2020 Ford F-150 maintenance schedule

The 2020 F-150 is part of the P552 generation (2015-2020), sold as a pickup. Below: its service intervals with the source behind each one, the fluids it takes, the problems owners report for this year, and the NHTSA recalls issued for it.

Service schedule

What the 2020 F-150 needs, and when

All 12 of these items come from Ford's own published schedule. Manufacturer rows link to Ford's own schedule, Independent rows to a service shop or parts retailer's published guide.

ServiceIntervalSource
Engine oil and filter

Severe duty: 5000

10,000 mi / 1 yearManufacturer
Engine air filterInspect, replace as neededManufacturer
Cabin air filter20,000 miManufacturer
Tire rotation10,000 mi / 1 yearManufacturer
Brake fluid3 yearsManufacturer
Engine coolant100,000 mi / 6 yearsManufacturer
Transmission fluid

Severe towing: 60000

150,000 miManufacturer
Spark plugs

EcoBoost: 60000

100,000 miManufacturer
Serpentine beltInspect, replace as neededManufacturer
Differential and transfer case fluid

Severe: 60000

150,000 miManufacturer
PCV valve100,000 miManufacturer
12V battery

Test at 30000 (Auto Start-Stop)

Inspect, replace as neededManufacturer

Intervals are for normal driving; towing, short trips, extreme heat or dust shorten them. Services we could not find an interval for are left off rather than guessed.

Fluids and engines

What goes in it

Engine oil
5W-20 / 5W-30, 7.7 qt
Coolant
Motorcraft Orange/Yellow
Transmission fluid
MERCON LV / ULV

Powertrains in this generation

  • 2.7L 6-cyl (EcoBoost), 325 hp, 6AT / 10AT, RWD/4WD
  • 3.5L 6-cyl (EcoBoost), 365 hp, 6AT / 10AT, RWD/4WD
  • 5.0L 8-cyl (Ti-VCT), 385 hp, 6AT / 10AT, RWD/4WD

Confirm the exact spec against the owner's manual or the label under the hood; capacities vary by engine and drivetrain.

Known problems

What 2020 F-150 owners run into

Problems reported for this model year, with the mileage they tend to show up at. Buying past a window is not automatically a pass - it just needs to be priced in.

3.5L Cam phaser rattle

high severity

50,000-80,000 mi · $2,000-$3,500 to fix

Cold start rattling

Source: usedcaryear.com

IWE Vacuum hub

medium severity

40,000-60,000 mi · $250-$600 to fix

Front end grinding

Source: usedcaryear.com

Safety recalls

11 NHTSA recalls for the 2020 Ford F-150

From NHTSA's recall database, matched by model and year. Recall repairs are free at Ford dealers, and a given car may already be fixed or fall outside a campaign, so check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.

Exterior lighting

NHTSA 26V373000

June 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 20V097. When the headlight switch is turned from "Autolamps" to "Headlamps On," the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) may remain fully bright instead of dimming to parking lamps as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."

Remedy: ,Dealers will reprogram the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C28. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

Back over prevention

NHTSA 25V442000

June 2025

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 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.

Remedy: 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 for this recall is 25S72.

November 2024

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.

Visibility

NHTSA 22V250000

April 2022

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.

Remedy: Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S26.

Back over prevention

NHTSA 20V575000

September 2020

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 may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Remedy: 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 were mailed on February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.

Electrical system

NHTSA 20V467000

August 2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-150 vehicles. An incorrect attachment nut may have been used to attach the battery positive (B+) power supply cable to the starter motor, possibly affecting the electrical conductivity, resulting in excess heat and electrical arcing.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the starter motor B+ power supply attachment nut, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S40.

Power train

NHTSA 20V197000

April 2020

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 seated, allowing the transmission to actually be in a different gear than the gear shift position selected by the driver.

Remedy: 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 customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S18.

Exterior lighting

NHTSA 20V097000

February 2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from the "Autolamps" switch position to "Headlamps On." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.

December 2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-150 trucks equipped with 17-inch spare tires. The spare tire could have been damaged when it was installed on the rim.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the spare tire, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S55.

Electrical system

NHTSA 19V805000

November 2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and braking or steering assist. The engine could also stall.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S40.

August 2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.

Other F-150 model years

P702 (2021-2026)

P552 (2015-2020)

P415 (2014-2014)

Shopping new? The Ford F-150 guide covers the current model, with what it costs to keep for 1 to 15 years.

Sources

Researched 2026-09-18. Modeling, not mechanic advice - always confirm against your car's owner's manual and service records.

Running an F-150 for income?

Carlyle scores the exact listing on cost per remaining mile and projected Turo income, so you know what a 2020 F-150 earns before you buy it.

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