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P20BA Powertrain · manufacturer code
P20BA fault code: what 15 Ford owners reported
P20BA is a manufacturer-specific powertrain code (engine, transmission, fuel and emissions), so its exact definition belongs to the carmaker and is not in the generic OBD-II list. What it meant in practice is below, from 15 complaints owners filed with NHTSA. Updated November 3, 2026.
- 15owner reports
- 2car models
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention a fire
- 2013–2016model years
Which cars get code P20BA?
Every model whose owners mentioned P20BA in a complaint, most reports first. Each year opens that car's full problem report. Popular models collect more reports because more of them are on the road.
Ford F-350
5 reportsWhere does P20BA show up?
By brand
- Ford15
Component the owner filed it under
Is there a recall for P20BA?
As of November 3, 2026, no NHTSA recall on the cars reporting P20BA names this code or its most-reported component. Recalls can be issued at any time: check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What happened when owners saw P20BA?
10 of the 15 reports, spread across the models above, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
I recently received a warning for P20BA informing me that the truck had a failed DEF heater. The unit was not in warranty and parts estimate for this is $360.00-$400.00 with an additional $400.00 dollars in labor for a total cost at minimum of $800.00 to $1,000.00 to replace a part that Ford Motor Company knew was a high failure rate part that would not meet industry standards.
My 2013 F-350 Super Duty 6.7 Diesel truck has a problem with the DEF system and power loss. I had a check engine light come on, and an AutoZone scan shows a P20BA Power Train System and a few other codes were noted (see attached documents). I took it to my selling dealer, and they confirmed the Reductant Heater needs to be replaced. I found out there is a recall for this defective part on just about every Ford F-Series 6.7 Diesel "except" my specific year and model. The recall on all of the other F-Series trucks have the same defective part as my truck has. Why is Ford getting away with this. If the part installed in my truck is the same defective part that is being replaced on all of the…
Engine code P20BA indicating a reductant heater issue with the DEF system. This issue is NHTSA ID number 10137151. This issue covers certain 2011 - 2015 models but not all 2011 - 2015 models using the same defective equipment.
P20BA - DEF Reductant Heater Code for a defective DEF reductant heater on a 2015 F-350 6.7L diesel with 57,500 miles NOT covered under dealer emissions warranty.
REDUCTANT (DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID) HEATER HAS FAILED ON MY 2014 F-250 WITH A 6.7L DIESEL. DIAGNOSTIC CODE P20BA. FORD FSA 18M01 COVERS THIS FAILURE ON 2011-2012 F-250/350 AND 2011-2015 F-450/550. FROM PARTS.FORD.COM " PART # 5J225 (REDUCTANT HEATER AND SENDER ASSEMBLY),USAGES: 10/04/2011 - 07/05/2016, F250/350/450/550 SUPER DUTY, 6.7L 4V V8 T/C DIESEL, WIDE FRAME (PICKUP), WITH LOW SULFUR DIESEL FUEL CONTENT" STATING THAT THE SAME "REDUCTANT HEATER AND SENDER" WAS USED FROM 2011-2016. HOWEVER THE FSA DOES NOT INCLUDE 2013-2015 F-250/350 MODELS. I BELIEVE THIS IS DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBERS OF THESE SPECIFIC MODELS ON THE ROAD AND THE FACT THAT FORD DOES NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS…
2016 TRUCK WITH LESS THAN 27K MILES ON IT HAS A ENGINE CODE P20BA REDUCTANT HEATER A CONTROL CIRCUIT. SEEMS EXTREMELY SHORT LIFE FOR AN IMPORTANT EMISSION CONTROL ELEMENT.
AT JUST OVER 100000 MILES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE P20BA CAME ON, REDUCTANT HEATER, TURN OUT AS IT IS AN F250 ITS NOT COVERED, BUT F450 AND F550 ARE. ALSO AS AIR TEMPERATURES ARE IN HIGH 80F, THE HEATER IS NOT REQUIRED. NOW EMISSIONS ARE NOT MEETING THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TRUCK COMPLETES MORE REGENS TO STAY CLEAN, INCREASING CHANCE OF HEATING NEARBY ITEMS (STRAW, GRASS AND HOUSEHOLD STRUCTURE) POTENTIALLY STARTING FIRES. THE REGENS OCCUR DURING HIGHWAY TRAVEL AND THE HEATING AFFECTS SURROUNDING AREA WHEN PARKED
VEHICLE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN THE EXHAUST FILTER WITH THE DEF SYSTEM. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE BEGAN SLOWING DOWN. SCANNER REVEALED CODE P20BA-00, REDUCTANT HEATER "A" CONTROL CIRCUIT PERFORMANCE, AND P0884 TCM POWER SIGNAL INTERMITTENT. VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED. FORD DEALER CONTACTED REGARDING REPAIRS. ADVISED WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY FOR EMISSIONS CONTROL. COST PROHIBITIVE TO REPAIR.
MY 2016 FORD F250 PRODUCED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. PER AN OBD TESTER THE CODE P20BA IS PRODUCED. THIS CORRESPONDS TO THE DIESEL REDUCTANT FLUID PUMP ASSEMBLY. UPON ONLINE RESEARCH THIS NORMALLY CORRESPONDS TO THE HEATER WHICH HEATS THE DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID FAILING. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH FORD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON OLDER MODELS OF THIS TRUCK, EVIDENTLY FROM 2011 THROUGH 2015. FROM OTHER'S EXPERIENCES IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM CONTINUES INTO THE 2016 MODEL YEAR HOWEVER THERE IS NO EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. AS THE VEHICLE MODEL OF 2016 IS SIMILAR TO THE 2011-2015 MODELS I BELIEVE COVERAGE SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE 2016 MODELS AS WELL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TODAY UPON STARTING MY VEHICLE…
STARTED MY 2016 F350 SUPER DUTY 6.7 DIESEL ON A FREEZING MORNING AND DROVE TO WORK. AT LUNCH I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND ABOUT 3 MILES INTO MY DRIVE A SLOW SPEED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WENT TO A LOCAL AUTO ZONE FOR ENGINE CODE DIAGNOSTICS AND THE READER SHOWED CODE P20BA. THIS CODE INDICATES THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE EMISSIONS DEF SCR FLUID HEATER - EMISSIONS RELATED. I HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER AS THEY ARE COMPLETELY BOOKED FOR SERVICE CALLS. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE IN PRIOR YEAR MODELS OF THE SAME VEHICLE YEARS 2011-2015. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A CURRENT RECALL FOR THE 2016 YEAR MODEL SO WILL LIKELY HAVE…
P20BA: questions drivers ask
What does code P20BA mean?
P20BA is a manufacturer-specific powertrain code (engine, transmission, fuel and emissions), so its exact definition depends on the carmaker and is not in the generic OBD-II list. 15 owners reported it to NHTSA, most often for the Ford F-250 (10), Ford F-350 (5); their reports describe what happened.
Which cars get code P20BA most often?
In NHTSA owner complaints, P20BA is mentioned most for the Ford F-250 (10), Ford F-350 (5), across 2 models and model years 2013 to 2016. Popular models collect more reports because more of them are on the road.
Is there a recall for code P20BA?
As of November 2026, no NHTSA recall on the cars reporting P20BA names this code or its most-reported component. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What should I do if my car shows P20BA?
Write down when the code appeared and what the car did (warning lights, loss of power, noises, speed, weather). Check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls, ask a dealer or independent workshop to read the stored freeze-frame data before anyone clears the code, and keep the repair order. If the car loses power in traffic, stop driving it. CarHooq does not diagnose: these are owner reports and official recall notices, not repair advice.
How this page was made
CarHooq read the text of every owner complaint filed with NHTSA for 19 US and European brands (model years 2012 onwards) and picked out the diagnostic trouble codes owners wrote down. This page lists every mention of P20BA. Manufacturer codes have no public standard definition, so CarHooq shows only what owners reported. Nothing here is a diagnosis. Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain), retrieved November 3, 2026. How CarHooq reports are made.
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