Ford workers produce the electric F-150 Lightning pickup on Dec. 13, 2022 at the automaker’s Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REVC).
Michael Wayland | CNBC
DETROIT – A defective battery that caused a Ford F-150 Lightning in the company’s possession to catch fire earlier this month isn’t the only problem the Detroit automaker has recently experienced with its new all-electric pickup truck.
On Jan. 27, a week before the fire, the company issued a “customer service action” for a small group of vehicles to have parts replaced to “prevent performance degradation” of the high-voltage battery. Ford Motor said the problem only affected about 100 vehicles so far and is not believed to be connected to the Feb. 4 fire. Ford said it is monitoring the vehicles remotely and proactively contacting customers when the company spots the problem.
Despite the small number of vehicles impacted, it adds to a pattern of problems Ford and other automakers are having as they invest billions in rushing electric vehicles to market. Many of the industry’s issues have been minor. But when they involve the costly, and complex, batteries of the vehicles, financial problems and serious safety concerns – specifically fires – can arise.
For Ford, the F-150 Lightning problems are part of ongoing quality and operational issues, as outlined by CEO Jim Farley to investors days before the fire occurred in a Ford holding yard.
“We have deeply entrenched issues in our industrial system that have proven tough to root out,” he said Feb. 2 during a fourth-quarter earnings call. “Candidly, the strength of our products and revenue has masked this dysfunctionality for a long time. It’s not an excuse, but it’s our reality. And we’re dealing with it urgently.”
Ford, which executives have said was the most recalled automaker for the past two years, is not alone in having problems with its newest EV launches.
Toyota Motor last year had to recall its first mass-produced global EV because of a risk the wheels…
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