Ford F-150 Complaints (2020)

742 consumer complaints on file.

#11773902October 27, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Passenger side and passenger side rear door sensors say the door is a jar even though it’s not. Opened and closed doors numerous times to make the warning message go away. Seems water or something gets in the sensors, causing the faulty sensors to go off doors will not lock and makes the alarm system go off randomly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773571October 25, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission has hard/harsh shifts and delayed gear engagement that began around 56,000 miles and have become much worse at 68,000 miles. The delay in engagement when accelerating from a stop, pulling into traffic or merging is a safety concern. A Ford dealer performed a transmission adaptive relearn and software update, but the symptoms continued. The dealer did not verify hydraulic leakage or perform the full diagnostic described in Ford TSB 25-2126 (MC-11016931-0001, harsh/delayed shifts on 2017-2020 F-150), and the only recommendation was to replace the entire transmission at roughly $5,000 after the powertrain warranty expired at 60,000 miles. The incident date entered is today because the symptoms are ongoing and progressive: they developed gradually since about 56,000 miles and are heading toward ultimate transmission failure. Safety concerns: hesitation and delayed engagement when pulling into or merging with traffic, the truck possibly rolling back when engaged on hills, and loss of reliable power on hills.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773170October 23, 2026
SUSPENSION
On XXX, while the vehicle was parked and not in use, the passenger-side front coil spring abruptly fractured, causing the front passenger side of the vehicle to drop onto the tire. The failure also damaged additional components. The vehicle and failed component are currently located at Hines Park Ford in [XXX], and are available for inspection upon request. This failure presented a serious safety concern. Had the spring fractured while the vehicle was traveling at highway speeds, the sudden drop in the vehicle’s front end, contact with the tire, and damage to additional components could have resulted in a sudden loss of vehicle control, potentially causing a serious crash, significant injuries, or fatalities. I am unaware whether the failure has been independently reproduced. However, the dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the coil spring had broken and that additional components were damaged as a result. There were no warning signs, unusual noises, dashboard warning lights, or other noticeable symptoms before the failure. The spring fractured abruptly and without warning while the vehicle was parked. The sudden failure of a critical suspension component on a vehicle that was not in motion raises serious concerns about the component’s reliability and the potential consequences if the same failure occurs while driving. Video of event - [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772766October 21, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with children inside the vehicle, the transmission shifted erratically and began shuddering. The vehicle decelerated unexpectedly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The manufacturer and the dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772829October 21, 2026
POWER TRAIN
while driving on the highway, my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 transmission experienced a sudden and catastrophic loss of power. The transmission failed to shift slipped gears, and left the vehicle completely neutralized in traffic. This sudden loss of propulsion created an extremely hazardous situation on the road, nearly causing a severe collision before I could safely pull over.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772051October 19, 2026
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The Transmission has failed. Hard shifting, random gear switching while driving at any speed. i put it in reverse and it went forward while in reverse. it slows itself down while on the highway. it acts like it wants to turn off while running, its a matter of time before I'm driving down the road and it decides to stop suddenly and cause an accident. I got it diagnosed by truck works garage and they confirmed that the shifting was all over the place with random high rpms. The dealership quoted me $2500 just to diagnose the problem so i had it diagnosed at truck works garage for $160 to confirm the issues matched the tsb's and recalls that they wont acknowledge my VIN for. The failure 1st appeared 5 years ago when i was under warranty, i took it in (and have the work order still dated 10/22/202) for hard shifting and they brushed me off and sent me away with false information about the cause. 5 years ago (25 days before i brought it in for the hard shifting) there was a tsb 21-2315 published for the exact issue on my truck, They ignored it and sent me away without fixing anything or addressing the issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770514October 12, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
I put my truck in reverse to get out of a driveway and it kept going and accelerating...the brakes did not work. I ended up goign through a fence at the end of the street and into a shed and my truck finally stopped. I have significant damage to my truck as well as to the homeowners property...the Police classified it as equipment failure and I did not receive a ticket.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769954October 8, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after the check engine warning light illuminated on two occasions, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the catalytic converters were replaced under warranty. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was determined that one of the catalytic converters needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the manufacturer would provide partial financial assistance for the repair. Additionally, the contact stated that the fuel efficiency had decreased after the failure started. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769693October 7, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I am writing to formally report a severe and dangerous safety defect regarding the 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission in my 2020 Ford F-150. While driving, the vehicle routinely experiences a complete "neutral-out" or severe shift flare when attempting to transition out of 1st gear. Instead of engaging 2nd or 3rd gear, the transmission completely drops out of gear into a false neutral. During this failure, the vehicle experiences an immediate and total loss of forward propulsion for several seconds while the engine revs freely. After a dangerous delay, the transmission violently slams back into gear. This is an acute safety hazard. Losing all forward acceleration unexpectedly—specifically when pulling out from a complete stop, navigating intersections, or merging into fast-moving traffic—leaves the vehicle stranded and completely defenseless against oncoming traffic. It creates an immediate risk of a severe rear-end or broadside collision, as trailing drivers do not expect a vehicle to suddenly lose all power. Ford is fully aware of this mechanical defect, as documented in their internal Technical Service Bulletin TSB 25-2126 (and its predecessors). The bulletin notes that an internal CDF clutch drum bushing physically slips out of place, blocking hydraulic fluid passages and starving the transmission of pressure. Because this is a known factory engineering defect that causes an unpredictable loss of propulsion in active traffic, it should be treated as a critical safety hazard rather than a standard wear-and-tear component. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this systemic 10R80 CDF drum failure to protect consumers from catastrophic accidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769377October 6, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY/WIPER
I have noticed that my turn signal lights work sometimes, and sometimes they give me the rapid-fire warning light indicating that one of them is out (front or back). The outage may or may not last the entire duration of when the turn signal is deployed - sometimes it fixes itself, and other times it remains out. Sometimes, it even fixes itself and goes back out in the same signal instance. Additionally, I have noticed that one or both of the headlights will sometimes fail. I have learned to turn on the fog lights in order to ensure some sort of light remains working to illuminate my path forward. I've not yet experienced the fog lights going out as they seem to be unaffected by the intermittent outages. If it wasn't for this, I would have stopped driving at night altogether. I have already begun limiting my time on the road after dark, and attempting to handle anything that requires transportation earlier in the day. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions, as I'd like to ensure this gets resolved for myself and any others ASAP!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769297October 6, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
It had been raining hard for a few days. Husband was taking truck down hwy 98 to a drs appointment an hour away. Driving 50 when the steering wheel starting going in and out, the seat started moving forward and back, running boards going in and out, lights flashing on and off and horn blaring and the 2020 F150 sputtered, almost stopped in the middle of the road; to name a few things. Frightened he was able to pull into a gas station, wait a bit then try another time when same happened. He eventually made it to his appointment. Came out and truck doing same. Was towed to Group 1 Ford dealership in in Pensacola. They had it a week and their mechanics could only say it was the BCM, Body Control Module that was wet and malfunctioned. Recommended an $8,000 dollar replacement but as they could not find the problem suggested we wait till we found it. After 10 days at the dealership, they couldn't. I, a 67 year old woman did. The upper windshield was leaking over the A and B pillar and the drops were landing on the BCM. I have pictures. l If they had taken the side panels of dash off by door they would have found it also. Husband could have died
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11768499October 2, 2026
STEERING
My [XXX] son was at a stop light and when the light turned green he started to turn left. As he was turning left, the steering wheel started to pull left to the point that he couldn't steer it back, almost as if it was stuck and kept pulling left. He fought with it and tried to press the break. This caused him to hit the center median of the street ([XXX]) and the truck flipped and landed on driver side. My son took off his seatbelt and climbed out of passenger window. Another person that helped him told him that they saw him struggle with the steering wheel. However, since my son is [XXX], he didn't know to gather witness information. A police report was completed and I'm waiting to receive it. However, he was not cited as he was not speeding and had only simply turned left at the signal. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11767601September 28, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission shifting very harshly. Especially in gears 3-4-5. Transmission will stop with no control, then abruptly slam into gear. 80,000 miles. Issues since new. Dealership says vehicle needs new transmission. Will factory assist at $3,700, my share $5,600. Ford has history with this transmission. Why didn’t they replace when in warranty?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766891September 25, 2026
ENGINE
Brought my 2020 Ford F150 2.7L EcoBoost in for mandatory emissions recall 24E12. Vehicle had zero dashboard lights or performance issues prior. Immediately upon completion of the PCM flash, the check engine light activated. When the truck was scanned I am now receiving a P0420 and P0430 catalytic converter efficiency codes. The dealership is now requiring $6000 for replacement of qty 2 catalytic converters caused by the recall parameters. This is a predatory compliance software update designed to shift manufacturing component failures onto the consumer after the 80k mile warranty window (truck has 105k). I have filed a complaint with Ford and asked for a P01 Financial Review for After-Warranty Assistance and have been told there is nothing Ford can or will do to assist and I must pay them $6000 if i want them to fix this. Because of this the vehicle is now not emissions compliant.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766709September 24, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the transmission jerked while shifting gear. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted and the vehicle was diagnosed with CDF drum failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766091September 22, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a delay in the transmission shifting, and the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed, and the vehicle jolted. The engine revved to 7,000-8,000 RPM. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: 25-2301 (Harsh/Delayed Engagement and/or Harsh/Delayed Shift) and Technical Service Bulletin 25-2475(Harsh/Delayed Engagement and/or Harsh/Delayed Shift). The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765595September 20, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Truck suddenly shifted from gear 8 to gear 2 then 4 reducing my speed suddenly causing other vehicles to almost hit me at around 40 mph. I drove home with the transmission erratically shifting up and down Even though I kept my speed under 30 mph. That was about 10 days ago and I made an attempt to drive it a few days ago after researching and in the same result happened. It seems I have been victimized by the CDF drum crawling out of its space leading to an imbalance of transmission fluid pressure. About 2 miles after the initial problem. A wrench symbol appeared on the instrument cluster with a message under it that says see manual. Just as every time I've tried to find something in the manual. After spending several minutes of frustration, I still never found the wrench symbol or what it means.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765056September 17, 2026
ENGINE
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 Fire Chief inspected the vehicle, and the contact was informed that the fire had started in the engine compartment. The contact was transported by ambulance and received medical treatment. The contact sustained second-degree burns on the left and right legs and left and right elbows and forearms. In addition, the contact sustained second-degree burns on the left and right hands. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. A Police report was filed, but the information was unavailable. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (Back Over Prevention). The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11764544September 15, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle jerked abnormally, experienced a transmission shifting delay between gears, and occasionally slipped out of gear. The contact stated that after slipping out of gear, the transmission failed to re-engage gear and slipped continuously. The vehicle was inspected by a transmission specialist, who confirmed the failure and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763163September 9, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission slips gears and sometimes shifts violently. I took the truck to a Ford dealership for an assessment and was told I need to replace the whole transmission. I also have a problem with oil consumption from the engine. I was told by the same dealership that this was a known problem with the 5.0 engines built from 2019 to, I believe 2023 and that it would require an engine replacement. I bought this truck from an individual and now I am stuck with it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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