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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
22,376 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2020 Ford F-150 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2020 Ford F-150 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 7)

problem #133

Oct 212024

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The transmission is currently at dealership having transmission replaced at only 54,000 miles. The truck started experiencing rough shift, sometimes taking a few seconds to actually go into gears 4-6. While on the highway, I had to use extra caution merging on or off the interstate because of the delay in changing gears. The dealership shop has told me the CDF drum is damaged internally and they are replacing it with a re-manufactured transmission.

- Johnson City, TN, USA

problem #132

Mar 172022

F-150

  • miles
(1) 12/23/2024, Transmission clunk between 3 rd and 4 th gear, ( replaced main control valve body). miles 42,110 11/27/2024, Transmission clunk between 3 rd and 4 th gear, ( found code p2705 found valve sticking-worked valves manually to unstick). miles 41,442 3/13/2024 Transmission stuck in 5 th gear, would not go in reverse either. this problem started after driving 233 miles after repair, of 2/28/2024 miles 35,113 2/28/2024 Transmission clunk between 3 rd and 4 th gear, ( installed new CDF DRUM and Components). miles 34,880 3/17/2022 Transmission clunk between 3 rd and 4 th gear ( found PCM update preformed ) miles 14,061

- Chambersburg, PA, USA

problem #131

Dec 162024

F-150

  • miles
Violent stutter switching into 3rd gear. Truck bogs down/flares in 5,7,8,9 gears. This could cause a major accident leading to a crash involving this vehicle and others.

- Whitwell, TN, USA

problem #130

Nov 272024

F-150

  • 88,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 24E12 however, it failed to prevent a failure from occurring. One week after the recall remedy was completed the contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed with a catalytic converter failure. The contact related the failures to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 24E12 however the VIN was not eligible for a second repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

- Cookson, OK, USA

problem #129

Dec 162024

F-150

  • miles
My sons 2020 Ford F150 felt like it was losing power. As I turned onto highway. The truck shifted from the first gear to second gear smoothly, asthe truck shifted from 2-3, the truck reved and did not engage into 3rd gear. I let off the gas, thinking it will catch the next gear and continue to increase speed. But it did not, it again reved and did not engage into 3rd gear. Now the traffic was flying past me, I pressed the accelator to the floor in an attempt to avoid an accident and not be rearended. After several seconds, the transission engaged and the truck began to move forward at a slow pace. This is when I noticed on my fordpass app, saying powetrain malfunction/reduced power. I was able to get the truck to the closest gas station, where I shut the truck off. After several minutes, I restarted the truck and drove the truck to work with no issues. The next day, I took the truck to a local transmission shop. Where they indicated the transmission was shot and needed to be replaced or rebuilt.

- Keystone Heights , FL, USA

problem #128

Dec 222024

F-150

  • miles
This is my second time filing a report with NHTSA. I purchased the subject 2020 Ford F-150 around October of 2023 from a Chevrolet dealer in Ohio. The vehicle had approximately 19,000 miles at the time of purchase and was covered under the OEM factory warranty. I began having transmission shifting problems as commonly associated with this model of transmission that resulted in a rebuild of the CDF drum of the transmission. I was traveling on [XXX] between Atlanta and the Florida line when my vehicle experienced erratic shifting and a catastrophic loss of power that placed me and my vehicle in peril. I was able to safely exit the highway to allow the engine to cool down, and I elected to limp the vehicle at low speed on back roads to my destination so the vehicle could be repaired. This was the first failure of my transmission. After several thousand miles of this transmission replacement I experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of power while operating the vehicle at highway speeds in traffic on [XXX] between Orlando and the Georgia line, with the transmission temperature spiking to at least 255 degrees Fahrenheit. The Ford dealer confirmed the issue and isolated the failure to the valve body, which they replaced under warranty. This was the second failure of my transmission. After driving the vehicle for several hundred miles, the vehicle experienced a similar loss of power while operating at highway speed while I was traveling on [XXX] headed toward Atlanta. A motorist entering the highway disregarded the posted yield sign thereby creating a traffic hazard which I very narrowly avoided despite experiencing a catastrophic loss of power under acceleration as I attempted to maneuver my vehicle away from the offending motorist's vehicle. This was the third failure. My life and safety have now been placed in jeopardy three times. What will it take for NHTSA to adequately address this issue to protect the safety of the public? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.

- Ochlocknee, GA, USA

problem #127

Dec 222024

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is my second time filing a report with NHTSA. I purchased the subject 2020 Ford F-150 around October of 2023 from a Chevrolet dealer in Ohio. The vehicle had approximately 19,000 miles at the time of purchase and was covered under the OEM factory warranty. I began having transmission shifting problems as commonly associated with this model of transmission that resulted in a rebuild of the CDF drum of the transmission. I was traveling on I-75 South between Atlanta and the Florida line when my vehicle experienced erratic shifting and a catastrophic loss of power that placed me and my vehicle in peril. I was able to safely exit the highway to allow the engine to cool down, and I elected to limp the vehicle at low speed on back roads to my destination so the vehicle could be repaired. This was the first failure of my transmission. After several thousand miles of this transmission replacement I experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of power while operating the vehicle at highway speeds in traffic on I-75 between Orlando and the Georgia line, with the transmission temperaturue spiking to at least 255 degrees Fahrenheit. The Ford dealer confirmed the issue and isolated the failure to the valve body, which they replaced under warranty. This was the second failure of my transmission. After driving the vehicle for several hundred miles, the vehicle experienced a similar loss of power while operating at highway speed while I was traveling on I-75 North headed toward Atlanta. A motorist entering the highway disregarded the posted yield sign thereby creating a traffic hazard which I very narrowly avoided despite experiencing a catastrophic loss of power under acceleration as I attempted to maneuver my vehicle away from the offending motorist's vehicle. This was the third failure. My life and safety have now been placed in jeopardy three times. What will it take for NHTSA to adequately address this issue to protect the safety of the public?

- Ochlocknee, GA, USA

problem #126

Jun 062024

F-150

  • 68,500 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission hesitated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the transmission had shifted into neutral independently. The check transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 68,500.

- Pulaski, WI, USA

problem #125

Jul 012021

F-150

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the Auto Start-Stop feature was activated. The brake pedal was released, and the vehicle jerked while in first gear. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the rear differential was leaking transmission fluid onto the ground, and the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact needed to add seven quarts of oil for every 3,000 miles driven. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #124

Nov 022024

F-150

  • miles
Transmission failure at high speed. To low power..

- Toms River, NJ, USA

problem #123

Nov 182024

F-150

  • 100,105 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after cold starting the vehicle and shifting into drive(D), the vehicle hesitated before lunging forward. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the transmission also downshifted hard while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,105.

- Zolfo Springs, FL, USA

problem #122

Nov 182024

F-150

  • miles
I heard a weird noise last year and took it to ford. They ended up fixing the whole rear end, drive shaft, all components on the front end, They also replaced the whole 4 wheel drive system, and wheel hubs. last week I took the truck to have the pcm recall done. Once I left the transmission felt like it was slipping. I called them and they said that it is probably from the other issues I had to have fixed, and they would charge me 200 dollars to have this fixed. In the 4 years I have had this truck the whole drive train system will have to have been replaced. Ford needs to replace the transmission when they are fixing other drive train issues this is not safe when you are driving and then the truck will not shift gears

- Leavenworth, KS, USA

problem #121

Aug 072024

F-150

  • miles
the truck has sudden jerking, Harsh shifting, The truck lunging forward unexpectedly, Hesitations during acceleration, Unexpected losses of power this is on a recall for several other 2020 f150 trucks and it never did this till recently

- Yerington, NV, USA

problem #120

Nov 042024

F-150

  • miles
Transmission was slipping and multiple seconds delays in shifting. Delays were also observed when switching from reverse to drive. Rough shifting periodically as well. Took the vehicle to dealership and they informed me of a TSB on this transmission and they recommend overhaul/ repair. Quote for repairs between $6,700- $9,000 between multiple dealerships nearby. Vehicle has 113,00 miles.

- Fuquay-Varina, NC, USA

problem #119

Oct 252024

F-150

  • miles
Truck would downshift for no reason. This happened on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to the Ford garage and was told there was a sensor that needed to be replaced. After servicing the vehicle the transmission was worse was told that it needs to self adjust. Now waiting to see if there are any further issues. Apparently this is a known issue with these vehicles but mine was not one that was recalled.

- Mcadoo, PA, USA

problem #118

Oct 192024

F-150

  • miles
While driving on the highway the Transmission on the 2020 F-150 began to switch back and forth from 7th gear to 8th gear and then jump to 10th gear and all of a sudden drop to 1st gear causing a skid to happen. A orange colored wrench came on the dashboard after the skid took place. I brought the truck to the dealership where I bought it and and requested a new transmission be installed. This being the second time the trucks transmission is being worked on which only has 15K miles. The dealership is currently refusing to install a new transmission and want to only fix what they feel is required.

- Dumont, NJ, USA

problem #117

Oct 012024

F-150

  • miles
I am experiencing sudden deceleration when the gear suddenly shifted from higher gear 7, 8, 9 to gear 1 for only a few seconds then shifted back to gear 7, 8, or 9 again. This could happen at lower speed like 30s or 40s mph, or also happened at higher speed like 70s. It happens randomly. There are also other typical transmission issues like hard shift, will not shift into gear etc.. but the random gear shifting from high gear to low gear is the most serious issues. The local Ford dealership has attempted to repair the problem by check the valve body and update the software, but this did not fix the issues. The error message was appeared on the dashboard screen.

- Springfield, IL, USA

problem #116

Oct 292024

F-150

  • 109,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. In addition, the contact and her husband became aware that the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V197000 (Power Train). The local independent mechanic advised the contact to avoid driving the vehicle because the failure might worsen the failure. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V197000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

- Lehigh Acres, FL, USA

problem #115

Oct 282024

F-150

  • miles
The transmission started to jerk when shifting. It got to where it wouldn-??t shift past 6th gear. I didn-??t get any kind of warning lights. I took it to the dealer and they said the transmission needs to be rebuilt. The rebuild is going to take 4 to 6 weeks and in that timeframe I don-??t have a vehicle.

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #114

Nov 132024

F-150

  • 88,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH for an hour, there was an abnormally loud clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and was jerking. The contact was able to pullover safely into a parking lot. The contact stated that the message -??Anti-collision System Offline-?? was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there were no recalls for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there were no recalls for the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer and the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

- Sanborn, NY, USA

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