014, so one model year can fall either side.

ℹ️ Safety Note: This article explains Ford’s published bulletins, coverage dates and cost drivers. It isn’t repair instructions or a coverage decision. Have a qualified technician inspect the truck, and treat a stored cam-timing code as a reason to book that inspection soon.

What P0016, P0017, P0018 and P0019 actually mean

All four codes come from one check: the engine computer compares crankshaft position with a camshaft position and sets a code when they disagree.

Bank and sensor: which cam is flagged

P0016 and P0017 point to bank 1; P0018 and P0019 point to bank 2. Within a bank, sensor A and sensor B name the two different camshafts.

🔍 Why It Happens: A timing chain ties the camshafts to the crankshaft, and solenoid-controlled phasers adjust each camshaft. If any of those lets a camshaft drift, the check fails.

Symptoms owners report

Ford’s 3.5L chain bulletin says other codes and drivability concerns may accompany P0016. Its cold-start bulletin describes a 2–5 second rattle after a six-hour soak.

Which Ford bulletin matches your F-150?

No, not by itself. Ford’s chain bulletin applies only to 2011–2014 3.5L EcoBoost trucks built on or before 10 October 2014 whose scan-tool reading is +6 degrees or more. Other trucks follow different documents:

Source: Ford bulletins as hosted by NHTSA, retrieved 2 October 2026.

3.5L, 2011–2014: TSB 17-0026

Ford TSB 17-0026 checks the code, the build date and the VCT_INT_ACT1 reading, in that order. A truck that fails any gate goes to normal diagnosis; the 2011–2015 cold-start rattle bulletin covers the symptom-led version.

2015–2021: the solenoid bulletin

SSM 50067 says small debris can stick a VCT solenoid. Technicians cycle it 10 times (pinpoint test HK12) before replacing parts.

5.0L Coyote: what Ford documents

TSB 18-2058 lists P0016 and P0018, not P0017 or P0019. We found no Ford bulletin blaming 5.0L P0016–P0019 on a stretched chain.

Is your F-150 still covered for cam timing?

Coverage turns on the failed part, your VIN and the date, not the code alone.

Cam phaser program 21N03: expired, noise-only

📋 On the Record: Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21N03 (Supplement #4, 25 March 2022) extended cam phaser warranty on certain 2017–2020 F-150 3.5L trucks to 1 January 2023, for phaser noise only. It has expired. Status checked 2 October 2026; no later supplement found.

Phaser noise is a different problem from these codes; see our cold-start phaser guide.

Powertrain warranty: the date maths

Ford’s powertrain warranty runs 5 years or 60,000 miles and lists the timing chain and PCM. By date alone, only trucks in service after about October 2021 can still be inside five years.

Recalls and open investigations

We found no NHTSA recall for cam/crank correlation on these engines as of 2 October 2026. Ford’s 3.5L recalls, such as 24S70 (misaligned cup plug, 2024–2025 builds), cover different defects.

✅ Do This: Ask the dealer to run your VIN in Ford’s OASIS system, name the causal part, and say whether a Ford Protect plan applies.

How a shop should diagnose a cam/crank code

Expect a sequence, not a guess; Ford’s bulletins define it.

What to expect, in order

1. The shop reads all stored codes, since other codes may be present.
2. It confirms engine and build date.
3. On a 2011–2014 3.5L, it reads VCT_INT_ACT1 with the engine running; +6 degrees or more is Ford’s threshold.
4. It cycles the VCT solenoid 10 times before replacing parts (SSM 50067).

Five questions to ask before approving

✅ Do This: Ask for the build date, the VCT_INT_ACT1 reading, the bulletin number, whether the solenoid cycle test was done, and the itemized labor hours.

What a P0016 repair costs: hours, parts, labor

Ford’s labor allowances let you check a quote.

Ford’s labor hours by repair

0.3 hours for the 2018 5.0L reprogram; 8.9 for the 2011–2014 3.5L primary chain; 9.0–9.2 for chain plus four VCT units (2011–2015); 9.5 for four phasers (2017–2020); 1.1–3.9 for solenoid work (2016 3.5L figures).

From hours to dollars

💵 What It Costs: Hours × your shop’s posted hourly rate, plus parts. For scale, RepairPal’s general F-150 timing-chain-tensioner estimate is about $2,074–$2,821, labor and parts combined, and isn’t engine-specific. Dealer versus independent pricing isn’t broken out.

💵 On these numbers: Costs are ranges, not quotes. Labor rates vary by region and between dealer and independent shops, and parts pricing moves.

For that job’s own costs, see cam phaser replacement costs.

Can you keep driving with P0016?

No Ford document settles that, so here is what exists.

What Ford’s bulletins state

TSB 17-0026 says other codes and drivability concerns may accompany P0016. Ford says phaser noise doesn’t affect safety, performance or emissions, but that is for noise alone, not these codes.

What no document answers

We found no Ford or NHTSA document quantifying engine-damage risk from driving with a stored P0016, so we won’t guess.

✅ Do This: Book an inspection soon and ask what the correlation reading shows.

F150 P0016 questions answered

Your next step

Check the table against your build date, run your VIN for open campaigns, and take the five shop questions with you before approving any work. Reviewed 2 October 2026; recall status checked the same day.