NHTSA (USA)Critical
At a glance
What can fail
The 2020 Ford F-350 SD has 15 recalls, the most serious involving a steering column upper shaft that can detach completely, tires that can shed tread or lose a sidewall suddenly, and a transmission that may not hold in Park and allow the truck to roll away.
Several drivetrain recalls affect diesel models: a brittle torque converter damper plate can fracture and cause the engine to stall or require extra brake pedal effort to stop; the rear axle housing on certain trucks with Dana 275 rear axles can deform and allow the driveshaft to separate; and the high-pressure fuel pump can fail due to biodiesel deposits, cutting drive power. A prior repair attempt for the fuel pump issue did not fully resolve it for some vehicles. On gasoline-engine models with aluminum driveshafts, loose underbody heat shields can contact and fracture the driveshaft, dropping drive power or sending the shaft into the ground.
On visibility, some windshields were not properly bonded and can separate in a crash, wiper arms can break and leave the wipers inoperative, and three separate recalls cover rear camera faults ranging from clouded lens coatings to blank or distorted images in certain lighting. Two lower-severity recalls involve a missing tire and loading label on certain diesel crew cab configurations and an owner's manual that omits head restraint adjustment instructions.
At a glance
What can fail
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Biodiesel deposits can build up on the fuel pump's internal roller parts, potentially causing the high-pressure fuel pump to fail.
What the fix does
Dealers will update your engine control computer software at no cost to prevent deposit buildup.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The 360-degree view camera system may fail to display the rearview image properly in certain lighting conditions.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the image processing module software at no charge to fix the camera display issue.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The steering column's upper shaft may detach, causing you to lose steering control of your vehicle.
What the fix does
Your dealer will inspect the steering column and repair or replace the upper shaft at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Biodiesel deposits can build up on the high-pressure fuel pump's internal roller parts, potentially causing the pump to fail.
What the fix does
Dealers will update your powertrain and transmission control software at no cost to prevent deposit buildup.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The owner's manual lacks instructions for adjusting or removing head restraints in certain seating positions, making these vehicles non-compliant with federal head restraint safety standards.
What the fix does
Ford will mail free owner's manual addendums with instructions for adjusting and removing center-position head restraints.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The anti-reflective coating on the 360-degree camera system's lens can degrade, causing the rearview camera image to become foggy or cloudy.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the rearview camera at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A washer inside the transmission can break apart, causing metal pieces to jam the Park mechanism.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the transmission gearset at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The windshield wiper arms can break, causing the windshield wipers to stop working.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and rub against the aluminum driveshaft, potentially damaging and fracturing it.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the driveshaft, repair it if needed, and securely reattach the underbody insulators.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The rear axle housing may deform under the truck's weight, potentially causing the driveshaft to separate.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the axle housing for deformities and repair or replace it as needed at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Certain Continental tires on these vehicles may have been cured too long during manufacturing, which can affect tire integrity.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the tires and replace them as needed at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The payload capacity shown on your truck's labels is too high. Loading your truck to those stated amounts could exceed safe weight limits and overload the vehicle.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace your truck's weight and capacity labels with corrected ones at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The windshield may not be properly bonded to the vehicle during manufacturing, which could cause it to detach in a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will remove and reinstall the windshield at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A poor electrical connection can cause the rearview camera to display a blank or distorted image intermittently, limiting rear visibility.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the rearview camera at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The transmission torque converter damper plate lacks proper hardening, making it brittle and prone to breaking. A fractured damper plate can cause the engine to stall or require harder braking to stop the vehicle.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the entire transmission assembly at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.