2020 Ford F-150 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
721 owner complaints analyzed
11 distinct recall campaigns
37,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 230 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 341 of 721 complaints (47.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 309 | 42.9% |
| Braking behavior | 60 | 8.3% |
| Engine operation | 43 | 6.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 35 | 4.9% |
| Steering behavior | 26 | 3.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 7 | 1.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 341 |
| Engine | 127 |
| Unknown Or Other | 85 |
| Electrical System | 83 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 24 |
| Visibility | 23 |
| Service Brakes | 17 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 16 |
Power Train: 341; Engine: 127; Unknown Or Other: 85; Electrical System: 83; Visibility/Wiper: 24; Visibility: 23; Service Brakes: 17; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 16
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 91 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 46 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 31 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 25 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 31 |
| 150,000 and above | 6 |
Under 25,000: 91; 25,000 to 49,999: 46; 50,000 to 74,999: 31; 75,000 to 99,999: 25; 100,000 to 149,999: 31; 150,000 and above: 6
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (91). 491 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 47 |
| 2021 | 65 |
| 2022 | 62 |
| 2023 | 91 |
| 2024 | 130 |
| 2025 | 185 |
| 2026 | 141 |
2020: 47; 2021: 65; 2022: 62; 2023: 91; 2024: 130; 2025: 185; 2026: 141
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 309 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 60 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 43 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11325906 · 2020-05-25 (May 25, 2020)
AFTER 6 WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP AND 1000 MILES OF USAGE, I HAD A FEW EXAMPLES OF POTENTIAL TRANSMISSION ISSUES. FIRST I HAD A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF CLUNKS WHEN BEGINNING TO DRIVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER START UP. A COUPLE DAYS AGO I HAD THE WORST EXPERIENCE YET. AFTER PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT TO WAIT FOR A CURBSIDE PICKUP, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. UPON RESTART, I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND GAVE A LITTLE GAS AS I PULLED AWAY FROM SPOT GOING FORWARD. THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNK AND THE TRUCK JERKED BEFORE DRIVING NORMALLY. EVEN MY WIFE NOTICED…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11325906 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11341884 · 2020-07-28 (July 28, 2020)
REAR VIEW CAMERA NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR NEARLY A MONTH, NOW. OFTEN SHOWS VERY GARBLED VIEW WHEN TRUCK IS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. OCCASIONALLY DISPLAYS A MESSAGE "CAMERA IS UNAVAILABLE. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DEALERSHIP." I FOLLOWED UP WITH THE DEALERSHIP (SOUTHGATE FORD, SOUTHGATE, MI) AND THEY INFORMED ME THEY CANNOT SERVICE THIS, AS FORD HAS NOT ISSUED THEM A FIX. THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, AND REFUSED ANY FURTHER REMEDIATION. THEY RECOMMENDED I CALL FORD'S CUSTOMER SUPPORT AT [phone rem…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11341884 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11389977 · 2021-01-26 (January 26, 2021)
MY -150 LARIAT HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT COLLISION CAMERA AND DETECTS WHEN NO OTHER VEHICLES ARE AROUND. MY COMPUTER FOR SYNC DOES NOT ALWAYS TURN ON AND FREEZES NOT ALLOWING ME TO USE NAVIGATION AND OTHER FEATURES. I ALMOST GOT INTO THREE ACCIDENTS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. IN THE SAME NIGHT WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. AT ONE POINT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK AT 67MPH YET THE TRUCK ACCELERATED WELL OVER 70MPH. MY BRAKES DID NOT WORK PROPERLY SEVERAL TIMES. I PRESSED THEM AND THE TRUCK WOULD …
Owner-reported narrative. 4,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 11389977 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11390459 · 2021-01-28 (January 28, 2021)
FORD TEAM, ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 24TH I HAD A MAJOR SAFETY MALFUNCTION WITH MY 2020 F-150 I BOUGHT THIS PAST SUMMER IN MENOMONIE WI. DESCRIPTION ON THE INCIDENT: I PULLED MY TRUCK OUT OF MY GARAGE TO PULL MY ATV TRAILER OUT. ONCE THE TRAILER WAS PULLED OUT, I STARTED MY TRUCK BACK UP AND PROCEEDED TO PULL IT BACK INTO THE GARAGE. WHILE COASTING IN, I PRESS THE BRAKES TO STOP THE TRUCK AND THE ABS KICKED IN AT THE REAR TIRES KEPT DRIVING MY TRUCK FORWARD. I ENDED UP SLAMMING INTO MY WORK BENCH WHICH IS ATTACHED TO MY BACK WALL. I REMEMBER LOOK…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 11390459 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11327860 · 2020-06-08 (June 8, 2020)
DRIVE MODE MALFUNCTION MESSAGE APPEARS IN MESSAGE CENTER. VEHICLE CANNOT CHANCE DRIVE MODES, SUSPENSION STIFFENS UP, AND ENGINE WILL GO INTO LOW POWER MODE OR COMPLETELY STALLS. MESSAGE HAS RANDOMLY APPEARED ABOUT 6 TIMES NOW. FIRST ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED ON FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP AT 118 MILES. VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 1600 MILES. 6TH INCIDENT HAPPENED 2 DAYS AGO. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 118 miles reported. Look up ODI 11327860 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11383321 · 2020-12-14 (December 14, 2020)
WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON FRIDAY, MY 2020 F-150 STALLED. AN ERROR MESSAGE POPPED UP ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SAYING "AUTO STARTSTOP SHIFT TO P THEN RESTART". I RESTARTED AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I THEN WAITED 10 MINUTES AND RESTARTED AND IT HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE. I TOOK IT TO BOB THOMAS SERVICE IN HAMDEN, CT TODAY AND THEY ARE SAYING THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY OR TURNING ACROSS TRAFFIC, STALLING AT THAT TIME COULD BE DISASTROUS OR EVEN FATAL.
Owner-reported narrative. 3,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11383321 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11388305 · 2021-01-15 (January 15, 2021)
FORD ELIMINATED THE ENGINE COVER IN 2019 EXPOSING THE ENGINE WIRING TO THE ELEMENTS. SINCE THE WIRING INSULATION IS MADE FROM SOY THIS ALLOW FOR RODENTS TO CLIME UP INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND CHEW AT THE EXPOSED WIRES. THIS CAN DISABLES THE VEHICLE OR SET A VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHTS AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. IN MY CASE THE VEHICLE LOST POWER ON THE FREEWAY AND I HAD SEVERAL LIGHTS COME ON. THE TOP SPEED DROPPED FROM 70MPH TO 23MPH. BRIGHTON FORD DID REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT MY EXPENSE. GOING FORWARD EVEN THOUGH THE REPAIR HAS PUT THE VEHICLE BACK ON…
Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11388305 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11403992 · 2021-03-20 (March 20, 2021)
JUST BOUGHT THE TRUCK. I TOOK IT TO THE STORE, THEN AROUND TOWN. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN DOWN A SIDE STREET, I PUSHED THE BUTTON FOR THE HEAT, TO TURN IT OFF. I HEARD A WEIRD BUZZING NOISE. MY BREAKS STOPPED WORKING FULLY. NO BREAKS AT ALL. NO POWER BREAK, SINCE IT'S ELECTRICAL OR SOMETHING. NO WAY TO STOP THE TRUCK. WHEN I TRIED TO PUSH THE GAS TO MOVE. THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE TRANSMISSION AT ALL. WHEN I FINALLY STOPPED. I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT THE ISSUES. SWITCHING SEVERAL OPTIONS AND MODES TO TRY TO FIND THE SOLUTION. CALLED A …
Owner-reported narrative. 365 miles reported. Look up ODI 11403992 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11341559 · 2020-07-26 (July 26, 2020)
BRAND NEW F-150 CREW CAB 4X4 V8. CURRENTLY HAVE LESS THAN 700 MILES. ON THREE OCCASIONS UPON STARTING THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING ASSIST. EACH TIME I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTED. POWER STEERING WAS AVAILABLE UPON RESTART. IS POWER STEERING LIKELY TO QUIT WHILE DRIVING?
Owner-reported narrative. 208 miles reported. Look up ODI 11341559 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11350428 · 2020-08-20 (August 20, 2020)
I WAS IN FRONT END COLLISION AT APPROX 50 MPH IMPACT AND SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I HIT STEERING WHEEL IN COLLISION
Owner-reported narrative. 33,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11350428 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11438927 · 2021-11-01 (November 1, 2021)
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the anti-collision warning was activated with an audio sound, and the message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the failure had occurred at least six times with no objects around the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they informed him that they saw the warning activated once however, no failure cause was diagnosed, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the dealer informed him of a manufacturer recall for t…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,008 miles reported. Look up ODI 11438927 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11443069 · 2021-12-08 (December 8, 2021)
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle loss motive power when the contact depressed on the accelerator pedal. The vehicle shuddered while decelerating. The contact veered to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel injector was faulty and that the engine needed to be replaced. The v…
Owner-reported narrative. 6,255 miles reported. Look up ODI 11443069 at NHTSA ↗