2020 Ford F-450: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
24 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
87,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 9 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Fuel System, Diesel is the most frequently named component, appearing in 7 of 24 complaints (29.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 4 | 16.7% |
| Braking behavior | 3 | 12.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 3 | 12.5% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 4.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 4.2% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 4.2% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Diesel | 7 |
| Power Train | 4 |
| Unknown Or Other | 4 |
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Engine | 2 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 1 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 |
Fuel System, Diesel: 7; Power Train: 4; Unknown Or Other: 4; Electrical System: 3; Engine: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 1; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 3 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 2 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 3; 100,000 to 149,999: 2; 150,000 and above: 1
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 15 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 |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2021: 4; 2022: 5; 2023: 4; 2024: 2; 2025: 8; 2026: 1
Pattern summary
Fuel System, Diesel leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 4 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 3 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11419124 · 2021-05-31 (May 31, 2021)
Kept smelling faint diesel fuel odor would come and go while driving for 11,000 miles, never saw a leak, then became worse and saw drops on driveway size of a dime. Found a steady drip of fuel only while running from fuel filter under hood above valve cover, replaced filter and leak stopped. Closer look found heavy stains from fuel leak on top of engine. Has been that way since new. Leak now fixed. This could be a fire hazard. Glad I found it.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11419124 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11424280 · 2021-07-11 (July 11, 2021)
Unknown. So, on May 30th, 2021 my passenger side main battery blew up for no reason. I took it to Autozone and we checked the system and everything seem fine and had the correct voltage. On July 3, 2021 my truck started smoking. I pulled over, put the truck in park and shut off the truck. I looked around trying to locate the cause of the smoke but couldn’t. I opened all the doors to air out the truck. Everything seemed to be fine at the time so I got back in and started driving. I got about 200 yards and then smoke started to come heavily out …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11424280 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11429194 · 2021-08-16 (August 16, 2021)
On two separate occasions, while towing a 5th wheel trailer, the tailgate opened by itself, coming in contact with the 5th wheel while turning. There was no warning or indication that the tailgate had opened. The tailgate was not opened by a person or by a bumping the keyfob -- it opened completely on its own.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11429194 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11433785 · 2021-09-21 (September 21, 2021)
225/70R 19.5 Cont Hybrid HD3. Truck is a 2021 F450 dually pickup. Mileage on the OEM tires is about 20,000 miles. The tire "blew out" while pulling a horse trailer with 7 horses on board. I personally checked tire pressure before departure. Our driver was able to get to safety without harm. Had the blow out occurred on a front tire, the results could have been catastrophic. Road side assistance told us he has had 3 other tires, same truck, same tire, same age, blow out in the last 7 days. I know from your site and consumer reports, Co…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11433785 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11460687 · 2022-04-13 (April 13, 2022)
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-450. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with metal shards in the fuel system. The dealer informed the contact that the fuel system kit needed to be replaced but parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 33,875.
Owner-reported narrative. 33,875 miles reported. Look up ODI 11460687 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11461644 · 2022-04-21 (April 21, 2022)
Front tires on F450 Super Duty are all chopped up, and needing replacement after only 20,000 miles.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11461644 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11471498 · 2022-06-29 (June 29, 2022)
Vibration at highway speeds aprox. 15,000 miles that continues to worsen to a slight vibration at idle and vibration/bounce/hop at aprox. 30,000 miles, to a violent shake at aprox. 45,000 miles, making it very hard to maintain the control needed to stay in your lane and extremely hard to come to a stop in an emergency braking sitiation. When towing or hauling the defect seems to worsen. The vehicle has been to two dealerships that has kept the vehicle over 90 days, replacing or repairing a large list of components, they are always able t…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11471498 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11471521 · 2022-06-29 (June 29, 2022)
Sudden acceleration while braking. While towing a gooseneck trailer aprox. 25,000 lbs, with the truck in tow/haul mode and the exhaust/engine brake turned on, started down a long winding 8% grade, could feel the engine brake working as normal, holding the truck from gaining speed, as the truck entered the second turn, the truck lunged forward gaining a lot of speed causing me to quickly stab the brakes, the truck continued this type of on/off cycle with quickly acclerating while standing on the brakes to try and control it until I lean…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11471521 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
19V633000 · Seats:Mid/Rear Assembly | Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner
Reported: 2019-08-28 (August 28, 2019)
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. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
Consequence: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.
NHTSA campaign record ↗