2020 Ford F-450 problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford F-450, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Ford F-450 vehicles were involved in 13 fatal crashes with 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Diesel | 7 | 29% |
| Power Train | 5 | 21% |
| Unknown OR Other | 4 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 13% |
| Engine | 2 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 8% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 4% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-450. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was…”
Fuel System, Diesel · filed Mar 6, 2026
“The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-450. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had driven independently sideways and then into a deep ditch before coming to a stop. In addition…”
Steering · filed Oct 14, 2025
“The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-450 The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the…”
Fuel System, Diesel · filed Aug 22, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Sogefi Secondary Diesel Fuel Filter Leak
Preliminary Evaluation PE24014 · opened May 9, 2024 · open
- Power Tailgate Release Systems
Recall Query RQ21001 · opened Jan 15, 2021 · closed Jan 10, 2024
Technical service bulletins
7 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford F-450.
Certain 2017-2025 F-450 – F-600 Chassis Cab Upfitted with an Aerial Bucket Frame Rail Crack
25N10S1 · Other · issued Jun 23, 2026
The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication. This article includes information on…
SAN-Vol1 I1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 8, 2023
Certain 2020 Model Year Super Duty F250-F600 Vehicles Equipped with a 10R140 Transmission - Number One Planetary and Ring Gear Assembly- Ref Cust Sat Program 21B03 dated March 3, 2021 In all of the affected vehicles, a…
21B03-S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 31, 2021
Some 2015-2019 Transit vehicles equipped with a 3.2L engine, 2018-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.0L engine, 2017-2020 Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine built on or after 13-May-2017 may exhibit an…
TSB 20-2272 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2020
In some of the affected vehicles , a piston oil cooler bracket may have been damaged during engine assembly. A damaged piston oil cooler bracket may allow the piston oil cooler to detach. This can lead to low engine oil…
20B15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2020
Some 2013-2020 vehicles equipped with an EVDC air conditioning (A/C) compressor may exhibit poor A/C performance/improper climate function. To support the proper diagnosis of this compressor, the EVDC control valve…
SSM 48135 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 14, 2019
Some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface. This is caused by hydrofluoric acid which is used in some car wash solutions as a cleaning…
SSM 48130 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2019
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-450 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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-450?
- · 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.