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VinCanary

Reliability report · 2020 Ford F-150 · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,850/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The year to buy this body style — verify the recalls, check the engine.

The 2020 is the final, most-sorted year of the 13th generation — complaint volume is less than a third of the 2018 peak.

The generation's engine quirks (5.0 oil consumption, EcoBoost cam phasers) still apply, but this is the year most mechanics point to if you want this body style. Buy the truck, verify the recalls, check the engine.

Evidence: 506 NHTSA complaints · 10 recall campaigns · 5 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: Final, most-sorted year of the 13th generation — complaints fall to under a third of the 2018 peak. The engine quirks persist, but this is the year mechanics point to.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

506

Federal complaints

10

Recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2020 Ford F-150 Super Crew PU/CC 2WD (NHTSA VehicleId 14916)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

10-speed transmission shifting

moderate

Still the #1 complaint category, though at much lower volume than 2017–18. One recall matters here: a shift-cable clip defect can make the dash gear indication mismatch reality — rollaway risk if unremediated (20V-197). Confirm the dash indicator always matches the lever on your test drive.

This problem spans 2017–2023 — the full 10-speed automatic (10R80) story →

What to check

Pink and cleanServiced. Proceed.

Dark brownDamage underway.

Recall remedy (20V-197)

$0

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2020 F-150 · Mechanic channel and owner signal (13th-gen F-150)

5.0L V8 oil consumptionmajor

  • 5.0L V8

The 2018–2020 5.0 can burn oil with no puddle, no visible smoke, and no warning light — owners report losing a quart every 1,000–3,000 miles without knowing, and 2020 is inside the affected window. Ford's fix is TSB 19-2365 (a revised dipstick plus a software update); it was warranty work, not a recall, so many trucks never received it. Ask specifically whether TSB 19-2365 was performed, ask about top-up habits, and check the dipstick yourself.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2020 F-150 · Mechanic channel and owner signal (13th-gen F-150)

$0

TSB fix if done under warranty

$60–$180

Top-up habit, per year

Cam phaser rattle (3.5L EcoBoost)moderate

  • 3.5L EcoBoost V6

The 2015–2020 EcoBoost's signature problem: a metallic, diesel-like rattle on cold start that fades in about 30 seconds, caused by the variable-timing cam phasers and chain tensioners going marginal — usually downstream of stretched oil-change intervals. By 2020 the incidence is reduced versus 2017–18, but it's still reported. Caught at the first rattle it's a phaser/tensioner job; ignored, the timing chain stretches and the bill roughly doubles. The check costs nothing: arrive before the seller warms the truck up and listen to the first 30 seconds.

Sources: Mechanic channel and owner signal (13th-gen F-150)

$1,500–$3,000

Out-of-warranty phaser job

Electrical and starter issuesmoderate

Two 2020-specific recalls: the battery cable fastener (19V-805) and a starter attachment nut that can arc — a fire risk (20V-467). Both free fixes; both worth confirming on the dealer printout.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2020 F-150

$0

Recall remedies

Wiper arms can breakminor

The 20V-250/22V-250 campaign family: wiper arms fail, killing visibility in rain. Free replacement of both arms — run the wipers through a full cycle when you look at the truck.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2020 F-150

$0

Recall remedy

If you want this body style, this is the year most mechanics point to.
5 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Ford dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 20V-197Shift-cable clip can cause gear indication mismatch — rollaway risk. Free repair.open
  2. 19V-805Loose positive battery cable fastener can kill displays, assist systems, or stall the engine. Free repair.open
  3. 20V-467Starter attachment nut can arc — fire risk. Free repair.open
  4. 25V-442Rearview camera software (with 2020 hardware campaign 20V-575). Both free.open
  5. 26V-373Daytime running lights re-repair for 2018–2020 trucks where the 20V-097 fix failed. Letters expected July 6, 2026.open
  6. 22V-250Wiper arms can break, killing visibility in rain. Free replacement of both arms.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2020 F-150

Two sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

22 MPG combined (20 city / 26 highway) for the RWD, 2.7L turbo on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 42173 (F150 Pickup 2WD).
Other builds EPA lists: 4WD, 2.7L turbo 20 MPG · 4WD, 5.0L 18 MPG · 4WD, 3.5L turbo 18 MPG · RWD, 5.0L 19 MPG.

$2,850/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Recall remedy (20V-197)$0
TSB fix if done under warranty$0
Top-up habit, per year$60–$180
Out-of-warranty phaser job$1,500–$3,000
Recall remedies$0
Recall remedy$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

Form not loading? Open it directly →

Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01VIN recall check; re-check after July 6, 2026 for the headlight re-repair (26V-373).
  2. 02On a 5.0 V8: oil consumption interview and dipstick check.
  3. 03Cold-start listen for phaser rattle (3.5 EcoBoost).
  4. 0410-speed test drive; confirm the dash gear indicator always matches the lever.
  5. 05Run the wipers and rearview camera through full cycles.

Own one already?

The canary watches your VIN — new recalls and the mileage where known issues start.

Watch my VIN — free

vincanary.com/ford/f-150/2020