---
title: "Ford Recalls 217,000 F-150s Over Headlights That Are Too Damn Bright"
description: "Damned if you do, and damned if you don't."
date: "2020-03-03"
modified: "2020-03-03"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Tsui"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-tsui"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/32439/ford-recalls-217000-f-150s-over-headlights-that-are-too-damn-bright"
categories:
  - "Ford News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Trucks"
tags:
  - "F-150"
  - "Ford"
  - "pickup"
---

# Ford Recalls 217,000 F-150s Over Headlights That Are Too Damn Bright

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/03/F150_8287_HR.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Finally discovering what most nighttime drivers have known for a while now, Ford is issuing a recall on exactly 217,185 [F-150 pickups](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32308/new-2021-ford-f-150-hybrid-spy-shots-the-half-ton-of-the-future>) over headlights that are too bright.

Affecting trucks from model years 2018 to 2020 equipped with the optional [LEDs](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31663/it-looks-like-the-2021-ford-broncos-led-headlight-just-leaked-online>), the issue lies with [daytime running lights](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/10503/the-dangers-of-daytime-running-lights>) that don't dim when the low beams are manually turned on as they're legally supposed to. [Ford](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32417/its-looking-like-the-2021-ford-bronco-will-get-a-seven-speed-manual-report>) says, "This may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash." As a result, the company is issuing a safety compliance recall on 166,196 F-150s in the U.S. and another 50,989 trucks located in Canada.

Ford adds that it isn't aware of any related accidents or injuries although we suspect more than a few drivers with seared retinas will have something snarky to say about that.

[Bad headlights](<https://jalopnik.com/odds-are-your-headlights-still-suck-1831041948>) have somehow been a major pain point in automotive safety in recent years, both on the manufacturer and driver side of the equation. Between headlights that come from the factory too bright, [too dim, or too expensive](<https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/headlights-improve-but-base-models-leave-drivers-in-the-dark>) to clueless motorists driving around in ["phantom vehicles,"](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/14455/canada-to-address-phantom-vehicles-not-illuminated-from-behind>) nobody seems to know what to do when it comes to lighting up the roads at night. Not to get all "It's \[current year\]!" but in an era when cars can change lanes on their own and out-accelerate supercars [using electricity alone](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/29720/14-differences-between-the-porsche-taycan-and-tesla-model-s-no-one-is-talking-about>), the fact that we still can't get the two lamps stuck on the front of them right is a little baffling.

In any case, Ford dealers will be issuing free software updates to affected F-150s fixing the DRL issue and owners will presumably be notified soon. Now, if only Ford could issue a "recall" on drivers who leave their high beams on unnecessarily, that'd be great, thanks.

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## Author
Chris Tsui is *The Drive*'s former Reviews Editor and current freelance automotive journalist. He's based in Toronto.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/cltsuii/>)