NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford F-150. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Backup Camera is Distorted Blank image displays error message
Rear view camera is all blury
The truck is stuttering when you go wide open throttle
Hard shifting
Transmission shifts harshly when increasing speed. The vehicle will jump or feel jerky when accelerating. One incident of loosing complete power from transmission when turning corner. When stopping the transmission causes the vehicle to push forward. This vehicle has only 17,300 miles.
Repeated failure of transmission after multiple repairs.
My 2020 Ford F-150 EcoBoost with the 10-speed automatic transmission (10R80) is experiencing the same transmission shifting issue covered under NHTSA Recall 22V188 (Ford Recall 22S71). My truck intermittently shifts erratically, including hard downshifts, delayed upshifts, and occasionally feels like it jumps to a lower gear unexpectedly. This creates a noticeable jolt and could potentially cause loss of vehicle control in traffic or inclement weather. I contacted Ford and was told my VIN is not included in the recall, even though my symptoms match those described. There is also a known TSB (22-2225) for this issue, but the dealer won’t cover it under warranty since no recall appears for my truck. I am requesting that the recall and/or investigation be expanded to include more affected VINs from this model year, as this is clearly not an isolated issue.
I was driving at normal highway speeds for probably around 45 minutes. When I tried to accelerate around a slower car, I lost all power to the gas pedal and then it slammed into 5th gear as I slowed down, I sped back up and it was sluggish and slow to accelerate and then violently shifted from 5th to 9th as if those were the only two gears I had. I was able to make it home, but it was a very dangerous situation.
Transmission shifts very hard out of 2nd 3rd and 4th gears up and down. Took for service and was supposedly fixed. After about 3k miles it started again. Ford says fixing is my cost even though they sold me trash
When clicking lock and unlock on the key fob or door panel, all doors lock and unlock EXCEPT the driver door. It does not move no matter what you do. Replaced the fuse and that did nothing. This truck is approx 5 years old and should not have electrical failing like this.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started to lose power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and was able to drive the vehicle at 15 MPH. The contact then pulled off the ramp. Another person was able to help the contact move the vehicle to a nearby gas station. The contact then towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with catastrophic engine failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because it was not under recall. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.
Got into my truck as normal and closed the driver side door, only to find the notification on the dash that the driver side door was still ajar. While driving, the alert just keeps sounding off and the dome lights will not go off. It appears that the door latch sensor is faulty, or at least that seems to be the consensus from the dealership. But I've also read that it could potentially be the wiring harness. Safety is at risk because this creates many distractions while trying to drive. The lights stay on, there is constant alerts going off on the dash, and notifications pop up every time I stop or slow down, and I have to manually set my dash back to the odometer so I can see how fast I'm going. 3 separate distractions all from 1 issue. The dealership just wants to replace the door latch because the sensor is built in. But they state it is a common occurrence, and there are plenty of instances just like this online. I am taking my truck to the dealership tomorrow to have them look and potentially replace the door latch because I can't handle the constant alerts while driving. There was no prior indicators to this issue. I drove my truck to work just fine, parked it, and went to get in it at lunch and then the problems began. Out of nowhere.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the transmission failed to operate as designed, and the vehicle started to lose motive power before slamming into gear. The transmission experienced erratic shifting between the 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure; however, the maintenance warning light illuminated after the failure and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
While traveling 65 mph on highway, truck shifted from 10th gear to 5th causing truck to jerk to a slower mph and raising rpms
My gears shift hard when slowing down or when letting go of the gas pedal. The infotainment center blacks out. I took it in to Ford Dealership and was told the transmission needed to be replaced. I don’t drive fast nor abuse my truck. I don’t use my truck for construction; I simply drive to work and home. I have 67K miles and bought the truck in 2020, brand new. It’s very concerning that at 67K the transmission needs replacement. The cost for replacing the transmission is $8,000.00 dollars.
A ticking, rattling, or knocking noise from the engine The noise occurs when starting the engine after a long period of inactivity and when the engine is idling after warming up.
Ford’s 10R80 Transmission is PLAGUED with issues. I own a 2020 Ford F-150 with the 2.7L V6 engine that has the 10R80 Transmission and this car has nearly gotten me in a T-Bone collision on NUMEROUS separate occasions. The transmission will slip as you’re first starting to accelerate, giving you zero control over the car and the RPMS will shoot up surpassing red line. This transmission is extremely clunky and downshifts extremely rough as well. This transmission is genuinely a safety concern when at intersections, accelerating from a turn etc. This transmission needs a recall IMMEDIATELY as I’ve talked to a LOT of other F-150 and other Ford owners that have the same 10R80 transmissions and have the exact same issues. This is a SAFETY CONCERN for ALL Ford owners with the 10R80 Transmission!!!
Transmission issue, took it into the shop not for the issue. Dealer called and stated transmission is making a noise and should be repaired/replaced. This is an everyday vehicle used 90% on highway driving. No warning signs or devices.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen or occasionally failed to activate while shifted into reverse(R). The failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. A message to check the surrounding area was displayed on the instrument panel. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield wipers were inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (Visibility); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the windshield wipers were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Cam Phasers need to be replaced due to knocking sound. The problem was reproduced by an independent service center. Check engine light is displayed. This issue is under recall for ford f 150 3.5 however we own a 5.0. The same issue is occurring in our vehicle.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed water leaking from the top of the vehicle located near the microphone and the sunroof control area. The contact noticed water leaking from the area while it was raining. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 100,963.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated when the vehicle was shifted into reverse(R), the back over prevention camera failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that occasionally the image was frozen, or the screen was blue. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V575000 (Visibility, Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the wrench symbol displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. No additional information was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
CDF drum failure
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine, followed by a rough idle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related to the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21B10. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 100,800.
Cam phasers sensors have failed three times and repaired each time. Caused the engine to stall and accelerate poorly.The third time they failed a part was defected the dealer claimed. All this work was covered under the powertrain warranty. My safety could have been at risk as my vehicle did sputter and wouldn’t accelerate at enough speed to keep up with traffic. Although I was not in an accident or hurt at this time. Yes, engine light has came on, on each occurrence. My powertrain warranty through ford will expire shortly and I’m afraid I will be left with a large repair bill if this issue occurs again soon.
The rearview camera is and impossible to see when the sun hits it or after dark During the day it is blurry half way up. Been cleaned over and over and makes no difference. Dealer says this is the way it is. I have and own several fords with no issues like this.
2020 Ford F150 83,000 miles Automatic Transmission 10R80 loses power driving while shifting at multiple different speeds. Causes vehicle transmission to disengage while driving on the freeway and over rev engine. Sometime vehicle will not engage from full stop or slow start. Causes extreme jerking when finally engaging transmission. Vehicle gave me whiplash upon engaging. Cannot rely on transmission operation in any traffic condition.
While driving on the highway the truck shut off. A message appeared (Auto StartStop Shift to P, Then Restart Engine) This is an ongoing issue. It has happened three times already while driving. After the error message appears I stop, the turn the truck back on and it works perfectly. The issue is that the truck turns of while going at any speed. I have already replaced the battery.
dash screen went blank while driving engine has a sound like lifters rattling vehicle lost all electrical connectivity and then it finally came back on no other instances
Transmission hard shifting and shifting from 7th gear down to 1st, this is dangerous!! Vehicle is available.
Driving at approximately 20 miles miles per hour going up a slight incline per engine shut-off. I applied the brakes placed the transmisson in neutral and turned the ignition key to start, the engine started. Had some hesitation at first, but the engine continued to run normal after.
Time Line for the problem: 10/14/2024 Oil Change completed by Joe Myers Ford @69,392 miles [XXX] Check engine light comes on; solid; not blinking;01/20/25 Immediately took vehicle to Joe Myer, within one mile;01/20/25 Requested service advisor, Brandon P to check vehicle; was told it would be 5 days before anyone was available to look at the vehicle 01/20/25 Immediately took vehicle to Cliff Auto Repair, approx 3 miles. They checked the oil level and found no oil on the dip stick. They emptied the oil and found only 3 quarts was in the crankcase; approximately 5.5 quarts low. They completed the oil change an topped off the oil Per the technician, the oil was not burnt. Per comment on receipt "it appears oil was not filled to correct level on last oil change 01/22/25 Took vehicle back to Joe Myers to be checked for excessive oil consumption 01/22/25 Received estimate for repair service 01/23/25 Picked up vehicle Repairs completed: (1) oil change (2) Reprogramming PCM (3) Replaced dipstick; was told to return after 3000 miles to be checked again 03/20/25 Brought vehicle to Joe Myers at 3000 miles; was told after inspection that entire engine replacement was necessary at a cost of $11,007.10; Service Advisor, Kevin Ryan said Joe Myers was not responsible for the damage 04/10/25 I was referred to Service Manager, Phillip Martinez. He referred me to the Ford Motor Company to ask for good will. He gave me the number to call and said that was all he could do 04/11/25 Mr. Martinez told me he would check with Ford good will himself on my behalf 04/16/25 Ford agree to pay $5000 total 05/01/25 I received the vehicle back from Joe Myers with the engine replaced; paid $5,369.19. The vehicle has been "inspected" by Joe Myers at minimum 10 times since purchase. Why was the Technical Service Bulletin from Ford (TSB)19-2365) completely ignored thru all 10 inspections? I also suspect that Joe Myers technicians did not fill it with oil. I should be reimbursed for either reason INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally before downshifting with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission while shifting into gear. The contact stated that the messages "Power train Fault”, “AWD Malfunction" and "Schedule Service" were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that prior to the failure; the vehicle was taken to the same local dealer where a transmission oil flush was performed; however, the failure occurred. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train); however, the VIN, nor the model year was included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
shifting became erratic i lost 9th and 10th gears with hard shifts to 4th and 7th ,,ford dealer said it is cdf drum in tranny.. and it is just over 60000 and not covered..that is 8300 dollars out of my pocket.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to enter the vehicle he found the driver's side door nearly impossible to open. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the driver-side door actuator. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 40,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,800.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred 2 additional times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was unknown.
This is my second time filing a report with NHTSA. I purchased the subject 2020 Ford F-150 around October of 2023 from a Chevrolet dealer in Ohio. The vehicle had approximately 19,000 miles at the time of purchase and was covered under the OEM factory warranty. I began having transmission shifting problems as commonly associated with this model of transmission that resulted in a rebuild of the CDF drum of the transmission. I was traveling on [XXX] between Atlanta and the Florida line when my vehicle experienced erratic shifting and a catastrophic loss of power that placed me and my vehicle in peril. I was able to safely exit the highway to allow the engine to cool down, and I elected to limp the vehicle at low speed on back roads to my destination so the vehicle could be repaired. This was the first failure of my transmission. After several thousand miles of this transmission replacement I experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of power while operating the vehicle at highway speeds in traffic on [XXX] between Orlando and the Georgia line, with the transmission temperature spiking to at least 255 degrees Fahrenheit . The Ford dealer confirmed the issue and isolated the failure to the valve body, which they replaced under warranty. This was the second failure of my transmission. After driving the vehicle for several hundred miles, the vehicle experienced a similar loss of power while operating at highway speed while I was traveling on [XXX] headed toward Atlanta. A motorist entering the highway disregarded the posted yield sign thereby creating a traffic hazard which I very narrowly avoided despite experiencing a catastrophic loss of power under acceleration as I attempted to maneuver my vehicle away from the offending motorist's vehicle. This was the third failure. My life and safety have now been placed in jeopardy three times. What will it take for NHTSA to adequately address this issue to protect the safety of the public? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.
On [XXX] I [XXX] started my truck and left my job at Publix Supermarket in Lake City, Fl. As I turned out of the shopping plaza, My 2020 Ford F-150 felt like it was about to lose power. As I turned into [XXX]. The truck shifted from the first gear, to the second smoothly, as the truck shifted from 2-3 , the truck revved and did not engage into 3rd gear. I let off the gas thinking it was going to catch the next gear and continue to increase speed. but it did not, again it revved and did not engage into 3rd gear. now the traffic was flying past me, i pushed the accelerator to the floor in attempt to avoid an accident. and not get rear ended. After several seconds , the transmission engaged and the truck began to move forward at a slow pace. This is when i received a notification for Ford Pass app, saying the power train malfunction/ reduced power. I was able to get the truck to the closest gas station. where I shut it off. After several minutes, I restarted the truck and drove back to work with no issues. The next day I took it to a local shop, where they indicated that I needed a new transmission. Since then, this vehicle has been in the shop multiple times for the same issue. This will be the 3rd Valve body replaced. Its unsafe to be on the road. Its a safety hazard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Violent stutter switching into 3rd gear. Truck bogs down/flares in 5,7,8,9 gears. This could cause a major accident leading to a crash involving this vehicle and others.
MY SONS 2020 FORD F150 FELT LIKE IT WAS LOSING POWER. AS I TURNED ONTO HIGHWAY. THE TRUCK SHIFTED FROM THE FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR SMOOTHLY, ASTHE TRUCK SHIFTED FROM 2-3 , THE TRUCK REVED AND DID NOT ENGAGE INTO 3RD GEAR. I LET OFF THE GAS, THINKING IT WILL CATCH THE NEXT GEAR AND CONTINUE TO INCREASE SPEED. BUT IT DID NOT, IT AGAIN REVED AND DID NOT ENGAGE INTO 3RD GEAR. NOW THE TRAFFIC WAS FLYING PAST ME, I PRESSED THE ACCELATOR TO THE FLOOR IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND NOT BE REARENDED. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, THE TRANSISSION ENGAGED AND THE TRUCK BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD AT A SLOW PACE. THIS IS WHEN I NOTICED ON MY FORDPASS APP, SAYING POWETRAIN MALFUNCTION/REDUCED POWER. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE TRUCK TO THE CLOSEST GAS STATION, WHERE I SHUT THE TRUCK OFF. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, I RESTARTED THE TRUCK AND DROVE THE TRUCK TO WORK WITH NO ISSUES. THE NEXT DAY, I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP. WHERE THEY INDICATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED OR REBUILT.
Problems started when towing, going down a hill, the truck down shifted as it should. Once the road leveled out, the truck would not upshift until you came almost to a complete stop and started over. Took it to the dealership and was told it needed new software. Paid for software and truck had a shutter after that while going up hills without towing. Took it back and dealer did not follow TSB, but instead put a torque converter in. Picked up truck and less than 20 while driving on the interestate at 70mph, the truck downshifted so hard it chirped the rear tires. Took it back to dealership and transmission was replaced. Picked truck up and drove it for a few hundred miles and started leaking transmission fluid out the vent (accourding to the dealership) Dealership is stating its my fault due to towing a small trailer with around 4k pounds total weights. On interesate at 60MPH, in tow mode, the trunk was running at 1700 RPM and all temp guages normal so no stress at all on the truck. Truck is rated at 13k plus towing. Dealer also stated that hauling horse feed also overheated transmission. The new transmission "clunks" when going from park to reverse. The turck still surges. Some days its fine, other days not so much. In my opinion, poor quality parts caused the failure of the first transmission. Current problems, in my opinion the problems are software. The engine at speed is barely above an idle and not optimized for the engine power or torque curve. The silliness of skipping gears is also part of the problem.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission experienced erratic shifting between the 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the message "Check the engine" was displayed on the mobile App. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where diagnostic trouble code: P0327 was retrieved. The dealer determined that the engine knock sensor A, three unknown gaskets, and unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty and that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
While driving at normal speed, the vehicle suddenly began producing heavy white smoke from the exhaust, the engine started to idle roughly, and a check-engine light came on. There was no oil-pressure warning, no low-oil message, and no “stop safely” alert of any kind. The only warning was emissions-related. After seeing the smoke, the vehicle was parked and later driven only to a dealer for inspection. A dealer inspected the vehicle and confirmed that an internal seal in one of the turbochargers failed, causing the engine to pump all of its oil directly into the exhaust system. This resulted in complete oil loss and catastrophic engine damage due to oil starvation. The dealer confirmed the failure and determined that the issue originated from the turbocharger assembly and not from misuse or neglect. The failure occurred suddenly and without any oil-pressure warning to alert the driver. The safety concern is that a turbocharger failure caused total loss of engine oil without triggering any oil-pressure warning or driver alert, creating a risk of sudden engine failure, loss of power, or engine seizure while driving. The lack of oil-pressure warning before or during the event was confirmed by the dealer’s inspection.
Front windshield camera malfunction. Vehicle only had 61,000 miles.
Truck had two error messages. 1. Front camera malfunction service needed 2. Forward collision error
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the contact became aware of a significant loss in fuel economy. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the catalytic converters had failed. The contact was informed that the catalytic converters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.