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2020 Ford Ranger: complete transmission failure

9 of the 131 complaints about the 2020 Ford Ranger describe complete transmission failure.

owner complaints
9
of this car's complaints
7%
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 24 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Complete transmission failure by model year

What owners say

Filed Jul 14, 2026 · Engine · MA

Transmission replacement needed. Truck has been at dealership going on 3 months with continued delays. It was acknowledged cooperate was covering replacement now story changed that owner/myself having to pay $4000+. Cooperate covering $000 . Current owner/myself bought 2 years ago with 13000 miles and has only put 6000 miles on it. Dealership and cooperate admitted to known problem assured coverage however put fixing on hold because they are behind due to staffing issues. I have been bounced around to 3 different people at dealership who have taken case over. Dealership and cooperate blaming each other for lack if communication and delays.

Filed Jul 13, 2026 · Transmission · NC

I previously submitted another complaint about a 2020 Ford Ranger I own (tracking number 11707667). I own a 2020 Ford Ranger and had to have the transmission replaced at 86k miles. Since having it replaced, I have experienced all the same problems with the transmission. There have been extremely aggressive shifts, jolts, and lags. It has stalled when going through intersections and more. It has been extremely dangerous. The truck is now back in the shop and the new transmission is undergoing a valve body replacement. The new transmission has less than 15k miles and it is undergoing major repairs as I type this. These Ford 10R80 transmissions are completely and utterly garbage and a total liability to the public. They pose as an extreme safety hazard to everyone on public roads.

Filed Jun 17, 2026 · Transmission · AK

In May of 2025, the transmision of my 2020 Ford Ranger with 35,000 miles jolted and bucked expectadly at traffic lights, I had full loss of engagement of the transmission several times, engine would rev to 4000rpm and no transmission enagement. These issues happened while at traffic stops and while driving in normal conditions. This presented on one occasion with powertrain warning light and the truck going into "limp" mode. This then reverted to no light but the issues continued, with inconsistent jolts, unable to gain speed. The jolting was abrupt and truck "leapt" forward at speed. During loss of power incidents, I was left with no ability to accelerate away from road hazards. This would have been extemely dangerous if I were turning across traffic. Ford refused to acknowledge any issues. An independent mechanic diagnosed this as a full transmission failure.

Filed Apr 29, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · MA

Bought 2020 Ford Ranger Lariat in March 2024 with 13k miles. I have had no issues and have kept up maintenance needed. Vehicle currently has 19,128 miles and on 4/17/26 while driving the vehicle lost power. I was able to pull over and immediately called the dealership where vehicle was purchased and had towed to their facility for diagnosis. There we no warning lights prior to losing power. The dealership informed me a new transmission is needed pulling codes P0751 and P2700. The cost they informed me for replacement was $10k +/= indicating the Power Train warranty had expired in 2025. (5 yr/60,000) I find this appalling that at 19k I am responsible to replace something that has clearly had issues in past. Their only option was to replace transmission or they could take apart and overhaul to fix the codes which could be cheaper but also may result in transmission replacement anyways which will cost more in long run.

Filed Dec 29, 2025 · Transmission · NC

I bought my 2020 Ford Ranger preowned with around 64k miles on it. After having owned it for about 6 months or so, I started to notice lots of problems with the transmission. After first noticing it, the problems persisted for a couple more months until I finally decided to address it. The problems were very characteristic of transmission slippage, and they got progressively worse week by week, which it what ultimately prompted me to address it. When accelerating and shifting through the lower gears (15-30 MPHs, approximately), the shift would be delayed and lag a couple seconds. This would often cause stalling in the acceleration, particularly when going from a stop to a start, such as through traffic lights. There were also very rough and aggressive shifts at higher gears when driving on the highway. It would feel like rough jolts that would rock the truck a little. Also transitioning the truck into reverse often caused serious jolts as the transmission shifted very aggressively. Eventually, I took my truck into an AMCO transmission shop for inspection. They confirmed that my transmission was damaged and needed replaced. This was at about 86k miles. I took the truck into a Ford dealership to get a second opinion and they also confirmed my transmission needed replaced. I went ahead and had the transmission replaced at that point. The replacement was done with the truck at 86k miles. The Ford dealership replaced the 10R80 transmission with a re-manufactured 10R80. It has now been about 8k miles and 9 months since the transmission was replaced, and the re-manufactured transmission is starting to experience similar problems. Mostly with a lag when shifting in lower gears and hard jolts when placing it in reverse. The problems are not as bad as the original transmission before I had it replaced, but some still remain. There were no warning lamps or messages with this problem. Ford's 10R80 transmission is notorious for failing and being a safety problem to the public.

Filed Jul 13, 2025 · Transmission · WV

Repeated problems with the 10 SPD automatic transmission in my 2020 Ford Ranger. Transmission skips between gears, shakes, jerks, feels like I’m driving over rumble strips. You name it, the transmission is doing it. Took it to the Ford dealership last year and they “cannot reproduce the issue”. That’s because it doesn’t happen all the time. I guess I need to take a technician on a road trip with me to identify the issue. Fast forward to now…warranty is gone and problem still persists. Only 28,000 on the truck. Waiting on a recall to replace the transmission. I mean, these issues are all over the internet. Super common issue. The transmissions are obviously faulty and Ford refuses to resolve the issue. I am beyond irritated at this point

Filed May 20, 2024 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired but the sound persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again and diagnosed with transmission failure again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Filed Jan 16, 2024 · Transmission · MD

Transmission has difficulty moving through gears- powertrain failure noted via alert system x2 when vehicle stopped abruptly while driving. "Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power". Fortunately no one injured. 60k miles on the vehicle and Ford reporting need a 6k new transmission.

Filed Dec 4, 2023 · Transmission · 85,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced various transmission failures which included the transmission slamming into gear while shifting from park to drive. Also, while driving at various highway speeds, the message "Power Train Malfunction, Reduce Speed" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 85,000.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)Reported April 3, 2020 · 55,158 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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.
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.

Recall number 20V197000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2020 Ford Ranger transmission failure

Is complete transmission failure a common problem on the 2020 Ford Ranger?

9 of 131 owner complaints about the 2020 Ford Ranger (7%) mention complete transmission failure. The model year with the most reports is 2021.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Ford Ranger?

There is 1 recall and 24 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2020 Ford Ranger

Jerking 16Loss of power 14Harsh shifting 11Backup camera 8Hesitation 8Collision warning 7Slipping 6Check engine light 5Stalling 5

All model years of the Ford Ranger

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