2020 Ford Ranger Problems, Recalls & Reliability
156 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Ford Ranger, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 13/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2020 Ford Ranger has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2020 sits among all Ranger years
What owners report
“The Transmission in this truck has problems the 10 speed shifts hard on down shifts and slips on up shifts. This should have a recall to be addressed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Ranger
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 36 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 22,750 miles. Half of those reports fall between 10,000 and 58,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack…
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine…
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…
Fix: 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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Bronco, 2023 Super Duty F-250, and 2019-2023 Ranger vehicles. The Tire and Loading Information (TREAD) label states the incorrect load carrying capacity, which can result in an overloaded vehicle. As…
Fix: Ford will mail a new TREAD label to install over the existing label, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the new label…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Ford Ranger Super Cab vehicles. The front passenger outboard seat belt may not have been assembled properly, allowing the seat belt to be misrouted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the…
Fix: Ford will provide owners with instructions to perform a preliminary inspection of their front seat belts. Owners that detect an issue with the driver's seat belt, are unsure of the results, or do…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Ranger Super Cab vehicles equipped with rear seats containing fixed head restraints. The fixed head restraints may interfere with proper installation of certain types of child seats. Additionally, the…
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear-lower child restraint anchorages for correct alignment and adjust as necessary. Separately, dealers will replace the non-removable head restraints with removable head…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
On September 23, 2020, Ford Motor Company (Ford) filed a noncompliance recall report under 49 CFR Part 573 (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-575), recalling 620,246 Model Year (MY) 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus…
Model years named: 2020
Technical service bulletins
136 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2020 Ford Ranger. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2020 Ranger TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2020 Ford Ranger reliable?
The 2020 Ford Ranger drew 156 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 13/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2020 Ford Ranger problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Ford Ranger are transmission & drivetrain (47 complaints), engine (18), and electrical (17).
At what mileage do 2020 Ford Ranger problems show up?
Owners most often report 2020 Ford Ranger problems around 22,750 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 10,000 and 58,000 miles.
Does the 2020 Ford Ranger have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2020 Ford Ranger. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.