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

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.

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.

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.