Ford F-150 Lightning Production Shut Down for at Least a Week Over Battery Issue
The automaker said an inspection led to the discovery of the defect and its halting production to learn more.
Ford says it will stop production and delay deliveries of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup for “a few weeks” as it works to uncover the cause of a reported battery defect. Trucks already produced or in transit will be held until more information is known, too. That means eager F-150 Lightning shoppers and nearly new owners will have to wait longer for their new pickups.
The stoppage in production was first reported by Motor Authority, although Ford didn’t initially disclose the cause beyond a potential battery issue. In a statement, Ford spokesperson Emma Bergg confirmed the delay and said the company uncovered the issue during a pre-delivery inspection of an F-150 Lightning. The cause of that defect is known to Ford, Bergg said, but other affected trucks may need more inspection. Bergg also added that the issue will not likely affect trucks already delivered to owners. There aren’t any reported incidents from customers, she added.
“We are suspending production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center through at least the end of next week. During a standard Lightning pre-delivery quality inspection, one vehicle displayed a battery issue. We believe we have identified the root cause of this issue. By the end of next week, we expect to conclude our investigation and apply what we learn to the truck’s battery production process; this could take a few weeks. We will continue holding already-produced vehicles while we work through engineering and process updates,” Bergg said in a statement.
Battery issues aren’t new to EVs by any stretch, although this is the first battery-related defect reported by Ford for the F-150 Lightning. Ford hasn’t mentioned anything similar about its Mustang Mach-E SUV, which is assembled in Mexico and not alongside the F-150 Lightning.
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