Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2020 Ford F-250 Sd submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 26, in the owner's own words
I was driving the truck and suddenly smoke came out from behind the radio. I stopped and checked and saw that the truck was on fire. I immediately tried to turn it off with the few water bottles that I had with me. I had no luck and the entire truck burned up.
Good Morning, Ms. Edds My name is [XXX] . I spoke to you a few years back in regards, to a vehicle I had. Well, today I am writing about another situation . I have a 2020 Ford F250 vin [XXX] . Since purchasing this vehicle, I have had recall after recall on it and getting nowhere with Ford Motor Company Customer Service Division. I have a local dealership that I have taken it to Spalding Ford who does not take the time to look at the vehicle when I tell them there is an issue and what it is doing all they do is make 1 excuse after another and then about a week or so goes by and I get a recall letter about the issue I just complained about. The last time it was at this dealership they cracked my windshield and said they get back with me about getting it fixed so far nothing and I have called a number of times and now being told they had no idea about it. It has been several months but guess that is going to have to fall on me because no one wants to take accountability of their own actions. I have 3 outstanding recalls in which I complained about before the recall came into effect. I contacted a dealership located in the next county over who willingly sent a tech to my house for a recall when the tech got here he was unable to fix the recall do to the Ford Motor Company Customer Service Division running errors in their system and was unable to do the update. I have also complained about having steering issues and was told no there is nothing wrong but then all of a sudden, I received a recall letter. I am an average John Doe trying to take care of my [XXX] grandson and my [XXX} husband this is supposed to be my dependable vehicle for us I cannot just go out and trade it in and lose all the money I have placed into it already I don't have the funds or means to do that. I called and talked with the recall department and the gentleman i spoke with was really concerned and tansfered me to someone who didnt want to fix it INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Rear camera displays a black distorted image for roughly 5 seconds, then a completely black screen meanwhile instructing to contact dealer. Dealer says that even though Ford announced a 15 year extended warranty, it is not attached to any VINs. Therefore they will not honor their statement from the Chief Operating Officer on October 22, 2025 on the Ford website. Dealer at Metro Ford advised me there was no way possible to escalate case, or send an email for guidance on the issue. Refused.
Sync Infotainment system freezes and has the same symptoms as listed in the recall that was issued in May of 2025. The screen will occasionally freeze when powering up or even driving, resulting in loss of use of navigation. Infotainment screen will also occasionally freeze when in reverse not showing accurate information from the back up camera.
Parked at gas station, after fueling attempted to start with key and engine started but electrical systems did not register that vehicle had started. Turned engine off but engine continued running. Additional attempts to start vehicle made no difference -- engine continued running but vehicle could not be shifted out of Park. Called dealer and was advised to pull fuel pump fuse to stop engine. Towed to dealer and dealer determined that water had indruded into battery junction box and junction box needed to be replaced at owner expense. Ford Technical Service Bulletin 20-2298
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed junction box due to water intrusion. The contact was informed that the junction box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while stopped in the driveway, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The hill assist, traction control, brake, fuel empty, and the engine overheating warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle went into battery-saving mode. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a claim and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
Drivers door will not unlock at times, the others do. The door also will not latch at times making it unsafe to drive, Have to lock and unlock with remote and keys until it resets. Only 46,000 miles. started doing it a year ago but has gotten worse. I know Forfd has had a history of problems and extended warranty on 2017 Super Duty for this problem.
Truck turned off while driving on freeway and would not turn on was told it was battery replaced it did not fix it turn off while pulling trailer took it back to dealer after further search thwy foumd a bulletin and its a fuse box that gets corroded not properly sealed moister gets in and causes problem a safety problem people can wreck you from behined or catch on fire for electrical short in fuse box.
Component: Battery Junction box then affecting other parts. water intrusion into battery junction box affecting and shorting out other components. Items shorted out due to water in battery junction box include: Battery Junction Box itself, Left rear Blind Spot Monitor, Left rear Brake Light, Drivers seat control (shorted all seat heated components, All lumbar and massaging components fully inflated and would not deflate) , Windshield wiper motor shorted and stopped working, Rain sensor stopped working. Both Tow Mirrors would Randomly deploy to the furthest out position. Main Safety Concerns were Windshield Wiper Motor Stopped Working and Seat Randomly adjusting, Inflating, Deflating. Vehicle is currently at for dealership ( Sam Packs 5 star Ford Lewisville TX) who has diagnosed the issues. The only warning lamp was for the Driver Side BLIS when the incident would occur.
[XXX] watch?v=4QLrqlCd3c0 * This video is about the South Texas taillight theft rings that local Ford Dealers are aware of and not notifying the customers to protect their property. The Tail lights only take 30 to 45 seconds to steal and cost between $3,500.00 to $4,200.00 to buy plus install and coding. They are in shortage according to local Ford dealer because of the thefts. So, you have to go out to Facebook Market Place and buy your lights back from a host of characters reselling these lights. The consumers are out a lot of money and time dealing with , body shop, insurance company, and a host of characters. It's the next Ford part theft ring that cost folks money they cannot spare ....This is BS Ford Motor and Dealers!!!!!. The thieves easily bypass the alarm because of Ford's design that allows tailgate to be open from inside after easily removing inspection cover (4 screws) and remove the lights in 30 seconds (two screws per tail light). The theft of the Tail Lights makes the truck undriveable. The Ford Light Theft is so bad that there are a shortage of lights and Body Shop long lead-times if you try and order and install through Ford Body Shop. Could be all corrected if factory alarm would go off when tail gate drops after being set and using $10.00 worth of anti theft screws. Ford is not notifying F150/f250 customers when they know this is happening. Cost to consumer $4,500 to $5,000.00 and months of waiting for your truck. The thieves are advertising the lights on Facebook Market Place and E-Bay Motors. * This is a circus that Ford can stop by fixing a alarm system and using anti thief fasteners. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that after turning the ignition switch to the off position and removing the ignition key, the engine remained running. Additionally, the maintenance wrench icon illuminated, and the warning message "Reduced Power Mode" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Mirrors are extending out while driving and will not return. Causing unsafe driving conditions.
My blind spot cross traffic system alert activates and deactivates on its on and warning of electrical issues post to my Ford App. Air Bag warning comes on send message to Ford App stating Air bag not functioning due to electrical issues. Alarm goes off multiple times throughout the day sending messages to Ford App stating Hood Open when hood is not open and some messages state electrical issues.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while using the remote key fob to unlock the doors, the doors failed to unlock. The contact had to manually unlock the doors. The contact then stated that the electrical system started malfunctioning and the A/C unit, the radio, and the Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) light failed to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician noticed that the rear passenger’s side taillight was filled with 3-inches of water. Additionally, the bliss module was corroded due to the water intrusion. The contact was informed that the tail lamp seal and the taillight assembly needed to be replaced. The water was drained; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 51,997.
My truck engine does not start after idling in the driveway. The gauges have power, but there is a no crank/no start situation. I used an OBD reader, and there is no communication with the computer. I researched recalls for similar vehicles, and there was a battery junction box recall on several VIN characters, but not mine, I believe this is a larger problem that affects more characters than what is currently listed. My truck is currently in the repair shop at ukiah Ford.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while the air conditioner was turned on, an abnormal vinegary odor was detected. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the odor was due to mold and mildew from condensation in the air condition system. The contact was informed that the mechanic would spray the air condition system to get rid of the mold. The contact was concerned about his health while the air conditioner was turned on and mold spores were blowing into his face. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
Tailgate will open by itself going down the road and sometimes when parked. Key fob is in console not my pocket so I know the button is not being pressed accidentally. Some mornings when I leave for work it will be down. Seems to do it more often when I start truck, release parking brake and shift into reverse. If I’m pulling my trailer and it does this it’s going to damage tailgate also safety concern loosing cargo while going down road. I have checked the key fob and it takes two consecutive presses to open tailgate. That seems to work fine.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine began to sputter and misfire with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the spark plug wires were faulty and needed to be replaced. The spark plug wires were replaced with the manufacturer’s OEM wires however, approximately three months later the failure recurred. The mechanic installed the new improved spark plug wires ordered from the manufacturer and the failure was remedied. The local dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,200.
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. THE TRUCK HAD APPROX. 10,000 MILES AT THE TIME.
THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY (ICD) OF MY 2020 FORD F-250 RANDOMLY GOES BLACK AND PROVIDES NO INFORMATION. THE DISPLAY WILL RANDOMLY COME ON AND USUALLY GO OUT AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. THE DISPLAY USUALLY DISPLAYS A WARNING THAT THERE IS A FAULT WITH THE BLIND SPOT WARNING SYSTEM OR CROSS TRAFFIC WARNING SYSTEM BEFORE GOING OUT. I HAVE ALSO STARTED TO RECEIVE DISPLAYS ASKING IF I WANT TO ACTIVATE THE CRAS AVOIDANCE SYSTEM, BUT I CAN'T MAKE A SELECTION EVEN THOUGH THE SYSTEM HQS ALREADY BEEN TURNED ON. I ALSO DON'T FEEL THE VEHICLE BRAKING WHEN THE CRASH ALERT WARNING ACTIVATES LIKE IT ONCE DID EVEN THOUGHT THE BRAKE ASSIST IS TURNED ON.
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. WHILE I WAS DRING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AT LESS THAN 15 MILES PER HOUR, WITH NO TRAFFIC, AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY, I STILL HAD TO BLOCK TRAFFIC AND IF THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURRED UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY IMPACT, INCLUDING INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH COULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE NHTSA HAS ISSUED PREVIOUS SAFETY RECALLS FOR FORD TRUCKS 2017-2019 FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. WHILE FORD CONTENDS THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM IN THIER 2020 MODEL, THAT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE CASE AS THIS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE TAILGATE CLOSED/SECURED PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE MOVING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO FORD TWICE, THEIR CASE REFERENCE NUMBERS ARE PROVIDED HERE: CAS-27558976-X5L5C1 AND CAS-27335518. FORD HAS REFUSED TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY OR TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION.
BACKING UP IN REVERSE WITH A TRAILER. CLEAR SKIES, DRY WEATHER AND DURING DAYLIGHT. TAILGATE OPENS AND HITS THE TRAILER JACK CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO TAILGATE, TAILGATE RAIL, PULL OUT STEP.
TAILGATE OPENS WHILE TOWING A TRAILER
TAILGATE OPEN WHILE TOWING TRAILER.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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