2020 Ford F-150 transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 20V197000Apr 3, 202055,158 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ranger and F-150 vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions and certain 2020 Expedition vehicles equipped with a "police" package. The transmission shift cable lock clip may not be fully seated, allowing the transmission to actually be in a different gear than the gear shift position selected by the driver.

  Risk: If the transmission selection does not match the indicated gear selection, and the parking brake is not applied, unintended vehicle movement can occur, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the shift cable locking clip installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S18.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 7, 2026MNTransmission & Drivetrain

   I am writing to formally report a severe and dangerous safety defect regarding the 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission in my 2020 Ford F-150. While driving, the vehicle routinely experiences a complete "neutral-out" or severe shift flare when attempting to transition out of 1st gear. Instead of engaging 2nd or 3rd gear, the transmission completely drops out of gear into a false neutral. During this failure, the vehicle experiences an immediate and total loss of forward…

   NHTSA complaint #11769693 · source
2. Filed Sep 28, 2026OHTransmission & Drivetrain

   Transmission shifting very harshly. Especially in gears 3-4-5. Transmission will stop with no control, then abruptly slam into gear. 80,000 miles. Issues since new. Dealership says vehicle needs new transmission. Will factory assist at $3,700, my share $5,600. Ford has history with this transmission. Why didn’t they replace when in warranty?

   NHTSA complaint #11767601 · source
3. Filed Sep 24, 202640,500 miOHTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the transmission jerked while shifting gear. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted and the vehicle was diagnosed with CDF drum failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,500.

   NHTSA complaint #11766709 · source
4. Filed Sep 22, 202688,000 miCATransmission & Drivetrain

   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:…

   NHTSA complaint #11766091 · source
5. Filed Sep 20, 2026FLTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11765595 · source
6. Filed Sep 15, 2026CATransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11764544 · source
7. Filed Sep 9, 2026ALTransmission & Drivetrain

   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 complaint #11763163 · source
8. Filed Sep 9, 2026SCTransmission & Drivetrain

   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 complaint #11762986 · source
9. Filed Sep 2, 2026SDTransmission & Drivetrain

   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 complaint #11761679 · source
10. Filed Aug 27, 2026WITransmission & Drivetrain

    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…

    NHTSA complaint #11760026 · source
11. Filed Aug 22, 2026UTElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

    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 complaint #11758824 · source
12. Filed Aug 14, 2026WVTransmission & Drivetrain

    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 complaint #11756943 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology