2020 Ford F-450 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 20%of 25 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 78,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2020 Ford F-450, 20% of the 25 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 78,500 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The vehicle is experiencing very erratic shifts between gears. The transmission is slingshot shifting in all gears between 3rd through 6th. If this continues it will undoubtedly blow the transmission out. I work with this truck every day and if it blows it will very likely cause a very big safety hazard as I would very possibly have a load on my trailer and this could force me out of my lane. There is a ford customer satisfaction program number of 21B03 that directly applies to this issue but as of yet they are not approving the fix for it. …”
NHTSA complaint #11609517, filed 2024-08“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 leaned over and swithched the engine brake off, making it…”
NHTSA complaint #11471521, filed 2022-06“The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-450. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the transmission experienced rough shifting. The vehicle then inadvertently decelerated and failed to exceed 50 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact then drove to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the transmission and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …”
NHTSA complaint #11550475, filed 2023-10, 97,000 miles“The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-450. The contact stated that while shifting into drive, the vehicle jolted forward. The vehicle was hard to shift into gear. There was an abnormal sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V256000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission shifter sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. …”
NHTSA complaint #11505961, filed 2023-02, 60,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10189752Mar 31, 2021Certain 2020 Model Year Super Duty F250-F600 Vehicles Equipped with a 10R140 Transmission - Number One Planetary and Ring Gear Assembly- Ref Cust Sat Program 21B03 dated March 3…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2020 Ford F-450
10 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsForward collision avoidance
1 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsTires
1 complaintsWheels
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2020 Ford F-450
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology