2020 Ford F-150 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2020 F-150 most often describe transmission trouble — harsh, jerky or delayed shifts, unexpected downshifts and in some cases a failed CDF drum requiring replacement — typically appearing well past 40,000 miles. A second common theme is excessive engine oil use, especially on V8 trucks, along with early electrical and camera complaints reported within the first few thousand miles.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   10-speed transmission harsh shifting and failure

   • 336 complaints (45%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 4.6 yrs old (90 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $7,338 (median of 32 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe hard, jerky or delayed shifts, clunking between gears, unexpected downshifts and occasional loss of acceleration with a wrench or powertrain warning message. Owners report repeated dealer visits where software resets or reprogramming were performed but the symptoms returned; several were later told the transmission's CDF drum had failed and the unit needed replacement or rebuilding. Some complaints mention parts backorders and repairs not covered after warranty. Most reports come in between roughly 30,000 and 125,000 miles, often developing gradually and worsening over time.

   Recall 20V1970005 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for the transmission service history, including any software reprogramming, and test drive at low speed plus a highway downshift to feel for harsh or delayed engagement. Have a shop check for stored transmission codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 118,923.”

   NHTSA complaint #11677492, filed 2025-07, 118,923 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11766709, filed 2026-09, 40,500 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Excessive engine oil consumption

   • 40 complaints (5%)
   • median 47,340 mi at 3.2 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners report the engine using noticeably more oil than expected without visible leaks, sometimes enough to need a quart every 1,000 miles or two quarts per 1,300 miles. Dealers reportedly installed a longer dipstick and performed a PCM software update or oil consumption test; in some cases a full engine replacement was recommended but not covered under warranty. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles up to 80,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level on the dipstick and ask whether the updated longer dipstick and PCM reprogramming were applied; ask for oil consumption records between services.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Oil consumption on the 5.0 liter v8 engine. The engine is consuming oil without evidence of an oil leak. Ford has a TSB for this 19-2365 which covers year model 2018-2020. There are other tsbs for older year models with this same engine. Ford says less than 1 quart of oil consumed in 3000 miles or less is normal. Their fix is a longer and wider dip stick and a software update. This does not fix the oil consumption. There is a problem with the design of the engine block within the cylinders.”

   NHTSA complaint #11372591, filed 2020-11, 2,500 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated due to the excessive oil consumption of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the PCM module failed and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dip stick needed to be replaced with a longer dip stick. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11522149, filed 2023-05, 72,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Front and rear camera / driver-assist faults

   • 51 complaints (7%)
   • median 2,500 mi at 1.0 yrs old (26 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe front, side and rearview cameras intermittently going blank, blue or distorted, and messages such as "Front Camera Malfunction" or "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available." Some owners had cameras replaced and still had the fault return; dealers sometimes reset the infotainment system or inspected tailgate wiring without resolving it. Often reported early, frequently within the first few thousand miles, and again in the 80,000-100,000 mile range.

   Recall 20V575000Recall 25V4420003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Cycle through every camera and check for blank or distorted images before buying, and confirm whether the rearview camera recalls were performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11389977, filed 2021-01, 4,900 miles

   “As I was backing into a space the backup camera malfunctioned (went into static lines and them blacked out) I backed into a pole and dented the bumper.”

   NHTSA complaint #11365925, filed 2020-10, 14,500 miles
4. 4
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Water leaks and cracked rear or sunroof glass

   • 61 complaints (8%)
   • median 22,025 mi at 2.9 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe water entering near the sunroof controls, the microphone or the passenger floor, and rear or panoramic sunroof glass shattering or fracturing without impact. Dealers generally had not diagnosed or repaired the leaks according to the complaints. Spread from a few thousand miles to around 100,000 miles, often noticed after rain.

   What to check: Inspect headliner, carpets and floor for dampness or rust after rain, and look closely at the sunroof and rear glass seals.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On april 21, 2021, at 09:10 I parked my 2020 f150 xlt sport in my work parking lot. The truck was locked and unoccupied. At 16:10, I approached the vehicle from the front on the driver side. As I neared the back door to place my items inside, I noticed glass shards on the edge of the truck bed. I proceeded to unlock and open the rear door and noticed an approx. 8 inch by 2 inch gash on the right rear sedentary window, the entire stationary rear glass was spider shattered . …”

   NHTSA complaint #11413312, filed 2021-04, 5,464 miles

   “Multiple issues with vehicle infotainment system. Replaced twice. Rear parking camera malfunctioing after two replacements. Whenever there is rain fall water leaks into the driver's side floor. This has caused major rust build up. Vehicle has only 3k miles on it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11375137, filed 2020-11, 80 miles

Buying note. A 2020 F-150 can be a solid used truck, but the 10-speed transmission and oil consumption deserve the most attention: get a thorough test drive and an independent pre-purchase inspection, and ask for service records showing any transmission reprogramming or oil consumption work. Verify open recalls were completed for the specific VIN.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.