2020 Ford F-150 Engine Problems

There is a terrible noise during startup and it appears to be the same cam phaser issue that many Ford F150 owners are experiencing. I think it's been going on for awhile but I generally remote start it so it can warm up a bit before I jump in and go. Within the last week I remote started it when I was close by and the noise is not good. It sounds like the motor is ready to blow for a few seconds then goes away.

While driving the truck automatically down shifted. If I drove move 20 MP it would shift. The truck would not go into reverse, the gear was stuck. I had to turn if off and then turn it back on then It let me shift the gears. On the dashboard the wrench and other indicators lit up on the dashboard.

Oil consumption takes several quarts of oil before next oil change. Erratic and harsh shifting and sudden hard downshifts.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious transmission failure on my 2020 Ford F-150. At approximately 68,000 miles, the vehicle began exhibiting dangerous and unpredictable driving behavior, including hard jerking, sudden hesitation, and unexpected deceleration and acceleration while driving. The vehicle would jerk aggressively during gear changes and decelerate without warning, particularly at lower speeds and during normal traffic flow. This behavior significantly compromised my ability to maintain consistent speed, safely merge, or respond to traffic conditions. On multiple occasions, the sudden loss of power and hesitation created a safety hazard, especially when driving in slower or congested traffic, as surrounding vehicles were not anticipating abrupt deceleration. Due to the severity and persistence of these issues, the transmission ultimately required complete replacement. A brand new transmission was installed to correct the problem at only 5 years old and barely over the Ford mileage warranty expiration criteria. This failure occurred well before what I would consider normal or expected transmission life for a modern full-size pickup truck and presented a clear safety risk to myself, my passengers, and other motorists. Sudden jerking and loss of power at speed creates a high likelihood of rear-end collisions or loss of vehicle control. I believe this issue reflects a potential defect in the transmission system and should be investigated to prevent similar safety risks for other drivers.

I had just replaced the transmission (R1080; 6 cyl 3.5L Turbo) on September 3, 2025 due to P0734-00 (Gear 4 incorrect Ratio and P07F7-00 (Gear 10 incorrect Ratio). The transmission matter can be referenced on NHTSA ID # XXX. On September 30, 2025, while driving down the parking deck ramp (at 3-5mph) my check engine light came on with code P0022 (camshaft timing); resulting in replacement of the camshafts. The camshaft had a HOLE in it (photo supplied). The camshaft issue is another issue many Ford F150 truck owners are experiencing. Again, Ford has continued to give "band-aid" fixes with TSB's and no REAL fix to a continuing issue with these trucks. On December 3, 2022, this used truck was purchased from a Ford Dealership in Raleigh, NC (77,100 miles) and was Ford Gold/Blue Certified per my purchase information. The Gold/Blue paperwork even included that the "Customer Satisfaction Repair" (not a true recall mandated by NHTSA) had been performed by a TSB (along with the unintentional tailgate opening also a Customer Satisfaction Repair). There are no recalls issued on this vehicle. Ford has offered NO assistance towards repairs. As evidenced by the number of complaints filed on the NHTSA website for this particular engine, at what point will the NHTSA open an investigation and mandate that FORD issue a RECALL for the KNOWN problems with the R1080 3.5L and the camshaft/phasers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Cam Phaser failure causing the engine to knock and eventually lose power. Cost $4,900 out of my pocket to fix with 64,000 miles on the truck. Reading online forums, this is one of the MOST common issues with 2018-2022 3.5 and 5.0 f150s. The vehicle has a history prior to my ownership of this same issue. Check engine light is triggered when you hear the engine rattle and throws codes for Camshaft position error. Ford dealer replaced every sensor and harness on the truck before decided the cam phasers were bad, adding another $4,900 to my $2,600 bill. This was during my ownership of the truck between 63,000 and 65,000. First two thousand miles of ownership. Vehicle would stall at low rpm’s after highway use, stalling the vehicle while rolling into an intersection.

This model year truck has an oil consumption problem. I had the truck repaired under the Ford bulletin, but I’ll still need an oil consumption test after 1000 miles and continued frequent oil changes.

fuel injector cracked and started spraying fuel in engine compartment and onto hot motor.

The contact’s father owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. While driving at various speeds and accelerating or while idling, the vehicle bucked or jerked. The vehicle failed to accelerate intermittently, causing the driver to make several attempts to restart the vehicle, depress the accelerator, and allow the engine to cool down for the vehicle to accelerate as needed. There was a loud grinding and knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

At roughly 9:55pm on Thursday, July 11th while traveling northbound at 70mph on the Dallas North Tollway, my 2020 Ford F-150 Shelby Baja Raptor had an instant catastrophic engine failure. All power to the truck was lost. A red solid battery light came on the a yellow engine light began flashing. I was EXTREMELY fortunate, in that I was able to guide and control the vehicle off of the freeway, on to the service road and glided into a hospital parking lot. The steering completely locked up while navigating from the service road into the hospital parking lot. Once again I was EXTREMELY lucky. This was a terrifying experience that is imporrible to describe with words. The next morning I had the truck towed to a reputable auto repair business close by. Later that day the owner of the business informed me that the crankshaft sheared into where it meets its connection to the engine. He cited that this is EXTREMELY rare and would visit with Shelby America on Monday morning(today 7-14-25). There were no warning lights of any kind that have come up within the last year. The vehicle was purchased locally in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. All maintenance...scheduled and non-scheduled have been performed at the same Ford dealership where the truck was purchased. The truck has had $40,000 worth of maintenance on it since the beginning of 2025. This failure doesnot make sense. The Auto Repair shop indicated that I need a new engine. They also didn't understand why this would happen.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and the engine seized. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The oil warning light was illuminated. The oil gauge indicator was at zero. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked crankshaft between cylinders #2 and #3 and a cracked oil pan. The contact stated that the short block showed signs of metal shavings. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. 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 approximately 80,000.

Exhaust manifold leak due to factory turbo mounting and bolts issue. Due to improper amount of bolts in rear of exhaust manifold where ford designed the turbochargers to mount to there is warping of the exhaust manifold and the mounting bolts break off due to heating and cooling with the turbochargers weight. Very common issue with the f150, causing exhaust leaks and possible carbon monoxide to leak into cabin. This is a dangerous design flaw that owners should not have to pay out of pocket to repair due to fords poor engine design flaw. Ford should have to recall the engine manifolds

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 20 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. There was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The driver drove to the residence. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and there was smoke coming from the engine with a loud screeching sound. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the cam sensor was defective and caused the engine to overheat. Additionally, the engine was low on oil. The contact stated that an oil change was previously performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a complaint was filed. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not under recall and that there was no financial assistance available. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

Ford 10r80 Transmission slips or revs for long period of time before banging into gear when accelerating. When accelerating and merging onto the highway I am unable to merge and accelerate to highway speed without the risk of being rear ended by oncoming vehicles already at highway speed. The vehicle has been inspected and confirmed that the transmission needs to be replaced. No other lights and absolutely not warnings at any time before problem started. As per TSB 23-2250 and several earlier TSB on this transmission, having a known defect, Ford should escalate this to a recall and compensate owners for the expensive repair when the vehicle should have plenty of more life in it.

There is a flaw in the design of the 2020 F150 and specifically the 5.0L V8 Engine. I have kept up to date on all maintenance, no visible oil spils and engine is consuming/burning significant amounts of oil. I've been told by numerous dealerships/mechanics that there is nothing that they can do and to try and join all of the class action lawsuits. I spent 50k on a vehicle that isn't even making it thru the life of the loan..... WHY DO I HAVE TO DO A CLASS ACTION. THIS SHOULD BE CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Transmission would shift into different gears when not intended

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 compartment. After the vehicle reached normal operating temperature, the rattling ceased, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03. 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 unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound on cold start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for the VIN to be added in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000. The VIN was not available.

I was driving on Loop 610 with stop and go traffic and after a lot of restarts the engine almost did not restart. If it would have not restart I would have been trapped in traffic in a mid lane which would have resulted in a various dangerous situation. Ford needs to install a switch to allow owners to disconnect the device that kills the engine when you stop. We are getting ready for hurricane season and based on past history if we have to do a mass evaluation we have vehicles with this devise that could result in blocking traffic and not allow people to evacuate result in potentially many lives lost.

The truck's cam phasers are rattling bad and getting worse. It used to only do it at initial start up in the morning and any time it sat for an hour or more , but now it seems to be rattling on every startup. Ford has newly designed cam phasers, but they are not offering to put those in unless I pay for it.