Photo: Ford | Edited
Ford halted the production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup after discovering an unspecified battery-related issue. The vehicles in transit to dealerships were also affected, although Ford continues the sales of the trucks already on dealers’ lots. The problem was discovered during pre-delivery quality checks.
Ford has been plagued with quality control problems, as its CEO Jim Farley had to admit during the Q4 2022 earnings call. The quality control at Ford is the worst in the industry, as the NHTSA has crowned the Blue Oval company “the 2022 most-recalled car brand in the U.S.” This is not only affecting reputation but also the bottom line, as seen in Ford’s lackluster financial results.
Hopefully, thanks to this realization, Ford will step up its quality control. It appears so after the carmaker caught an undisclosed battery issue with the F-150 Lightning during the pre-delivery quality inspection. This time, Ford reacted quickly, although it kept it under wraps until Motor Authority blew off the news on Tuesday.
According to a company’s statement, Ford issued the stop-build order at the beginning of last week. Nevertheless, the information got to the press roughly one week later. Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg confirmed the issue but declined to disclose details, only saying that a vehicle “displayed a potential battery issue.” She added that the company is unaware of any problems with the Lightnings that have already been shipped to customers.
It is unclear how long the F-150 Lightning production is paused, as an investigation into the issue is ongoing. We’re entering the second week of the production stop, so we figure it must be either serious or difficult to fix. While Ford has also issued an In-Transit Stop Ship order, it fell short of issuing a stop-sales order. This means that Lightning trucks still in transit to dealerships might be affected, but the sales of vehicles already in inventories can continue.
SK On supplies the Ford F-150 Lightning batteries, and the Korean manufacturer is also investigating the issue, as confirmed in a statement. SK ON is also supplying batteries to Volkswagen and Hyundai. If there’s a problem with its batteries, tens of thousands of vehicles might be at risk, as happened in 2021 when the Chevrolet Bolt was recalled. Although the Bolt featured batteries supplied by rival LGES, they use similar technology and form factor.
Ford’s Jim Farley said 2023 is a pivotal year for the automaker’s transition to electric vehicles. The F-150 Lightning is important for a successful transition, not least because it’s one of the very few electric pickup trucks on the market. Nevertheless, Farley admitted that Ford loses money on every Lightning it sells. If there’s an issue with the truck, it’s better to fix it early than add the high costs of a recall to the balance sheet.
Hopefully, thanks to this realization, Ford will step up its quality control. It appears so after the carmaker caught an undisclosed battery issue with the F-150 Lightning during the pre-delivery quality inspection. This time, Ford reacted quickly, although it kept it under wraps until Motor Authority blew off the news on Tuesday.
According to a company’s statement, Ford issued the stop-build order at the beginning of last week. Nevertheless, the information got to the press roughly one week later. Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg confirmed the issue but declined to disclose details, only saying that a vehicle “displayed a potential battery issue.” She added that the company is unaware of any problems with the Lightnings that have already been shipped to customers.
It is unclear how long the F-150 Lightning production is paused, as an investigation into the issue is ongoing. We’re entering the second week of the production stop, so we figure it must be either serious or difficult to fix. While Ford has also issued an In-Transit Stop Ship order, it fell short of issuing a stop-sales order. This means that Lightning trucks still in transit to dealerships might be affected, but the sales of vehicles already in inventories can continue.
SK On supplies the Ford F-150 Lightning batteries, and the Korean manufacturer is also investigating the issue, as confirmed in a statement. SK ON is also supplying batteries to Volkswagen and Hyundai. If there’s a problem with its batteries, tens of thousands of vehicles might be at risk, as happened in 2021 when the Chevrolet Bolt was recalled. Although the Bolt featured batteries supplied by rival LGES, they use similar technology and form factor.
Ford’s Jim Farley said 2023 is a pivotal year for the automaker’s transition to electric vehicles. The F-150 Lightning is important for a successful transition, not least because it’s one of the very few electric pickup trucks on the market. Nevertheless, Farley admitted that Ford loses money on every Lightning it sells. If there’s an issue with the truck, it’s better to fix it early than add the high costs of a recall to the balance sheet.
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