Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle burst into flames. The contact stated that the vehicle had been parked for six hours. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact stated that the vehicle burned down to the frame in less than five minutes. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The contact stated that the insurance declared the vehicle total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated independently. The contact parked on the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the low oil pressure warning light disappeared; however, the check engine warning light then became illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the dipstick to be replaced, and an oil and filter service performed. The contact was also informed that the powertrain control module (PCM) needed to be updated for proper engine control performance. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing an oil pressure sensor to be replaced. …
The contact called for her partner who owned a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the dashboard had warped near the passenger side's glove compartment when purchased. The dealer had been informed of the failure and informed the owner that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped and idling at a traffic light, the vehicle lunged forward causing the contact to aggressively depress the brake pedal, causing the vehicle to jerk abnormally. The contact stated that the engine was revving abnormally while stopped at a traffic light. Additionally, while shifting into reverse or drive, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred approximately 5 times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and a computer reset was performed. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the transmission shuddered. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that a tune-up was needed. The tune-up was performed; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with catalytic converter failure. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall and the PCM was reprogrammed. The unknown recall repair was performed the day prior to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle was hesitating and downshifted unintendedly. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become a recurring failure. The contact stated that he had taken the vehicle to a dealer and was advised that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated while the transmission was downshifting. The contact had taken the vehicle to the same dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the long block and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but advised the contact that the vehicle was over the mileage for the warranty and not covered. …
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 15-20 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine was knocking, and the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown software needed to be updated and the failure was related to an unknown Ford Technical Service Bulletin Number. The unknown software update was completed at the contact's expense. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 79,600.
Engine complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2020 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 139 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2020 Ford F-150, 19% of the model year's 737 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Ford F-150 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2020 Ford F-150, though it has 11 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2020 Ford F-150 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.