Most common 2020 Ford F-150 problems
Share of the 737 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-150 complaints by model year
Best F-150 years: 1996, 2009, 2008. Years to avoid: 2018, 2013, 2016, 2012, 2021. Compare all years →
2020 Ford F-150 recalls (11)
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 20V097. When the headlight switch is turned from "Autolamps" to "Headlamps On," the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) may remain fully bright instead of dimming to parking lamps as intended.
Remedy: ,Dealers will reprogram the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Back over prevention › Software
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and…
Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard.
Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Linkages
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021.
Electrical system › Starter assembly
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-150 vehicles. An incorrect attachment nut may have been used to attach the battery positive (B+) power supply cable to the starter motor, possibly affecting the electrical conductivity, resulting in excess heat and electrical arcing.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the starter motor B+ power supply attachment nut, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Show 5 more recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ranger and F-150 vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions and certain 2020 Expedition vehicles equipped with a "police" package.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the shift cable locking clip installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from the "Autolamps" switch…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Tires › Temporary/emergency spare tire
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-150 trucks equipped with 17-inch spare tires. The spare tire could have been damaged when it was installed on the rim.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the spare tire, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S55.
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and braking or steering assist.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary,…
Seats › Mid/rear assembly
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2020 Ford F-150:
Rearview Camera FMVSS 111 Noncompliance
On September 23, 2020, Ford Motor Company (Ford) filed a noncompliance recall report under 49 CFR Part 573 (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-575), recalling 620,246 Model Year (MY) 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles for a noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 111, Rear Visibility.
What 2020 Ford F-150 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 357 →
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked due to an unknown electrical door lock malfunction. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would inadvertently roll forward while stopped without input from the driver. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred while the vehicle was stopped and the gear shifter was in park(P). The contact stated that after exiting the vehicle, the vehicle rolled forward, struck, and ran over a passenger before coming to a stop. The passenger suffered head injuries and sought medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a defective gear shift indicator. The contact was informed that the gear shift indicator needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was locked and parked on the street with the engine running and unoccupied, the transmission erroneously shifted into gear and the vehicle drove forward. The contact stated that the vehicle crashed into another parked vehicle and landscaping and missed crashing into another vehicle that was driving in the opposite direction. The contact expressed concerns because no one was present inside the vehicle during the failure. The contact stated that the Police Department was contacted but no officers showed up on scene. No injuries were reported. The cause of the failure was not determined. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the PCM needed to be reprogrammed; however, the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
Engine & cooling all 139 →
The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the engine running, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact's spouse, who was seated in the front passenger seat, saw smoke coming from under the dashboard. The contact's spouse exited the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to open the front driver's door, the front passenger's side of the dashboard and the windshield caught on fire. Additionally, the front passenger's door was on fire. The contact's two dogs were seated in the rear seat. The contact entered the vehicle through the fire and removed the dogs from the vehicle. The contact used a neighboring building's water hose and extinguished the fire. The contact stated that within two minutes, the vehicle was engulfed in fire. The fire department later arrived. …
The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that his employees had driven the vehicle to a work site. While at the work site, the vehicle caught fire while the engine was off. An employee stated that flames appeared to have come from the vehicle's dashboard. An attempt was made to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher; however, the flames quickly engulfed the vehicle. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed as a result of the fire. One of the contact's employees suffered first and second-degree burns to the face. The employee was taken to a hospital where they were treated for their injury. A police report was not filed. The decal from a storage unit was melted, a blinker cover on an RV was destroyed, and several nearby trees were damaged. …
Electrical system all 88 →
The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that his employees had driven the vehicle to a work site. While at the work site, the vehicle caught fire while the engine was off. An employee stated that flames appeared to have come from the vehicle's dashboard. An attempt was made to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher; however, the flames quickly engulfed the vehicle. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed as a result of the fire. One of the contact's employees suffered first and second-degree burns to the face. The employee was taken to a hospital where they were treated for their injury. A police report was not filed. The decal from a storage unit was melted, a blinker cover on an RV was destroyed, and several nearby trees were damaged. …
Cruise control was set at approx. 62 mph driving on the Interstate. An exit was taken and coming down the off ramp the truck would not slow down. It seems the brakes did not disconnect the cruise control. Brakes were both pumped and firmly depressed. No response when the gear shift was placed in a lower gear. The electronic system did not shut off after the ignition was placed in the off position. An inspection is warranted, expected and welcome. This was a Sudden Unintentional Acceleration (SUA) incident/accident!!! Numerous other vehicles were placed in danger while crossing a major intersection. Two fire trucks responding to an emergency were passed at 50 miles an hour. Many other occupied vehicles and individuals at an apartment complex were in danger of being killed or injured. …
2020 Ford F-150 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | 10-speed automatic | RWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | 10-speed automatic | 4WD | 21 / 28 / 24 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 25 / 22 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 10-speed automatic | RWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 10-speed automatic | 4WD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 10-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 10-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 10-speed automatic | 4WD | 17 / 21 / 19 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 10-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Ford F-150 a good car?
Based on 737 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 F-150 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the F-150 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Ford F-150?
The transmission & drivetrain — 357 complaints, 48% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (139) and electrical system (88).
How many recalls does the 2020 Ford F-150 have?
There are 11 recalls for the 2020 Ford F-150, the most recent from June 9, 2026 (headlights). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F-150?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1996, 2009 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2013, 2016, 2012 and 2021. See the full Ford F-150 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2020 Ford F-150 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 38,000 miles; 60% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.