Automotive News reported on February 23 that Ford Motor Company halted F-150 Lightning shipments on February 9 over a quality issue. According to Detroit Free Press, that issue concerns the electrical connections with the zero-emission pickup truck's headlights.
AutoForecast Solutions vice president of global forecasting Sam Fiorani understands that Ford Motor Company introduced a new part for the 2024 model year F-150 Lightning. It appears that the headlight connector isn't sealed properly. This results in flickering headlights/shorted headlights.
A spokesperson for the Dearborn-based automaker declined to confirm or deny Sam's information. Be that as it may, the second largest automaker from the Big Three in Detroit (General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis) deserves a round of applause for living up to its promise of tackling quality-related issues.
At the 68th Annual Meeting of Shareholders in 2023, chief executive officer Jim Farley referenced theQuality Is Job #1ad campaign from the 1980s. However, the big kahuna's big talking didn't stop Ford Motor Company from topping the NHTSA's list of most recalled automakers in the US in 2023.
The federal watchdog's database shows 58 distinct recalls totaling 6.1 million vehicles. On the other hand, Honda's 19 recalls amounted to 6.3 million vehicles. Considering how many complex electronics and iffy plastics are used in modern automobiles, these numbers are hardly surprising.
Photo: Ford
Derived from the combustion-engined truck's platform, the F-150 Lightning entered series production for the 2022 model year. Three recalls were published on the NHTSA's website for model year 2022 for the following problems: tire pressure monitoring system light may not illuminate as intended, rear lightbar may become inoperative, and stability control may not activate at vehicle startup.
MY23 is listed with four safety recalls to its name, including an inoperative defrosting/defogger system and a high-voltage battery prone to short circuiting. We can bash the Ford Motor Company for quality concerns all day long, but remember that the F-150 Lightning is the automaker's first mass-market electric truck, meaning that mistakes can and will happen. The 1998 to 2002 model year Ranger EV numbered just around 1,500 examples, and truth be told, it was more of an experiment rather than a mass-market product.
The 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning is both pricier and more affordable than the 2023 model, depending on the trim level. Rather obviously, the automaker upped the starting prices of lower trim levels while shaving a few grand off the better-equipped trims.
MY24 also marks the introduction of two new grades, namely the Flash and Platinum Black. The Flash comes with the larger of two batteries from the outset, promising 320 miles (515 kilometers) in the combined test cycle. Platinum Black customers need to shell out $8,00 more than on the Platinum, for the Platinum Black retails at $97,995 (excluding freight charge).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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