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2020 Ford F-550 Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

24 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.13 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious19V633000

Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner

seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

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.

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."

Serious20V099000

Power Train:Driveline:Differential Unit

If the driveshaft separates, there may be a loss of drive, raises the risk of crash.

Remedy & full details

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear axle differential fluid level and adjust it, or replace the rear axle as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S09.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-550 and 2021 E-350 and E-450 vehicles. The rear axle differential fluid may be below the minimum level, possibly resulting in a failure of the rear axle assembly and driveshaft separation.

Complaint volume

24 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
1Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 24 complaints. Severity Index 0.13.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Fuel System, Diesel5 · 21%Power Train3 · 13%Suspension3 · 13%Engine3 · 13%Structure2 · 8%Fuel/Propulsion System2 · 8%Service Brakes1 · 4%Visibility1 · 4%
  1. Fuel System, Diesel — 5 reports
  2. Power Train — 3 reports
  3. Suspension — 3 reports
  4. Engine — 3 reports
  5. Structure — 2 reports
  6. Fuel/Propulsion System — 2 reports
  7. Service Brakes — 1 reports
  8. Visibility — 1 reports
  9. Structure:Frame And Members — 1 reports
  10. Unknown Or Other — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2011 (5) · 2012 (5) · 2013 (1) · 2014 (1) · 2016 · 2017 (5) · 2018 (10) · 2019 (4) · 2020

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.