Page 3 of 15 · complaints 101–150 of 742

2020 Ford F-150 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2020 record →

Engine
Filed Apr 27, 2026MI

The engine started running loud and making a knocking noise. Took it to the dealership and they said it needs a new engine. Regular maintenance performed by Ford. There were no warning lights that came on prior to the engine failure. They say the engine is on back order.

Power Train
Filed Apr 27, 2026CA

The 10-speed automatic transmission in my 2020 Ford F150 slips between gears and has failed to engage from a stop in multiple instances. There are no warning lamps or other indications that anything is wrong with the vehicle. The issue is known as a very common problem with this transmission, as confirmed by multiple mechanics when inquiring about a potential fix.

Power Train
Filed Apr 26, 2026GA

F150 220. ford has been contacted before about the 10 speed transmission down shiften hard, or trying to excel and hitting hard. they said they knew of the problem. but only suggested in reset the computer " basically undue the battery " but the problem is still there. they stated the 10 speed was the worst transmission ford ever put in this vehicle.

Power Train
Filed Apr 24, 2026WI

Transmission disengaged while driving rendering the truck immobile in traffic. This occurred on multiple occasions. No warning lights or indicators of vehicle problem. Diagnosis and condition/issue reproduced by a Ford dealer resulting in complete rebuild of the transmission. This vehicle has the 10R80.

Power Train
Filed Apr 23, 2026GA

Having hard or delayed shift as described on TSB 23-2123. What I see dangerous is momentarily downshifts from 4th to 1st.

Power Train
Filed Apr 21, 2026TX

When starting the vehicle, while the vehicle was in park, it acted like the vehicle was in drive and surged forward. This is unsafe and needs to be addressed by Ford.

Power Train
Filed Apr 21, 2026FL

Driving down the highway at 70mph the truck dropped from 10 gear to 1st gear while losing speed I tried to accelerate to maintain safe speed but did not have power. The car jerked back to 8th gear then back down to 1st gear. Eventually back up to 10th gear but not full power. I was able to pull to the side of the road and turn the car off. After turning the car back on, the yellow wrench symbol disappeared from the dash and I was able to drive. The transmission now skips gears and does not have full power when accelerating. It felt extremely unsafe going 70mph then suddenly being in 1st gear losing speed as other cars continue around me at highway speeds and my car is decelerating without me using the brakes. There were no prior indications of this fault, my car was even serviced at a Ford dealership 2 months ago.

Power Train
Filed Apr 20, 2026MI

The 10R80 transmission has harsh erratic shifting. The transmission will occasionally launch when downshifting into first gear when pulling into my driveway causing me to almost hit the front of my garage. The transmission also has harsh clunking when shifting gears and will clink and throw you forward when downshifting in traffic.

Power Train
Filed Apr 17, 2026TX

Transmission has hard shifting, skips 2nd gear and sometimes will downshift out of 10th gear.

Power Train
Filed Apr 17, 2026MN

Transmission gear shifting isn’t smooth. This has been occurring for 50k miles. Often going into one low gear to the next will hear a “clunk” sound.

Power Train
Filed Apr 13, 2026SC

As I was driving my truck down the highway at 60 miles an hour, it tried to downshift to first gear several times. During that same time it lost several gears in the transmission. Ford is now replacing the transmission which is going to cost me a significant amount since the vehicle is just barely out of warranty. The truck did not have any prior warning lights or codes. It was hesitating to shift between gears occasionally for the last few thousand miles. This was an unsafe situation because the tires could have locked up and caused me to slide off the road at a high rate of speed. The dealer called after the diagnostic and essentially said "there's no way around it, this truck needs a whole new transmission and parts related to the transmission replacement.

Power Train
Filed Apr 12, 2026NY

My family and I were merging onto the highway when without warning, the automatic transmission bucked, making a loud thump sound, then it lost power nearly causing a severe accident. The transmission then began to hunt for gears, seemingly confused. It even cycled through 1st gear, my heart dropped, but luckily it did not engage 1st gear since that would have caused havoc at highway speeds. Afterwards, the vehicle regained some power but was suddenly limited to only two gears (5th and 9th). I immediately drove home, when entering my driveway the transmission could not engage reverse. Therefore I had to roll it in using forward momentum. I just had the vehicle serviced a few days ago because this issue happened before (not as severe). However, I was told the vehicle was operating fine and a leaky transmission pan was the culprit. After the transmission pan was replaced, I picked up the vehicle just yesterday (4/11/26), and this incident occurred today,(4/12/26). Please help, this transmission was rebuilt by Ford under warranty (60k mile powertrain warranty) just two years ago due to the notorious defects that have been ongoing. I contacted Ford corporate but they've refused to provide any help. This problem was confirmed by Ford corporate and the dealer, which led to the initial transmission rebuild (in 2024). However I fear this defect may not be repairable since the issue has returned and is more severe. I believe Ford was aware of this defect and did not disclose this infor

Power Train
Filed Apr 9, 2026MI

The vehicle just downshifted from 6th gear to 1st gear on the freeway nearly causing a accident and it caused a blown transmission.

Power Train
Filed Apr 7, 2026TN

The vehicle has less than 95,000 miles on it. The vehicle was purchased with around 83,000 (11/15/2024) started having issues with the transmission around 85,000. The truck will go from 6th to 3rd or it may go from 10th to 1st while running a good speed down the highway or it pulls out fine then goes to neutral. This is a safety issue. There needs to be a recall made on this vehicle before it causes one of us to get hurt. Please have someone to investigate. We need this matter corrected and I do not feel it should be out of our pocket to correct it. Yes, we could trade it but we do not want someone else to get hurt. Seeing as how the dealership sold it to us knowing this was an issue I'm sure they would not fix it to sell it. No incident has occured at this time. I'm trying to be proactive in preventing that.

Power Train
Filed Mar 31, 2026110,000 milesMA

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Power Train
Filed Mar 24, 2026UT

My transmission unexpectedly jumps gears and down shifts. My car just stopped getting any sort of power on the highway. All this with my children in the car. I was able to pull over safely, but it was extremely scary. I put the truck in park and then put it in drive and it started driving again. My ford f150 has under 80,000 miles on it. In my opinion this is a huge safety concern. A wrench popped up on my dash indicating that service was needed, but it has since gone away.

Power Train
Filed Mar 23, 2026OK

The transmission shifted unexpectedly from highway speed to first gear. The back wheels felt like they locked up and my passenger asked if we had been hit.

Power Train
Filed Mar 19, 202690,000 milesRI

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly slipped while changing gear, with the power train warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 16, 2026MI

The blinkers, when you're making a turn does not turn off, it actually turns the blinker onto the opposite side.

Power Train
Filed Mar 11, 2026PA

Hard shifting

Service Brakes
Filed Mar 9, 2026CA

On March 3, 2026, I went in for two oil leaks. I received a call saying my truck was ready. I went to pick up my, drove off into the freeway. Everything was running smoothly until the anti-braking system turned on, cutting off power to my brakes. I was in the second to the last lane, luckily I was able to get to the last lane. I was almost hit and almost caused a huge accident. The dealership has offered to review the truck again. I paid close to six thousand dollars and it wasn’t for my brakes. I want my money back.

Power Train
Filed Mar 9, 2026IA

Problematic transmission shifting with lower gears causing significant hard shifting and jerking motion while driving. The problem was confirmed by my local Ford dealership on 11/26/2025, who recommended an overhaul to the transmission and tear down to determine if further damage is present or if a new transmission is needed. There were no warning lamp indicators showing any earlier related matters.

Structure › Body
Filed Mar 6, 2026WI

Drivers side door does not unlock in cold temperatures (physical key, fob button, keypad, and handle lock do not work).To unlock I have to enter through the passenger side door and use the interior handle. Seems to be an ongoing issue and there are "recalls/TSB" for the same issue happening on 2015-2019, 2021-22 models but not 2020. "The major frozen door latch recalls (such as 17S33) officially covered 2015-2019 F-150s and other Super Duty trucks." Reddit forums are full of others complaining of the same issues. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Driver side door handle. Yes How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Must enter through the passenger side door to unlock the vehicle. In an emergency I would not be able to enter my vehicle quickly. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no.

Power Train
Filed Mar 5, 2026OH

Transmission issues. Random hard shifting. Random over revving due to improper shifting. Multiple components are being replaced. They are all heavily reported as issues in the transmission. The dealer refuses any remedy. No warnings show prior to the issue

Power Train
Filed Mar 4, 2026MO

Although my VIN was not listed on any data base as a risk of the 10-speed transmission issue, my transmission first faltered while driving on the highway on 26 November 2024 and then again on 9 December 2024. While driving, the transmission instantly downshifted to a lower gear and there was a loss of power, which was a huge safety issue while driving on I-44 at 70 mph. Ford was notified of both instances via phone call from me and through the Ford App that is linked to my truck. In both occasions, the "Engine" light on the dashboard was illuminated. *Please note that Ford did assist in repairing this issue through the Customer Satisfaction Program.* Although I was still responsible to pay for 55% of the repair amount (total of $6,608.82), Ford paid the remaining 45% and added an Extended Warranty to the truck for 36,000 miles / 36 months. A new transmission was installed on 18 December 2024. My reason for filing this is to add to the data that is being collected with regards to this specific issue. Yes, Ford may assist on a case-by-case basis, but this is still unfortunately being viewed as a "Service Bulletin" instead of a Recall.

Electrical System
Filed Feb 25, 2026OH

My truck down shifted from seventh gear all the way down to first, making rev really high and slow down all the sudden. I was doing 50 mph

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 25, 2026PA

I was driving to work at 5am on Friday, and my back window blew out for no reason. Sounded like a gun shot. Knocked me right off the road. Noone was near me and nothing hit it. The power window box looks burnt, but when I took it to the dealer, they said no without even going out to look at it, but from looking at all of the complaints there have been multiple complaints with this. Please help me with this situation, I have the premium package warranty, but it doesn't cover it. I paid over 4,000 dollars for the premium package, Thank you [XXX] [XXX] 6105132864 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Power Train
Filed Feb 25, 2026NY

TRANSMISSION AT VARIOUS TIMES HAS A VERY HARD DROP TO A LOWER GEAR, TO THE POINT WHERE IT WILL DROP FROM A HIGH GEAR TO A LOWE GEAR SKIPPING THE MIDDLE GEARS AND THE TRANSMISSION/DRIVESHAFT SERIOUSLY BANGS WHEN IT DOES THIS.

Engine
Filed Feb 24, 2026IL

Oil consumption takes several quarts of oil before next oil change. Erratic and harsh shifting and sudden hard downshifts.

Power Train
Filed Feb 20, 2026FL

2020 F150 with only 63000 miles has a failed transmission. The truck doesn't shift gears properly, gets stuck in gears, loses power suddenly. This is a huge safety risk as the vehicle just stops accelerating or working when driving. This clearly endangers me and other drivers. Ford refuses to pay even though their check engine light gave a TRANSMISSION/POWER FAILURE alert and the Ford dealership inspected it and their diagnosis is: REPLACE COMPLETE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. HAS INTERNAL CDF DRUM BUSHING FAILURE. This is an ongoing issue with these 10 speed transmissions on these F150s. There are several class action lawsuits against Ford over these 10R80 transmissions. Ford is not only refusing to recall these dangerous vehicles but also refusing to pay to cover the repairs on transmissions they've known are defect.

Power Train
Filed Feb 19, 2026CO

I bought a 2020 Ford F150 XL with 83,000 miles on 27 JAN 2026 from a local Phil long Kia dealership. I started to notice that the shifting was very harsh immediately after buying the truck and that the transmission was dropping the gear when I was driving at stoplights and even when I was entering an intersection almost causing an accident. I notice the issue more at slow speeds and in lower gears. Today is 19 FEB 2026. I brought the truck to a local ford dealership and they told me that the transmission needs to be replaced.

Power Train
Filed Feb 18, 2026MI

While driving my F-150 I made a turn and when I went to accelerate again, the truck acted like it was in neutral - would not go. Engine continued to run but would not accelerate. A second car was directly behind me and almost rear-ended me when truck failed to move. Pulled over, tried low gear and reverse and nothing happened. Transmission is shot. Currently in for a rebuild. This is the Ford 10-speed trans, which has been known to fail. I only have 33,000 miles on the vehicle. Could've been much more dangerous had I been on the freeway when it failed.

Engine
Filed Feb 17, 2026IL

There is a terrible noise during startup and it appears to be the same cam phaser issue that many Ford F150 owners are experiencing. I think it's been going on for awhile but I generally remote start it so it can warm up a bit before I jump in and go. Within the last week I remote started it when I was close by and the noise is not good. It sounds like the motor is ready to blow for a few seconds then goes away.

Power Train
Filed Feb 16, 2026GA

The vehicle transmission is slamming when the vehicle decelerates. I can feel the jerking in the vehicle. I am concerned the transmission will fail while operating the vehicle resulting in a crash. This is the second time I have had this issue. It was repaired once by the Ford dealership. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone for this occurrence. It has in the past for the same occurrence. There were no warnings prior to the occurrence. This is the second occurrence in several years. The current occurrence began on February 16, 2026.

Power TrainCrash
Filed Feb 16, 2026KY

Transmission downshifted on the interstate and overheated. Wouldn’t go back in to gear. Was in the passing lane and ended in an accident.

Engine
Filed Feb 12, 2026AL

Ford is aware of the engine failure on the 2020 Ford F-150 5 liter Coyote V8 models. These vehicles consume excessive amounts of oil which leaks and causes engine failure. We took the car to Ford several years ago complaining about the issue and spent a good bit of money to 'fix' the problem. However, it is not fixed. We had some repairs done last week at our mechanic and they said the engine needs to be replaced. If not, it could lock up and cause major damage to the car. This car is 5 years old and should not be having engine replacement problems. Ford was replacing the engines when the issue was first discovered but then began telling people to keep putting oil in the vehicle which is not solving the problem and actually causing more problems and damage. This is the 4th Ford F-150 my husband has owned and not had any problems. His last Ford went for 300,000 miles before we sold it (it was still running great). Can provide all maintenance records as needed.

Engine
Filed Feb 11, 2026MO

While driving the truck automatically down shifted. If I drove move 20 MP it would shift. The truck would not go into reverse, the gear was stuck. I had to turn if off and then turn it back on then It let me shift the gears. On the dashboard the wrench and other indicators lit up on the dashboard.

Power Train
Filed Feb 10, 2026OR

The Ford 10 speed transmission has continued to give me issues. Delayed shifting, harsh engagements, and overheating are the symptoms. I have been to the dealer several times for the issue. They programmed the transmission, reset values, then replaced the valve body. After valve body replacement, the service manager at the dealership told me that it shifts fairly well compared to other f150s and there’s nothing more they can do. There have been several instances where I have to pull over in traffic due to overheating. The lack of predictability in the shift also makes for unsafe situations.

Power Train
Filed Feb 9, 2026AZ

First incident my [XXX] daughter was driving my truck on the highway going 70mph, the truck went from 10th gear dropped all the down to first almost causing her to wreck the truck before getting to the side of the road, it has a lifetime warranty so took the truck to Jones Ford in Wickenburg Arizona, after several conversations with the warranty company wanting to deny the claim finally got the transmission warranty and was told they replaced the transmission, this truck still was not driving properly not shifting gears , dropping gears at high rate of speed, back to the dealership, they did some computer updates, picked the truck up drove still not right, decided to take it to a different deal shop Camelback Ford in Phoenix Arizona, they replace transmission again, this is at least 4-5 transmissions in this truck, The truck still is not driving properly it’s a hazard on the road could cause a wreck at anytime because the shifting is not right and unsafe, I have called the warranty company multiple times and Ford to take /buy this truck back, it has spent more time at the dealership in the last year then at my home, I continue to make my truck payments and have no truck, I will not let my wife or daughter drive this truck because of the safety and what could happen if they are on the highway doing high speeds and the transmission once again drops suddenly from 10th gear to first, it does not even shift properly from 3rd to 4th gear, it needs to be taken back by Ford Motor Com

Power Train
Filed Feb 8, 2026PA

Vehicle was purchased certified pre-owned from dealer at around 35k miles. Currently around 65k miles. Complete loss of power at 45 miles an hour. Truck shifted from 7th gear to 1st in a split second and brought the truck to a complete stop. Luckily able to pull onto shoulder to avoid getting rear ended from car behind. Decent maintenance records with dealer, no prior issues with transmission other than some rough shifting before this issue. Vehicle was dropped at dealer on 2-5-26, have not received any type of feedback or updated since dated 2-8-26. I know there is a current TSB on these transmissions, I believe they are defective based on other reports and my personal experience. Complete safety danger, 45 to 0 in under 2 seconds.

Power Train
Filed Feb 8, 2026FL

We’ve had this 2020 f150 since it was brand new with multiple Ford dealerships diagnosing and Test driving our complaints from the beginning. Only to hear “ we couldn’t get it to do anything and no hard shifting” countless times. Took to dealerships in Florida, Texas and other states with same same response to only refash the control module, which later was a recall on the valve body in the transmission. That did not change anything and now we are 59k miles past our warranty date with the exact same issues from day 1. They should stand behind their product and will not be buying another f150 only to have the same issues and no point in having a warranty if nothing was ever done to have a resolution to our problem -hard shifting while going from 3rd-4th gear a 4th to 5th -same thing while downshifting while applying the brakes to stop or slow down I own 3 ford trucks and fortunately my others at an f250 and f350

Electrical System
Filed Feb 6, 2026TX

Back up camera is defective. Known issue of poor solder joints. Camera is now inoperable. Began as an occasional disconnect. Then camera works. Ford claims no issues however it’s know to be a problem on this series within owners group.

Power Train
Filed Feb 6, 2026TX

Transmission hard shifts. Up and down. At times hard enough that passengers feel this. Concern is how does this affect the life and safety of the vehicle. Ford claims no issues.

Power Train
Filed Feb 6, 2026NH

Vehicle failed to shift properly while making multiple left and right turns from a stop (for the record, the vehicle also had shifting problems at other times). This resulted in the vehicle hesitating while entering traffic. Multiple times other vehicles had to beep horns and brake emergently. One time an 18 wheeler almost tboned me while I had my 2 year old some in the back seat. Definitely a safety issue that almost cost my son his life.

Power Train
Filed Feb 5, 2026KS

Transmission shifts hard looses power. I reported it to ford before my warrenty ran out. They said it was fine and just needed an update. It did not fix it took it and got second opinion and the transmission was bad and needed to be replaced. I had to pay out of pocket because they did not take care of the issue while it was under warrenty. Now im out 7000 because of a faulty transmission and Fords lack of addressing the issue

Power Train
Filed Feb 5, 2026SC

2020 f150 down shift when in drive mode.it has this really hard jerk when I'm taking off from a stop light or stop sign even when stopping for a traffic light.

Power Train
Filed Feb 5, 2026TX

Transmission erratic shifting causes unsafe vehicle handling characteristics. Vehicle will not properly accelerate under certain circumstances. Occasionally in parking lots, vehicle will accelerate on its own after throttle is released under certain conditions. Transmission has been replaced several times, and issue persists in all units. Problems are reported in TSB’s sent out by dealerships.

Engine
Filed Feb 5, 2026FL

I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious transmission failure on my 2020 Ford F-150. At approximately 68,000 miles, the vehicle began exhibiting dangerous and unpredictable driving behavior, including hard jerking, sudden hesitation, and unexpected deceleration and acceleration while driving. The vehicle would jerk aggressively during gear changes and decelerate without warning, particularly at lower speeds and during normal traffic flow. This behavior significantly compromised my ability to maintain consistent speed, safely merge, or respond to traffic conditions. On multiple occasions, the sudden loss of power and hesitation created a safety hazard, especially when driving in slower or congested traffic, as surrounding vehicles were not anticipating abrupt deceleration. Due to the severity and persistence of these issues, the transmission ultimately required complete replacement. A brand new transmission was installed to correct the problem at only 5 years old and barely over the Ford mileage warranty expiration criteria. This failure occurred well before what I would consider normal or expected transmission life for a modern full-size pickup truck and presented a clear safety risk to myself, my passengers, and other motorists. Sudden jerking and loss of power at speed creates a high likelihood of rear-end collisions or loss of vehicle control. I believe this issue reflects a potential defect in the transmission system and should be investigated to prevent similar

Power Train
Filed Feb 4, 2026KS

Transmission (10r80) down shifts hard and shifts hard between 3-4 and 7-8 gears. And front differential makes a noise.

Power Train
Filed Feb 4, 2026CA

While driving my 2020 Ford F-150 on the highway, the transmission suddenly failed, causing loss of normal drivability and creating an immediate safety concern due to reduced vehicle control at highway speeds. The failure involved the transmission system, which I later learned may be related to Ford’s recall notice stating that the installed remanufactured transmission may be missing an internal bearing. Prior to the complete failure, the vehicle exhibited symptoms consistent with the recall, including harsh shifting, shuddering, and vibration. These symptoms escalated until the transmission malfunctioned to the point the vehicle was no longer safely operable, requiring me to tow the truck to Rocklin Transmission. The transmission was replaced out of pocket by that independent service center, and the failed component should be available for inspection upon request through that facility. The malfunction created a serious safety risk because the transmission could become stuck in certain gears, illuminate the check engine light, or potentially fail to properly engage Park, all of which increase the risk of a crash or injury. The issue was confirmed by the independent repair facility when diagnosing and replacing the transmission. The vehicle has not been inspected by Ford or other representatives prior to the repair because the failure required immediate corrective action to restore safe vehicle operation.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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