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Reliability report · 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty · Updated July 2026 · What it costs to keep →

The 7.3 Godzilla arrives — a strong gas year, but the diesel's recall sheet is the longest yet.

2020 is the year the 7.3L Godzilla gas V8 replaces the 6.2, giving gas buyers a much stronger, simpler tow engine. Complaint volume is moderate (253).

The diesel, though, carries the longest recall list of the range (15 total), including the CP4 fuel-pump campaign, a torque-converter defect, and a Park-washer rollaway — all specific to the 6.7. Decide on the engine first; it determines most of your homework.

Evidence: 253 NHTSA complaints · 15 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Squawking

What that means: 2020 introduces the 7.3L Godzilla gas V8, a genuine upgrade over the 6.2. But the diesel side carries the heaviest recall load of any year — CP4 fuel pump, a diesel torque-converter defect, a diesel Park-washer rollaway, and a steering-column-detachment campaign. Which engine you buy changes the risk profile a lot.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

253

Federal complaints

15

Recalls

~$10,000 (mechanic-quoted)

CP4 grenades / full fuel system

Known issues

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

6.7L diesel: CP4 fuel pump, torque converter, and Park-washer recalls

major
  • 6.7L Power Stroke diesel

The diesel 2020 carries three serious 6.7-specific campaigns. 24V-957 (Ford 24S78) addresses the CP4 high-pressure fuel pump — biodiesel deposits can cause pump failure and loss of power — with a software remedy; a re-repair campaign 26V-158 (26S17) covers trucks fixed incorrectly the first time. 20V-365 (20S33) recalls the transmission torque-converter damper plate on diesels — it may fracture and stall the engine or require extra braking effort. And 22V-256 (22S22) covers a transmission washer that can disintegrate and lodge debris in the Park mechanism, a rollaway risk. Beyond the recalls, the CP4 remains the expensive private failure: if it makes metal, the whole fuel system needs replacement, roughly $10,000 (mechanic-quoted). Confirm all three recalls remedied and inspect the lower fuel filter for metal.

This is a 6.7L Power Stroke diesel problem. The 6.2L gas V8 and 7.3L Godzilla gas V8 don’t share it.

Which engine is in the one you found? →

All diesel recall remedies

$0

CP4 grenades / full fuel system

~$10,000 (mechanic-quoted)

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2020 F-250 SD · Independent mechanic and Ford-tech channel transcripts (Super Duty)

7.3L Godzilla gas V8 (the new engine)moderate

  • 7.3L Godzilla gas V8

New for 2020, the 7.3L Godzilla is a big-displacement pushrod (overhead-valve) V8 — the largest gas engine Ford makes. Mechanics like it: strong, cheap to buy and service, and simple, with no turbo or variable valve timing to fail. It is the reason a gas 2020 is a better buy than a gas 2016–2019. Watch two things over time: spark plugs can seize in the aluminum heads (making a routine plug change an expensive thread-repair or head job), and oil leaks are common on Fords of this era. Ask for spark-plug service history and check for leaks — but as a tow engine, this is a reassuring choice.

Sources: Independent mechanic and Ford-tech channel transcripts (Super Duty)

$200–$500

Routine plug service

$800–$2,500

Seized plug / thread or head repair

Steering column and windshield recallsmajor

Two more safety-critical 2020 campaigns, separate from the front-axle wobble. 25V-626 (Ford 25S94) recalls 2020–2021 trucks whose steering-column upper shaft may detach, causing loss of steering control — the single most important recall to confirm remedied. And 21V-090 (21C06) covers a windshield that may not have been properly bonded and could detach in a crash. Both are free fixes. This steering-column defect is a manufacturing/assembly issue, distinct from the worn-component death wobble of earlier years.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2020 F-250 SD

$0

Recall remedies

Front-axle death wobblemoderate

The solid-front-axle death wobble carries into 2020, though the dedicated 2017–2019 steering-damper Customer Satisfaction Program (a CSP — Ford's goodwill coverage) does not extend here. The physics are the same: a worn track bar, ball joints, or tie rods can start a violent oscillation at 45–55+ mph over bumps. A steering damper alone is a band-aid. Test-drive over rough pavement above 50 mph and inspect the front-end components for play.

Sources: Independent mechanic and Ford-tech channel transcripts (Super Duty)

$150–$400

Track bar / stabilizer link

$1,500–$3,000

Full front-end rebuild

Godzilla gas or Power Stroke diesel — the answer changes which recalls you're chasing.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

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

  1. 24V-9576.7L diesel: biodiesel deposits can cause CP4 high-pressure fuel-pump failure and loss of power. Free PCM/TCM software update (Ford 24S78). Re-repair under 26V-158.open
  2. 26V-158Re-repair of trucks fixed incorrectly under 24V-957 (diesel high-pressure fuel pump). Free PCM software update (Ford 26S17).open
  3. 20V-365Diesel transmission torque-converter damper plate not tempered — may fracture, stalling the engine or increasing brake effort. Free transmission replacement (Ford 20S33).open
  4. 22V-2566.7L diesel transmission washer can disintegrate and lodge debris in the Park mechanism — rollaway risk. Free gearset replacement (Ford 22S22).open
  5. 25V-626Steering-column upper shaft may detach, causing loss of steering control (2020–2021). Free inspection/repair (Ford 25S94).open
  6. 21V-090Windshield may not have been properly bonded and could detach in a crash (FMVSS 212). Free removal and reinstall (Ford 21C06).open
  7. 22V-250Windshield wiper arms may break, failing the wipers. Free replacement of both arms (Ford 22S26).open
  8. 20V-575Rearview camera poor connection can display a blank or distorted image (FMVSS 111). Free camera replacement (Ford 20C19).open
  9. 22V-087Gas trucks: aluminum-driveshaft underbody insulators can loosen and damage the driveshaft. Free repair (Ford 22S09).open
  10. 25V-442Rearview camera software may show a blank image or leave the image up after backing. Free software update (Ford 25S72).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-250 Super Duty

Three sourced numbers. No fake total.

Crash losses

Insurers lose about 17% less on this vehicle than on the average car. Lower collision losses tend to show up in what you pay for coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Ford F-250 SuperCrew 4WD.
Other series: Ford F-250 SuperCab 4WD 63 · Ford F-250 4WD 59 · Ford F-250 SuperCrew 86 · Ford F-250 SuperCab 64, where 100 = average.

83 vs 100

17% below average

Theft

Stolen roughly 3× as often as the average vehicle. Worth pricing comprehensive coverage before you buy, not after.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report WT-22). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Ford F-250 SuperCrew 4WD.

337 vs 100

3× average — off this chart

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.

All diesel recall remedies$0
CP4 grenades / full fuel system~$10,000 (mechanic-quoted)
Routine plug service$200–$500
Seized plug / thread or head repair$800–$2,500
Recall remedies$0
Track bar / stabilizer link$150–$400
Full front-end rebuild$1,500–$3,000
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.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Decide diesel vs gas first — it sets your recall list. On a 6.7 diesel, confirm 24V-957, 20V-365, and 22V-256 are remedied.
  2. 02Confirm the steering-column-detachment recall (25V-626) is done — it is the most safety-critical here.
  3. 03On a 6.7 diesel: inspect the lower fuel filter for metal glitter; ask for fuel-filter history and any misfueling.
  4. 04On a 7.3 Godzilla: ask for spark-plug service history and check for oil leaks.
  5. 05Test-drive over rough pavement above 50 mph for death wobble; park on a slope and confirm the truck holds Park.

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