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FREE VEHICLE RESEARCH

The 2020 Ford F-150 has 11 NHTSA safety recalls on file, 6 owner complaints, and gets about 19 mpg combined. Here's the full free record from NHTSA and the EPA.

FREE PUBLIC RECORD · U.S. GOVERNMENT DATA

2020 Ford F-150

  • Engine 6-cyl 3.5L
  • Drive Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
  • Fuel Regular
  • Body Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD

Should you worry?

Be careful

Serious flags in the public record. Read below, and verify recall work was done.

Serious

Are there open safety recalls?

11 open

Ask the seller for proof each was fixed. Repairs are free — and there’s also an open investigation.

Good

What do owners report?

6 complaints

Owner tips to the government — good for spotting patterns, not diagnosing one car.

Good

How did it score in crash tests?

4 out of 5 stars

5 is best. This model scored well in government crash tests.

Open recalls · nearby years

Same make and model. This car is the 2020.

  • 201819recalls
  • 20199recalls
  • 2020 · this car11recalls
  • 202129recalls

Based on free U.S. government safety data · checked August 3, 2026.

SAFETY

Will it protect people in a crash?

These are government crash-test scores. 5 stars is best. They rate this year and model, not your exact car.

Overall
4 / 5 stars
Frontal
4 / 5 stars
Side
5 / 5 stars
Side pole
5 / 5 stars
Rollover
4 / 5 stars

Factory safety & driver-assist equipment

Stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Standard
Lane-departure warning
Optional
Government crash-test photo
Photo from a government crash test of this model

Tested as: 2020 Ford F-150 Supercab PU/EC 4WD · 2 versions tested

Open safety recalls

11 open

A recall means the manufacturer must fix a safety problem for free at a dealer. Ask the seller for proof the work was done.

  1. Tires

    18/12/2019

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-150 trucks equipped with 17-inch spare tires. The spare tire could have been damaged when it was installed on the rim.

    How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the spare tire, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S55.

  2. Exterior Lighting

    21/02/2020

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from the "Autolamps" switch position to "Headlamps On." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."

    How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.

  3. Electrical System

    12/11/2019

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and braking or steering assist. The engine could also stall.

    How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S40.

  4. Back Over Prevention

    23/09/2020

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.

  5. Electrical System

    10/08/2020

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-150 vehicles. An incorrect attachment nut may have been used to attach the battery positive (B+) power supply cable to the starter motor, possibly affecting the electrical conductivity, resulting in excess heat and electrical arcing.

    How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the starter motor B+ power supply attachment nut, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S40.

  6. Power Train

    03/04/2020

    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.

    How they fix it: 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.

  7. Seats

    28/08/2019

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

    How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.

  8. Visibility

    14/04/2022

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.

    How they fix it: Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S26.

  9. Equipment

    08/11/2024

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    How they fix it: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.

  10. Back Over Prevention

    27/06/2025

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.

    How they fix it: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.

  11. Exterior Lighting

    09/06/2026

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 20V097. When the headlight switch is turned from "Autolamps" to "Headlamps On," the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) may remain fully bright instead of dimming to parking lamps as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."

    How they fix it: ,Dealers will reprogram the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C28. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

The government also has an open investigation on this model. Look it up on nhtsa.gov before you buy.

From NHTSA (U.S. safety agency) · checked August 3, 2026.

OWNERS

What problems do owners report?

People file these with the government when something goes wrong. They show patterns, not a diagnosis of any one car for sale.

Owner reports · nearby years

Same make and model. This car is the 2020.

  • 20184reports
  • 20193reports
  • 2020 · this car6reports
  • 2021944reports

6 owner reports on file

Parts mentioned most often. Longer bar = more reports. Counts are out of 6 total reports.

  • POWER TRAIN 4 of 6

    The transmission would not shift out of second gear turning onto a busy highway and my pregnant wife and I were almost rear ended. It then went to first and hard shifted out of gear putting excessive pressure on our midsections. The cause m

  • BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 of 6

    This vehicle has occasional issues where the vehicle camera freezes and blacks out when backing up. This vehicle has a similar issue to another recall that was issued on a newer vehicle in our fleet, which was a 2022 Ford F-150 and was incl

  • UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 of 6

    The skid plate came off. It’s fabric screwed in by metal so it rips off over time. I know and have seen many other Ford owners who have experienced this same problem. It’s a hazard and a concern that will keep occurring if you replace it wi

Bars are sized relative to the most-mentioned part on this list, not to 100% of all cars.

From NHTSA owner complaints · checked August 3, 2026. Anyone can file a report; they are not verified repairs.

FUEL COST

What does it cost to drive?

EPA estimates for this year and model. Your real cost depends on gas prices, how you drive, and how far you go.

Combined MPG · nearby years

Same make and model. This car is the 2020.

  • 201821mpg
  • 201922mpg
  • 2020 · this car19mpg
  • 202120mpg

$3,250

estimated fuel cost per year if you drive about 15,000 miles

Miles per gallon. Higher is cheaper to drive.

City driving 17 mpg
Highway driving 21 mpg
Combined (typical mix) 19 mpg

Over 5 years, compared to an average new car

This model is estimated to cost about $5,250 more on fuel.

Spends more Saves more

From EPA fueleconomy.gov · checked August 3, 2026.

HOW IT WAS BUILT

Factory details

What’s on the build record for this VIN or model.

Engine

6-cyl 3.5L

Drivetrain

Part-time 4-Wheel Drive

Transmission

Automatic (S10)

Fuel

Regular

See all factory details (7)
Engine
6-cyl 3.5L
Cylinders
6
Displacement
3.5 L
Drivetrain
Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
Transmission
Automatic (S10)
Body
Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD
Fuel
Regular

From EPA and NHTSA vehicle records · checked August 3, 2026.

What this free check does not include

We only show free U.S. government data: safety recalls, owner reports, crash tests, and fuel economy. We do not show prior accidents, flood or salvage titles, odometer rollback, insurance history, or a “should you buy” verdict on a specific listing. For that kind of check on one car for sale, use the VINly app.

BEFORE YOU BUY

What to check on this car

Confirm the recalls were fixed

This model has 11 open NHTSA recalls (including the tires). Recall repairs are free at the dealer, so ask the seller for proof the remedy was performed, or verify by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.

Watch for a pending investigation

NHTSA has an open investigation covering this model. A recall can follow an investigation, so check nhtsa.gov for the latest before you commit.

  • Test-drive the basics

    Cold start, full-lock steering both ways, firm brakes with no pulsing, smooth shifts, and every electronic feature. Warning lights should come on at key-on, then go out.

  • Check the title and the VIN

    Confirm the title status in hand matches the listing, and that the VIN matches across the dash, door jamb, and title. VINly does not show ownership or accident history, for that, run a paid report like Carfax.

  • Ask the seller the right questions

    Why they are selling, any service records, accident or panel-repaint history, how many owners, and whether any open recalls were completed.

See the full used-car inspection checklist. None of this replaces a hands-on inspection by a mechanic.

FOR SALE NEAR YOU

2020 Ford F-150 listings

    Quick answers

    What is recalled on the 2020 Ford F-150? +

    NHTSA lists 11 safety recalls for the 2020 Ford F-150, including the tires. See the full list above, and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov.

    What gas mileage does the 2020 Ford F-150 get? +

    The EPA rates the 2020 Ford F-150 at 19 mpg combined (17 city / 21 highway), about $3,250 a year in fuel.

    How safe is the 2020 Ford F-150? +

    NHTSA's NCAP program gives the 2020 Ford F-150 4 out of 5 stars overall, with 4 stars for rollover resistance.

    What do owners complain about on the 2020 Ford F-150? +

    Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford F-150. The most-reported area is power train.

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