2020 Ford F-250 SD Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the diesel fuel system and the 10-speed automatic transmission, with separate clusters of complaints about front-end shaking on the highway and electrical or accessory faults. Fuel-system reports centre on loss of power and stalling, often with the high-pressure pump named, while transmission reports describe harsh or delayed shifts, jerking and occasionally a transmission warning. A front-end wobble at highway speed is reported from very low mileage, and many complaints mention that recall parts were not yet available when the fault appeared.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Diesel high-pressure fuel pump failure and stalling

   • 50 complaints (19%)
   • median 96,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe trucks losing motive power or stalling while driving, sometimes at highway speed, with a check engine or low fuel pressure message and an abnormal noise from the engine bay. Several owners say a dealer or independent shop found metal debris in the fuel system and recommended replacing the high-pressure pump, injectors and related parts. Many of these reports were filed after owners received notice of a diesel fuel pump recall but were told the repair parts were not yet available. Mostly reported between roughly 60,000 and 125,000 miles, with a few reports much earlier and a general spread toward higher mileage.

   Recall 24V957000Recall 26V1580001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the diesel fuel pump recalls (24V957 and 26V158) have been completed and request the repair invoice. Check for metal debris in the fuel filter and ask for any history of pump, injector or fuel-line replacement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On august 28, 2020, the engine in my virtually brand new 2020 Ford f-250 truck (equipped with a diesel engine) suddenly and without any advanced warning whatsoever shut off while the vehicle was in motion. I had just turned from state highway 10 into the left lane of a four-lane city street in 5 o'clock traffic on a friday evening. Without either power brakes or power steering, I was able to get the truck out of the roadway and into the parking lot of an adjacent business. I tried to restart the vehicle numerous times. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11376143, filed 2020-11, 7,448 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that he received NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The local dealer was contact who confirmed there were metal shaving in the fuel injectors. The vehilce was not repaired. The manufacture was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11737777, filed 2026-05, 30,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   10-speed automatic: harsh shifts, jerking, sticking gears

   • 59 complaints (22%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners describe rough or delayed gear changes, jerking on downshift, the transmission sticking between gears or holding a gear while the accelerator is pressed, and occasional slipping. Some reports mention a powertrain malfunction or wrench warning, and in a number of cases a shop or dealer concluded the transmission needed replacement. Several owners say a dealer service or diagnosis produced no clear fix. Spread widely from a few thousand miles up to about 150,000 miles, with many reports in the 60,000 to 140,000 mile range.

   Recall 22V256000Recall 20V3650004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive from cold and note the first shift into drive or reverse, plus any clunk or delay. Ask for transmission service records, any software updates or valve body work, and whether the recall for the transmission park mechanism was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When slowing down to a stop slowly the truck bumps/clunks and surges. This is intensified if the transmission is warm. Also when going up a hill under a load there is a gear noise from the rear of the truck.”

   NHTSA complaint #11399880, filed 2021-03, 1,500 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 F-250. The contact stated that while driving in low gear, the vehicle started surging, plunging, and shifting erratically. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed there were no open recalls on the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11676601, filed 2025-07, 135,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Front-end shake or wobble at highway speed

   • 35 complaints (13%)
   • median 24,500 mi at 3.4 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe the front end shaking violently after hitting a bump at highway speed, sometimes called a wobble, with the truck pulling left and right until the driver slows down. Owners report replacing or being told to replace steering dampers, track bars, drag links, tie rods and ball joints, while some dealers attributed the shaking to tire pressure. In several reports the symptom appeared within the first few thousand miles or after a front-end repair. Reported from a few hundred miles up to about 112,000 miles; many cases appear under 50,000 miles and occur above roughly 50 mph.

   Recall 25V626000

   What to check: Drive the truck on the highway and over bridge joints or rough pavement at speed; ask whether steering damper, track bar, drag link or ball joint work has been done. Have the front-end components inspected before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Truck has a bad wobble in steering when it hits bumps at highway speed. It has 2,000 miles on it. I think some folks have called this a death wobble . When it happens it could easily cause loss of control. The steering feels like it has too much slop in it even at low speeds. This is dangerous and I've seen this mentioned many times on the internet. I thought it may be just old trucks, but mine is brand new.”

   NHTSA complaint #11306302, filed 2020-01, 1,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at speeds over 50 MPH, the vehicle began shaking violently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the pitman arm, steering damper, track bar, and drag link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,600.”

   NHTSA complaint #11616636, filed 2024-09, 112,600 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Tailgate opening on its own while towing

   • 10 complaints (4%)
   • median 3,002 mi at 0.9 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2025

   Owners with the power tailgate report the tailgate dropping open without command, typically while a trailer is hitched and the truck is starting to move forward or in reverse. In some cases the open tailgate struck the trailer jack and damaged the tailgate, rail or step, and one owner noted the dash did not warn that the tailgate was open. Reported at very low mileage, mostly within the first several thousand miles.

   What to check: With a trailer attached, test the tailgate release and latch operation several times, and ask whether the tailgate switch or latch has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On august 9, 2020 the electric automatic tailgate openning device malfunctioned while I was driving my 2020 f-250 towing a fifth wheel trailer at the time. The tail gate openned while I was driving the truck causing extensive damage to my trailer and truck tail gate. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11360411, filed 2020-09, 950 miles

   “Approximately 100 miles into a journey, while towing a 5th wheel trailer, at approx. 70mph in a 75 MPH zone between carlsbad nm and el paso tx on highway #180, the tailgate of my f-250 opened without warning or reason. I was going straight so it didn't make contact with the trailer so no damage to the truck or trailer. I was able to pull over and secure. This is the second time this has occurred -- I also reported the prior incident to NHTSA and to Ford. Also, when this occurred the driver dashboard alert for open tailgate did not activate. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11408089, filed 2021-04, 10,000 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Rearview camera foggy or not displaying

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the rearview or 360-degree camera image being blurry, hazy or cloudy, or the display going dark during use. Owners often connect the symptom to the camera recall notices and report being told that repair parts were not available or that the vehicle was not covered. Noted from around 55,000 to 95,000 miles in the sampled reports, generally on trucks several years old.

   Recall 22V644000Recall 25V686000Recall 25V442000Recall 20V575000

   What to check: Look at the camera image in daylight and low light and check whether the recall remedies for the camera system have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that the rear-view camera was blurry, hazy, and cloudy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V644000 (Back Over Prevention). The manufacturer was contacted and referred him to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11519847, filed 2023-05, 69,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that soon after starting the vehicle, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact made several attempts to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11703198, filed 2025-12, 144,000 miles

Buying note. Ask for documented completion of the diesel fuel pump and transmission recalls, and confirm on a long test drive that the transmission shifts cleanly and the front end stays stable over bumps at highway speed. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the fuel system, transmission and front-end steering parts is worthwhile on this model year.

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.