We now know what prompted an F-150 Lightning to catch fireplace in February.
On Friday, Ford spokesperson Emma Berg instructed Motor Authority the automaker will recall 18 2023 F-150 Lightning electrical vans on account of a battery problem. The difficulty is what led to the hearth in February and can immediate Ford to exchange the affected vans’ high-voltage battery packs.
Bergg mentioned battery provider SK On and Ford decided the hearth was attributable to a battery cell manufacturing defect. Battery packs with the defect had been constructed and shipped to the manufacturing line over a four-week interval on the finish of 2022.
Ford has established that solely 18 F-150 Lightnings with suspect packs from that four-week interval went to sellers and clients.
Ford sellers will exchange the packs of the affected F-150 Lightnings for his or her house owners. Bergg mentioned the packs might be changed quickly as they’re in inventory. Prospects might be notified as quickly as attainable.
Ford isn’t asking clients to park their electrical vans outdoors, cease driving them, or cease charging them as a result of they handed a pre-delivery high quality examine and related automobile knowledge reveals no anomalies. No accidents or accidents have been reported on account of this recall, and the one fireplace befell within the Ford pre-delivery lot.
Loaner automobiles might be offered to clients whereas their vans’ batteries are changed.
Manufacturing of the F-150 Lightning was halted in February after a truck’s battery pack caught on fireplace outdoors Ford’s Dearborn plant whereas awaiting pre-delivery high quality inspections. A stop-build order and in-transit stop-ship order had been issued instantly.
As soon as SK On and Ford decided the issue was a battery cell manufacturing defect, components adjustments had been applied in new packs. Ford would not elaborate on precisely what the defect was.
Bergg reiterated that manufacturing of the F-150 Lightning with a clear inventory of battery packs continues to be set to restart on Monday.