We now know what caused an F-150 Lightning to catch fire in February.
On Friday, Ford spokesperson Emma Berg told Motor Authority the automaker will recall 18 2023 F-150 Lightning electric trucks due to a battery issue. The issue is what led to the fire in February and will prompt Ford to replace the affected trucks’ high-voltage battery packs.
Bergg said battery supplier SK On and Ford determined the fire was caused by a battery cell manufacturing defect. Battery packs with the defect were built and shipped to the production line over a four-week period at the end of 2022.
Ford has established that only 18 F-150 Lightnings with suspect packs from that four-week period went to dealers and customers.
Ford dealers will replace the packs of the affected F-150 Lightnings for their owners. Bergg said the packs will be replaced soon as they are in stock. Customers will be notified as soon as possible.
Ford is not asking customers to park their electric trucks outside, stop driving them, or stop charging them because they passed a pre-delivery quality check and connected vehicle data shows no anomalies. No accidents or injuries have been reported due to this recall, and the only fire took place in the Ford pre-delivery lot.
Loaner vehicles will be provided to customers while their trucks’ batteries are replaced.
Production of the F-150 Lightning was halted in February after a truck’s battery pack caught on fire outside Ford’s Dearborn plant while awaiting pre-delivery quality inspections. A stop-build order and in-transit stop-ship order were issued immediately.
Once SK On and Ford determined the problem was a battery cell manufacturing defect, parts changes were implemented in new packs. Ford wouldn’t elaborate on exactly what the defect was.
Bergg reiterated that production of the F-150 Lightning with a clean stock of battery packs is still set to restart on Monday.
