Most common 2020 Ford F-350 SD problems
Share of the 189 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-350 SD complaints by model year
Best F-350 SD years: 2014, 2013, 2012. Years to avoid: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2018, 2022. Compare all years →
2020 Ford F-350 SD recalls (15)
Fuel system, diesel › Delivery › Fuel pump
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-Super Duty F250, F350, F450, F550, 2021-2022 F600, and 2022 F750 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V957. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Back over prevention › Software
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The 360-degree view camera system may not display a rearview image properly in certain lighting conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will update the image processing module software, free of charge.This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years.
Steering › Column
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-250, F-350, and F-450 vehicles. The steering column upper shaft may detach from the steering column and result in a loss of steering control.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering column, and repair or replace the upper shaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 20, 2026.
Fuel system, diesel › Delivery › Fuel pump
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-Super Duty F250, F350, F450, F550, F600, and 2021-2022 F-650, F750 vehicles. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) and Transmission Control Module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026.
Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 SuperCab vehicles. The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints.
Remedy: Ford will mail the Owner's Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2020 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and 2017-2020 Lincoln Continental vehicles equipped with the 360-degree camera system. Degradation of the camera's anit-reflective lens coating can lead to a foggy or cloudy rearview camera image.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S51.
Show 9 more recalls
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.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles equipped with 6.7L diesel engines. A washer within the vehicle's transmission can disintegrate, causing metallic debris to become lodged in the 'Park' mechanism.
Remedy: Dealers will replace a gearset within the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 19, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Structure › Frame and members › Underbody shields
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2022 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty vehicles equipped with gasoline engines and aluminum driveshafts. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the driveshaft as necessary, and properly attach the underbody insulators, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 7, 2022.
Power train › Axle assembly
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-350 Super Duty pickup trucks equipped with 6.7L diesel engines and Dana model 275 rear axles. The rear axle housing may not support the load of the pickup truck and deform, which could result in driveshaft separation.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the axle housing for deformities, and repair or replace the housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021.
Tires
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-Super Duty F350 vehicles equipped with a 6.7L diesel engine, single rear wheels (SRW), 4X4 Crew Cab, Long Box, and a 12k or 12.4k Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Tire and Loading Information Label, Safety Certification Label, and the Truck Camper Loading Document (if applicable), free of charge.
Visibility › Windshield › Critical fasteners
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 and 2020-2021 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove and reinstall the windshield, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
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.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Torque converter
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Super-Duty F-250, F-350, and F-550 diesel pickups. The transmission torque converter damper plate was not tempered, resulting in a brittle damper plate that may fracture and cause the engine to stall or require increased brake pedal effort in order to stop the vehicle.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission assembly, free of charge. This recall began July 6, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2020 Ford F-350 SD:
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.
Power Tailgate Release Systems
In January 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ21-001) to assess allegations of post-recall remedy uncommanded tailgate openings in model year (MY) 2017-2019 F-250/350/450 Ford trucks. Besides the recall remedy launched in January 2020, Ford also implemented a production update in November 2019.
Sogefi Secondary Diesel Fuel Filter Leak
The Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) has received 27 complaints alleging diesel fuel leaks due to a fracture in the secondary fuel filter housing in model year (MY) 2015-2021 Ford Motor Company (Ford) F-250, 350, 450, and 550 Super Duty vehicles equipped with 6.7L diesel engines. Of these complaints, 12 describe an engine compartment fire.
What 2020 Ford F-350 SD owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 54 →
The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, towing a boat he heard a loud popping noise. The contact stated that the rear wheels were locked in place, and skid. The vehicle whiplashed and the right side of the vehicle collided with the guard rail and came to a stop and inspected. The contact observed condensation under the middle and rear of the vehicle and the drive shaft lying on the ground. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. No medical attention was needed. The vehicle was towed to a lot where it was deemed totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while the transmission was shifted into park(P), the vehicle rolled back and crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V256000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Fuel & propulsion system all 48 →
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine power failure warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while towing a small vehicle. The contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the road, which was very unsafe. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with high-pressure fuel pump failure, cylinder rod and head gasket failures. The contact was informed that the high-pressure fuel pump had exploded and sent fuel all over and into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine had failed due to a high-pressure fuel pump failure. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over but was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the diesel fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired and was covered under warranty. The contact stated that one month later, the vehicle experienced a failure while he was driving. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer, who determined that the diesel fuel system had failed. The contact was advised that the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty and would be repaired out of pocket. The contact had the vehicle towed to a diesel repair shop. …
Steering all 35 →
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V957000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL), 25V626000 (STEERING), and 25V686000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was wobbly. The steering wheel detached from the housing four inches and independently moved up and down. The contact had not lost control of the vehicle. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer at slow speeds. The dealer determined that the steering column upper shaft had separated. The dealer informed the contact that the recall repair stated that the upper shaft would be repaired or replaced. The contact was informed that replacing the steering column was not part of the recall repair and the contact would be responsible for additional repairs. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and driving around a curve, the steering wheel was turned; however, the vehicle failed to respond and crashed into a guardrail. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V626000 (Steering). There was extreme damage to the underbody of the vehicle, and several parts were separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and was deemed a total loss by the Insurance Company. The contact sustained a concussion and neck injury and was taken to the hospital for medical assistance. The dealer was not contacted. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Ford F-350 SD a good car?
Based on 189 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 F-350 SD rates avoid: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the F-350 SD at the same age. It is one of the F-350 SD years we suggest avoiding. 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-350 SD?
The transmission & drivetrain — 54 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (48) and steering (35).
How many recalls does the 2020 Ford F-350 SD have?
There are 15 recalls for the 2020 Ford F-350 SD, the most recent from March 17, 2026 (fuel pump). 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-350 SD?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2013 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2018 and 2022. See the full Ford F-350 SD years comparison.
At what mileage do 2020 Ford F-350 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 59,000 miles; 44% 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.