Ford Recalls F-150 Lightning Trucks Over Fire Hazard, Urges Immediate Checks

Ford F-150 Lightning trucks recalled over a critical battery connection flaw posing fire risks.

Monday, March 4, 2024 3:50 AM UTC

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Ford Motor Company is recalling its F-150 Lightning due to fire risk. It was discovered that the affected 2023 model units of the said pick-up trucks may have loose or missing retention nuts, leading to a faulty battery connection.

Defective Battery Part

Likewise, Ford Motor said the missing or loose nut on the high-voltage battery could cause a fire. The affected F-150 Lightning vehicles were made at Ford Motor's Rouge EV assembly plant between Oct. 31, 2023, and Aug. 2, 2023.

Teslarati reported that these units could have one or more missing or loose retention nuts on the battery junction box bus bars. This can lead to electrical arcing, increasing the fire risk, as per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The retention nuts could also be removed by mistake after undergoing a re-work service. According to Drive Tesla Canada, this re-work was traced back to the operation done on Mar. 15, 2023, during which the nut could have been accidentally removed or not properly checked and replaced.

Solution to the Issue

Although Ford Motor's latest recall on its F-150 pick-up trucks may affect up to 216 units, only 20% of them may have the defect. To fix the problem, owners of the affected vehicles must have their units checked at a Ford or Lincoln dealer.

The technicians will inspect the high-voltage battery junction box bus bars to see if the retention nut is in place and not loose. Dealers will not charge the owners for the service; this was the instruction they received from the NHTSA. Finally, Ford Motor will send recall notification letters to F-150 Lightning owners on Mar. 18.

"Missing or loose retention nuts on the high voltage battery junction box bus bars in the high voltage battery pack may result in electrical arcing, which can increase the risk of fire," the NHTSA stated in its recall notice with number 24S11. "In addition, a 'Stop Safely Now' message may occur in the instrument cluster followed by loss of motive power, which can increase the risk of a crash."

Photo by: Cyrus Crossan/Unsplash