2020 Ford F-150 problems & reliability
698 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford F-150, alongside 11 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
12 complaints report injuries (16 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Ford F-150 vehicles were involved in 217 fatal crashes with 75 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 331 | 47% |
| Engine | 124 | 18% |
| Unknown OR Other | 85 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 82 | 12% |
| Visibility | 38 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 24 | 3% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 23 | 3% |
| Structure | 22 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 17 | 2% |
| Back Over Prevention | 16 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 40,000 miles (middle 50% between 12,000 and 80,000 miles), based on 211 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Transmission failed. Truck jerks at stop. Transmission went out at 68,000 miles. My dad has a 2019 with same problem and went out at 72,000 miles. Someone needs to hold ford accountable for this. Extended warranty didn't want to pay the full price. Now I am out of pocket $1,800. Going to file a lawsuit against Ford…”
Power Train · filed Aug 4, 2026
“Transmission….very hard shifting and unexpected downshifting at random times. Needs to be a recall and fix on transmission.”
Power Train · filed Aug 1, 2026
“While driving truck down highway with cruise set at 68mph . I was in a bit of incline( not towing) vehicle violently downshifted from 10th to 1st . Service powertrain wrench came up on dash . Vehicle was derated . I came to a stop and shut down key off restarted . Vehicle operated normally again. Took vehicle to ford…”
Power Train · filed Aug 1, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Rearview Camera FMVSS 111 Noncompliance
Recall Query RQ21002 · opened Aug 3, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
245 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford F-150. The 10 most recent:
NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles With 3.3L Engines and 2016-2019 Model Year Explorer, Taurus, and Flex Vehicles With 3.5L Engines Powertrain…
25E10-S1 · Emissions · issued Jul 2, 2026
Harvest Program 25H05 – Supplement #1 Certain 2011-2021 Model Year Vehicles Software Verification Harvest Program
25H05 S1 · Other · issued Apr 29, 2026
Various 2020-2026 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system (BLIS) may experience an inoperative blind spot monitoring with a "Blind Spot System Fault" message displayed in the instrument…
SSM 54720 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2026
Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
25N17 · Other · issued Mar 25, 2026
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Some 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC3 may experience various connectivity concerns with The Ford App Lincoln App including but not limited to: missing activation prompt pop-upon the vehicle's…
SSM 54589 · Other · issued Feb 17, 2026
For 2017 2026 vehicles equipped with a 10R transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, located in Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing. This updated procedure improves the…
SSM 54592 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 17, 2026
Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped With 3.3L Engines Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Reprogramming
25E10 · Emissions · issued Dec 13, 2025
Special Field Action 25L02 Certain 2017-2024 Model Year California Emissions-Certified Vehicles Transmission Control Assembly Reimbursement
25L02 · Other · issued Dec 2, 2025
This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected vehicles that are customer-owned. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to evaluate the software currently…
25H05 · Other · issued Nov 19, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2020 Ford F-150 has 11 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2020 Ford F-150?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 40,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.