2020 Ford F-150: engine knocking or ticking

Filed Jun 26, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · CA

Driving on freeway 10 speed transmission failed - hard knock and jerk, almost got in an accident. Gears 6-9 dead. Apparently this 10-speed transmission is a known issue, with many technical service bulletins issued, class action lawsuits, and angry customers. Ford refuses to issue a recall and the federal safety agency refused to hold them to account. Something is broken - how can Ford make such a known, terrible important component to a vehicle that fails regularly - yet get away with it? I thought the federal safety agency was supposed to protect us from these unsafe vehicles?

Filed Apr 27, 2026 · Engine · MI

The engine started running loud and making a knocking noise. Took it to the dealership and they said it needs a new engine. Regular maintenance performed by Ford. There were no warning lights that came on prior to the engine failure. They say the engine is on back order.

Filed Jan 13, 2026 · Engine · 55,000 miles · MA

The contact’s father owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. While driving at various speeds and accelerating or while idling, the vehicle bucked or jerked. The vehicle failed to accelerate intermittently, causing the driver to make several attempts to restart the vehicle, depress the accelerator, and allow the engine to cool down for the vehicle to accelerate as needed. There was a loud grinding and knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

Filed Sep 4, 2025 · Engine · MI

Cam Phaser failure causing the engine to knock and eventually lose power. Cost $4,900 out of my pocket to fix with 64,000 miles on the truck. Reading online forums, this is one of the MOST common issues with 2018-2022 3.5 and 5.0 f150s. The vehicle has a history prior to my ownership of this same issue. Check engine light is triggered when you hear the engine rattle and throws codes for Camshaft position error. Ford dealer replaced every sensor and harness on the truck before decided the cam phasers were bad, adding another $4,900 to my $2,600 bill. This was during my ownership of the truck between 63,000 and 65,000. First two thousand miles of ownership. Vehicle would stall at low rpm’s after highway use, stalling the vehicle while rolling into an intersection.

Filed Apr 16, 2025 · Engine · 94,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with cam phaser failure. The contact was informed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

Filed Mar 3, 2025 · Engine · CO

A ticking, rattling, or knocking noise from the engine The noise occurs when starting the engine after a long period of inactivity and when the engine is idling after warming up.

Filed Feb 11, 2025 · Engine · FL

Cam Phasers need to be replaced due to knocking sound. The problem was reproduced by an independent service center. Check engine light is displayed. This issue is under recall for ford f 150 3.5 however we own a 5.0. The same issue is occurring in our vehicle.

Filed Dec 18, 2024 · Engine · 48,000 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the message "Check the engine" was displayed on the mobile App. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where diagnostic trouble code: P0327 was retrieved. The dealer determined that the engine knock sensor A, three unknown gaskets, and unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty and that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

Filed Apr 10, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · 59,100 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. The contact stated that oil was released from the transmission cooler and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact noticed a knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who retrieved DTC: P2703. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,100.

Filed Dec 5, 2022 · Engine, Transmission · 79,600 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 15-20 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine was knocking, and the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown software needed to be updated and the failure was related to an unknown Ford Technical Service Bulletin Number. The unknown software update was completed at the contact's expense. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 79,600.

Filed Jan 27, 2022 · Electrical, Transmission · AR

I was driving down the highway when my engine starting shaking so bad I could barely control the steering. I managed to get to the side of the road, and even in park the whole truck was shaking. Had to call a tow truck (cost $100) to take it to nearest Ford dealer. Rodents had chewed through wiring to fuel injectors and knock sensor ($1400). This was the second incident of rodent damage on the wiring of this truck. Mechanic said the soy-based wire coating Ford is using is irresistible to rodents. Insurance company said rodent damage claims on the vehicles using this type of wire coating are 59x higher than on other vehicles. This is a safety concern because of things like happened to me! I could have very possibly wrecked due to this shaking that was so violent. The other event caused my locking system to malfunction. I could have been locked in my vehicle! This is unacceptable. My previous vehicle (Jeep) was parked in the exact same location daily and never had a rodent damage incident. Ford needs to address this!!

Filed Nov 3, 2021 · Engine · MI

engine makes a metallic noise, spark knock sound at lower speeds 10- 40 mph. Talk to ford dealer and was told to drive it till it codes. There was nothing they could check otherwise. There is 39,000 miles on it.