2020 Ford Ranger Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Ranger years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 19th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 130 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Ranger. That ranks 19th out of 28 Ranger model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (49 complaints, 38%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
_1X7A6776.jpg){kind=link}
- 130owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 Ford Ranger problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 49 | 38% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 16 | 12% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 11% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 8% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 7% | 1,321 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 5% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 5% | 29,012 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 5% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 5% | 21,500 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 5 | 4% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 4% | 62 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 4% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 2% | 2,400 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 2% | 37,250 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 Ford Ranger recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:electrical:engine block heater
Problem: 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 and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
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 block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Back over prevention:software
Problem: 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.
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
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 for this recall is 25S72.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: 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 such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An overloaded vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
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 installed, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C18.
Seat belts:front:webbing
Problem: 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 requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Risk: A misrouted seat belt may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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 not want to perform an inspection, should not drive their vehicles and contact a Ford dealership. Dealers will inspect the front row outboard seat belts and replace them, if necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 5, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C25.
Child seat:vehicle latch anchor; seats:mid/rear assembly
Problem: 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 child seat may not attach properly to the lower-rear anchors. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage System."
Risk: An improperly attached child seat can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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 restraints, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 5, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C24.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: 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."
Risk: Reduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
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 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.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the transmission selection does not match the indicated gear selection, and the parking brake is not applied, unintended vehicle movement can occur, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
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 customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S18.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Rearview Camera FMVSS 111 Noncompliance (RQ21002) — opened Aug 3, 2021, still open, led to recall 26V104.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have clicking dashboard blend door ford SS50629/51313. Its the climate control housing box .I have no defrost on driver side or heat.ford knows but wont do a recall.
Supposedly, Ford knows that the 10-speed transmission has problems and they have done stuff for the F-150 models, but they aren't doing nothing for the Ranger models. Transmission slips and eventually fails causing a very expensive replacement
I own a 2020 Ford Ranger equipped with dual-zone automatic climate control, with approximately 50,000 miles. The HVAC system has developed a failure that prevents the driverâs side from producing adequate heat. When both temperature controls are set to maximum heat and MAX defrost is selected…
Left rear leaf spring broke at the axel. When left the house truck was acting funny. Crossed a RR track and the truck became eratic/hard to steer. Pulled into shop across the street. They inspected the truck and found the broken spring. No rust, just a clean break.
While driving my 2020 Ford Ranger, the transmission has repeatedly exhibited unexpected and unintended gear changes, including sudden downshifts or gear changes without driver input, hesitation, and abrupt loss of power during acceleration. These problems have occurred during highway merging…
Other Ford Ranger years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ranger | 7 | 8 |
| 2025 Ranger | 43 | 13 |
| 2024 Ranger | 93 | 13 |
| 2023 Ranger | 18 | 4 |
| 2022 Ranger | 37 | 5 |
| 2021 Ranger | 118 | 6 |
| 2020 | 130 | 7 |
| 2019 Ranger | 270 | 11 |
| 2017 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 Ranger | 235 | 5 |
| 2010 Ranger | 156 | 8 |
| 2009 Ranger | 169 | 7 |
| 2008 Ranger | 326 | 5 |
| 2007 Ranger | 270 | 5 |
| 2006 Ranger | 272 | 12 |
| 2005 Ranger | 289 | 9 |
| 2004 Ranger | 404 | 10 |
| 2003 Ranger | 243 | 1 |
| 2002 Ranger | 346 | 3 |
| 2001 Ranger | 515 | 4 |
| 2000 Ranger | 670 | 3 |
| 1999 Ranger | 755 | 4 |
| 1998 Ranger | 576 | 5 |
| 1997 Ranger | 411 | 1 |
| 1996 Ranger | 413 | 2 |
| 1995 Ranger | 321 | 1 |
See all Ford Ranger problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
Embed this 2020 Ford Ranger badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Ford Ranger?
Owners most often report power train, engine, unknown or other problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 49 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Ford Ranger?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 Ford Ranger a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Ranger model years, the 2020 has far fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.