The Ford F-150 Lightning ends 2024 with a recall affecting 11,922 examples of the electric pickup. The problem concerns the possibility of steering components detaching, which can cause the driver to lose steering control.
The specific issue is that some vehicles might have an improperly torqued nut on the ball joint, which secures the front upper control arm to the knuckle assembly. If this occurs, the F-150 Lightning can make a sudden, inadvertent turn without the driver’s input.
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Discovering The Cause Of The Problem
Ford has been investigating this problem since September 12, 2024, when the automaker received a report of a missing left front upper control arm ball joint nut on a 2024 F-150 Lightning. The truck’s owner reported feeling an intermittent vibration at highway speeds, and the Lightning made a sudden left turn into a side rail. The person reported the pickup had just 639 miles on it.
Technicians inspected the wrecked Lightning and discovered that the upper control arm nut was missing, which allowed the upper control arm ball joint to separate from the knuckle. Ford handed the problem to its Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) for a deeper investigation into this incident. They examined the retorquing station data from the factory and found that the machine might not have applied the correct amount of force from November 6, 2023, through February 12, 2024.
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The Solution
Technicians at Ford dealers will inspect the potentially affected Lightnings to check the torque settings of the left and right upper control arm ball joint nuts. Even if the pieces pass the review, all vehicles get replacement nuts. If there’s a failure, the pickups get a new knuckle and nut.
Ford will notify dealers about this recall on January 6, 2025. The company will send notification letters to affected owners on February 3, 2025.
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TopSpeed’s Take
Affected F-150 Lightning owners should take their trucks to the dealer for inspection and repairs. Suddenly losing control of the pickup is a serious problem that customers must avoid. Keeping up with recalls is a good way to maintain your vehicle’s safety.