2020 Ford F-350 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls
41% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2020 Ford F-350 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Better than 51% of the 1,789 model years we track (2010–2023).
Looking at a specific F-350?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
Check a VINDoes the 2020 Ford F-350 have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 75 of 188 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Ford F-350 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (41%), and the largest group is filed under power train (53). For comparison, the 2019 scores 9% and the 2021 scores 31%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.
Complaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
Cleaner alternatives
Same car, a better year
Other heavy-duty pickups with no elevated signal
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
Three of 75 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Ford F-350?
Yes. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2020 Ford F-350 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 18 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-Super Duty F250, F350, F450, F550, 2021-2022 F600, and 2022 F750 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V957. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.
Risk: High pressure fuel pump failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-Super Duty F250, F350, F450, F550, F600, and 2021-2022 F-650, F750 vehicles. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.
Risk: High pressure fuel pump failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) and Transmission Control Module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles equipped with 6.7L diesel engines. A washer within the vehicle's transmission can disintegrate, causing metallic debris to become lodged in the 'Park' mechanism.
Risk: Debris lodged within the 'Park' mechanism may prevent the vehicle from achieving or holding 'Park,' increasing the risk of a vehicle rollaway and a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace a gearset within the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 19, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-350 Super Duty pickup trucks equipped with 6.7L diesel engines and Dana model 275 rear axles. The rear axle housing may not support the load of the pickup truck and deform, which could result in driveshaft separation.
Risk: Driveshaft separation may result in a loss of drive power, or unintended vehicle movement if the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the axle housing for deformities, and repair or replace the housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-350 trucks equipped with 7.3L gas engines and ambulance prep packages. These vehicles were ordered with Wide Track rear axles, but were built with base (narrower) axles. Depending on the body installed by the body builder, the inner tires on the dual wheel rear axle may contact the body.
Risk: Inner tire contact with the body could result in a tire blowout, potentially causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will rebuild the rear axle as a Wide Track axle on vehicles already built. For remaining vehicles, body builders will be given the option to accept the base axle and build a…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Super-Duty F-250, F-350, and F-550 diesel pickups. The transmission torque converter damper plate was not tempered, resulting in a brittle damper plate that may fracture and cause the engine to stall or require increased brake pedal effort in order to stop the vehicle.
Risk: An engine stall or requiring additional braking effort to stop the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission assembly, free of charge. This recall began July 6, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall…
12 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 3, 2026.
Before you buy a 2020 Ford F-350
- Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
- Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
- Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
- 18 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
- Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Questions people ask about the 2020 Ford F-350
Does the 2020 Ford F-350 have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 75 of 188 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Ford F-350 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (41%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Ford F-350?
Yes. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2020 Ford F-350 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 18 in total: 26V158000 (fuel system, diesel: delivery: fuel pump), 24V957000 (fuel system, diesel: delivery: fuel pump), 22V256000 (power train: automatic transmission), and more. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.
Which Ford F-350 years are better?
Among the Ford F-350 years we track, the 2018 (7%), the 2019 (9%) and the 2017 (10%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2020 (41%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.
Should I buy a 2020 Ford F-350?
That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2020 Ford F-350 has an elevated transmission complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing transmission work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Check a VINExperimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.