2020 Ford F-150 Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a delay in the transmission shifting, and the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed, and the vehicle jolted. The engine revved to 7,000-8,000 RPM. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: 25-2301 (Harsh/Delayed Engagement and/or Harsh/Delayed Shift) and Technical Service Bulletin 25-2475(Harsh/Delayed Engagement and/or Harsh/Delayed Shift). The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ID

11766091

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

Mileage

88,000 mi

Truck suddenly shifted from gear 8 to gear 2 then 4 reducing my speed suddenly causing other vehicles to almost hit me at around 40 mph. I drove home with the transmission erratically shifting up and down Even though I kept my speed under 30 mph. That was about 10 days ago and I made an attempt to drive it a few days ago after researching and in the same result happened. It seems I have been victimized by the CDF drum crawling out of its space leading to an imbalance of transmission fluid pressure. About 2 miles after the initial problem. A wrench symbol appeared on the instrument cluster with a message under it that says see manual. Just as every time I've tried to find something in the manual. After spending several minutes of frustration, I still never found the wrench symbol or what it means.

NHTSA ID

11765595

Incident

Sep 6, 2026

The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the engine running, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact's spouse, who was seated in the front passenger seat, saw smoke coming from under the dashboard. The contact's spouse exited the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to open the front driver's door, the front passenger's side of the dashboard and the windshield caught on fire. Additionally, the front passenger's door was on fire. The contact's two dogs were seated in the rear seat. The contact entered the vehicle through the fire and removed the dogs from the vehicle. The contact used a neighboring building's water hose and extinguished the fire. The contact stated that within two minutes, the vehicle was engulfed in fire. The fire department later arrived. The Fire Chief inspected the vehicle, and the contact was informed that the fire had started in the engine compartment. The contact was transported by ambulance and received medical treatment. The contact sustained second-degree burns on the left and right legs and left and right elbows and forearms. In addition, the contact sustained second-degree burns on the left and right hands. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. A Police report was filed, but the information was unavailable. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (Back Over Prevention). The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ID

11765056

Incident

Sep 20, 2023

Mileage

9,000 mi

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle jerked abnormally, experienced a transmission shifting delay between gears, and occasionally slipped out of gear. The contact stated that after slipping out of gear, the transmission failed to re-engage gear and slipped continuously. The vehicle was inspected by a transmission specialist, who confirmed the failure and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11764544

Incident

Sep 15, 2026

Transmission slips gears and sometimes shifts violently. I took the truck to a Ford dealership for an assessment and was told I need to replace the whole transmission. I also have a problem with oil consumption from the engine. I was told by the same dealership that this was a known problem with the 5.0 engines built from 2019 to, I believe 2023 and that it would require an engine replacement. I bought this truck from an individual and now I am stuck with it.

NHTSA ID

11763163

Incident

Sep 9, 2026

The 10R80 transmission failed internally due to the defective CDF clutch drum assembly. Vehicle experienced dangerous gear dropping/slipping. Forced to pay out of pocket at an independent shop for a total rebuild. I have not seen anything from dealer. It was inspected by an independent shop. There was no warning prior to the failure. This happened right over 100,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11762986

Incident

Feb 15, 2026

My 2020 Ford F-150 (5.0L V8) experienced a sudden loss of engine power and stalled completely while I was driving. In the days leading up to this, the check engine light had illuminated, and I later discovered the vehicle had consumed a severe amount of engine oil — the dipstick read below the "add" line. Critically, no low oil pressure warning light or audible chime alerted me to the oil loss before the stall occurred. After the initial stall, the engine continued to struggle to maintain idle and stalled repeatedly whenever RPM dropped to approximately 1,000, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. I had the vehicle towed to a Ford dealership for diagnosis. The dealership's estimate confirmed the need for a full engine (long block) replacement, at a cost of approximately $19,824.56 (total estimate $21,491.04). I am aware that Ford issued Technical Service Bulletin 19-2365, which acknowledges that 2018-2020 F-150 trucks with the 5.0L engine may experience excessive oil consumption exceeding one quart per 3,000 miles with no visible external leaks, attributed to oil being drawn into the engine during deceleration fuel shut-off events. I believe this defect directly caused my vehicle's stalling and oil starvation, and that the lack of any dashboard warning prior to the failure is a separate and significant safety concern, since a driver has no way to know the engine is being damaged or that a stall is imminent.

NHTSA ID

11762811

Incident

Sep 2, 2026

2020 Ford F-150 Raptor supercab with 47,500 miles. Front right coil spring broke into several pieces while sitting in the driveway. Rust on one half of the piece that fell on the driveway indicates rust coating failed and caused the initial break in the coil spring. The way the coil spring broke and the vehicle lost ride height could have killed me if I were underneath changing the oil. If it had broke while driving, it would have caused an accident from loss of control endangering vehicle passengers and others on the road.I will keep all parts and have available for inspection. In hindsight, the only sign this was a problem was noise while driving over speed bumps and it was inspected by several different shops (Ford, VA inspection, two auto body shops) over the last year while it presented the noise. The truck has not been inspected since the coil spring broke.

NHTSA ID

11762506

Incident

Sep 5, 2026

We purchased a used 2020 F­150 in late summer 2024. We brought it in for issues in November 2024, but the Ford dealership found no repairs were needed. We returned in March 2025 when the CDF drum failed requiring a transmission rebuild, a known issue with Technical Service Bulletin but not a recall. The engine continued consuming oil after this despite Ford completing all applicable service bulletins and advising there was nothing further to do. We took the vehicle in for service in May, 2026 and were told they had already updated software to address the oil consumption and we were told that should resolve the issue. On June 30, 2026, the truck was towed to the dealership after repeated stalling and a check engine light. The dealership again acknowledged this is a known issue with this engine - the valve seals are defective yet they had stalled our concerns so long at this point, we were past the warranty period. We researched and found this was a widespread, known issue asked whether Ford would offer customer loyalty assistance after 30 years of Ford ownership. We were told the truck's approximately 118,000 miles exceeded the assistance threshold. The engine replacement was quoted at $15,000. Ford advised us to repair the engine and save our receipt in case they should issue a recall at some point in the future. Given the value of the truck was $15,000 we chose not to keep investing in this vehicle and sold it for parts at a loss.

NHTSA ID

11761799

Incident

Jun 30, 2026

Transmission shifted from 4th to 1st while driving a steady 25 mph, then lost all forward drive, the transmission slips, then will slam into gear. I parked it for two weeks until I could get it to the shop. Driving it to the Ford dealer today (2 September 2026) I had to stop the vehicle twice because the transmission was doing the same thing. Currently have 70K miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11761679

Incident

Aug 18, 2026

Harsh shifting from 3rd to 4th and 7th to 8th

NHTSA ID

11760435

Incident

Aug 26, 2026

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion failed to grab 1st gear when starting from a stop (revs, doesn't go). This occurred while turning across traffic, creating a potentially dangerous situation because the truck did not respond as expected when I needed predictable acceleration or propulsion. I believe this incident may be related to the known 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve problem. Ford technical information identifies axial movement of the CDF sleeve that can cause hydraulic-circuit leaks and harsh or delayed engagement and shifting. This condition can result in slipping, RPM flares, delayed engagement, unexpected gear changes, harsh downshifts, lurching, or loss of propulsion. This is a safety concern, not merely a transmission quality or reliability issue. Unexpected loss of propulsion or unpredictable shifting while merging, accelerating into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, or traveling at highway speed can create a collision hazard. Because I personally experienced this unexpected transmission event, I request that NHTSA investigate the 10R80 CDF clutch-cylinder/sleeve condition in Ford F-150s. Please review Ford warranty claims, dealer repair records, transmission replacements, consumer complaints, and field-failure data to determine whether this is a safety defect requiring a recall. I believe owners should not have to wait for a potentially dangerous transmission failure before this known condition is addressed. Furthermore, I have already had two transmission rebuilds under warranty, and it's going back to the shop for a third time with the same issues 9/8/26. THE SAME ISSUES. I bought this truck in 2024 at 70K miles and it has been nothing but problems.

NHTSA ID

11760026

Incident

Aug 15, 2026

After starting my 2020 Ford F150 for the last few months on the dash 2 warnings comes up, Front Camera Malfunction Service Required and Pre Collision Assist Not Available. These come on every time I start my truck. I did go to my local Ford dealer and told them these were coming on and they told me they never heard of that. I did have a mechanic do a scan on the truck and he came up with code 4300-49- AF which he said is an internal electronic failure. I have read that people have been having this same issue with their 2020 Ford F150s. I feel this is a safety issue that Ford should address. When system is not working it could lead to accidents which is why this would of been installed on vehicles. I have not had the issue fixed due to the fact the dealer told me they had never heard of this issue and would have to put it on a machine to see if they could even figure out the problem which could run into hundreds of dollars plus repairs and I am on a fixed income. Vehicle is available about any time to check this out.

NHTSA ID

11759959

Incident

Feb 6, 2026

When driving the vehicle it randomly jumps gears, when taking off it went into limp mode today. My wife almost got slammed by a semi truck! I called ford and they are not interested in hearing my case only wanting me to pay these outrageous fees. The pcm recall fix did not fix the gears jumping

NHTSA ID

11759870

Incident

Aug 26, 2026

While driving I will get a wrench symbol with a bunch of codes pop up u0121:00:28 u0131:00:28 u0137:00:28 u0164:00:28 u0199:00:28 u0200:00:28 u0212:00:28 u0252:00:28 u0256:00:28 u1012:00:28 p0557:00:28 p1935:00:68 p193e:00:28 I have also had it jerk while driving ( went down into first gear) while having no power to my gauge cluster ac nothing

NHTSA ID

11758824

Incident

Aug 7, 2026

Severe transmission shifting delays, unresponsive when accelerating. Shutters and skips when coming to a stop.

NHTSA ID

11758330

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Transmission shifts from a higher gear to 1st when going over 60, also transmission has a hard time shifting skips 2nd, 4th, and sometimes 6th gear.

NHTSA ID

11756943

Incident

Aug 14, 2026

Went to speed up as I was approaching a ramp going uphill and almost towards the top the truck decided to down shift to first gear going about 45 mph. No accident occurred as no one was around me.

NHTSA ID

11756860

Incident

May 12, 2026

There has been harsh shifting observed, both cold and warm. Often when downshifting and slowing to a turn or stop, there is a violent slamming into gear. I have also observed slipping in 3rd gear and making harsh shifts that appear to skip gears by the indicator. This is not a constant but intermittent issue. I have not taken it to the dealership because they will likely not be able to duplicate it in a reasonable amount of time.

NHTSA ID

11756218

Incident

Jun 3, 2025

Truck equipped with the 10R80 downshifted from 10th gear to 1st gear while on the freeway doing 80mph. NOT SAFE AT ALL.

NHTSA ID

11756186

Incident

Jun 25, 2026

Vehicle had hard and sudden shifting and grinding noise coming form gears. Sudden shifting would result in abrupt change in speed. Two repairs were made by a Ford dealership totaling just over $10,000 including replacing transfer case and transmission. There was no vehicle warning indicators that notified me of this problem.

NHTSA ID

11756168

Incident

Nov 6, 2024

MY PICKUP HAS THE 10R80 TRANSMISSION. IT CURRENTLY SLIPS IN LOWER GEARS AND SOMETIMES NO 10TH GEAR

NHTSA ID

11756118

Incident

Jun 10, 2026

Harsh shifting in between gears. Jerky shifting and shudders while shifting as well

NHTSA ID

11756107

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

Transmission issues that are in line with what seems to be a well known 10R80 issue with a poorly engineered CDF drum. Transmission will randomly shift from a high gear down to first generating a ton of noise and impacting the handling. It has not become a permanant failure yet but is an extremely well known issue that always results in a transmission rebuild with updated/correctly engineered components at MY expense. I am worried it will cause a rear wheel lockup or a damaging amount of engine rpm one of these days. It is sporadic and isn't something that has been duplicated by a technician due to it being isolated and completely random in occurrence. It definitely seems to do it more often when it is cold out.

NHTSA ID

11755994

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

Transmission shifting issues. Have taken it to the dealerships and they stated it is "normal". Hard shifting and sometimes stalling out when trying to shift into first. The hard shifting on interstates is hazardous because it feels like the whole truck is about to lock up at highway speeds. Stalling is a hazard as well for my and surrounding traffic when it revs but suddenly wont move. No warning lights or messages displayed. Dealer is aware of the same issue affecting multiple vehicles with the same Transmission. They refuse to properly fix the issue stating its normal. It is not normal. Its concerning for my and my families safety. As well as the safety of others around me when driving on the highway.

NHTSA ID

11755989

Incident

Apr 16, 2026