Three months ago, Tyler Hoover of Hoovies Garage took delivery of a Ford F-150 Lightning. A Limited grade with the standard-range battery, that is, which features a window sticker that reads $71,199.
Tyler didn’t pay this price in full, though, because the gray-painted electric truck was shared with one of the car vlogger’s buddies. Frustrated with the abysmal driving range of the F-150 Lightning, both Tyler and his friend ultimately agreed to sell the pickup in December 2022 with approximately 2,700 miles (4,345 kilometers) indicated by the odometer.
Wichita-based Eddy’s Chevrolet Cadillac purchased the disappointing truck, and that was supposed to be it. The dealer in question sold the F-150 Lightning to a different retailer that specialized in Ford vehicles. An employee drove the zero-emission pickup that very evening, and as fate would have it, he experienced a powertrain malfunction that engaged reduced power mode.
“All it would do is go one mile an hour around the parking lot,” explains Tyler, who is pretty sure that it’s a battery-related issue. This assumption explains the poor driving range Tyler had experienced throughout his ownership of the darn thing. Hoover also takes this opportunity to mention that many F-150 Lightning owners complained over abysmal range, as in totally unreasonable driving range compared to the automaker’s claims.
On the other hand, the “powertrain malfunction/reduced power” warning message could mean other things. Page 140 of the owner’s manual for the 2022 model year Ford F-150 Lightning says that it may be either a powertrain or four-wheel-drive issue, with four-wheel drive referring to a couple of electric motors in this context. Certain automakers consider the high-voltage battery a part of the powertrain, while others don’t. Even if the battery is okay, a failing module could trigger the limp home mode.
Whatever it may be, Tyler doesn’t know for certain at press time. A quick search on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website returns no recalls, communications, or complaints related to this concern. The Ford retailer that purchased the F-150 Lightning may want to send the high-voltage battery to Ford to investigate, more so because said battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers) by Ford.
If the Dearborn-based automaker discovers anything remotely worrisome, nipping the problem in the bud is – without a shadow of a doubt – the best course of action. Speaking of which, have you heard that FoMoCo is the most recalled manufacturer in the United States of America this year?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration currently lists a simply unbelievable 67 recalls for the second-largest American automaker, followed by 46 recalls for the Volkswagen Group and 42 for Daimler Trucks. The Ford Motor Company recalled the most vehicles (8,636,265) thus far.
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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