Ford Informs Three Lightning Owners That Their EVs May Be Lacking A Nut Or Two | Carscoops

      The nuts in question were taken out during a previous procedure and may not have been reattached or secured.

      Ford has recalled three trucks due to concerns about potentially missing battery nuts.

      All three vehicles are Lightning EVs, which feature nuts on the high-voltage battery junction box.

      If these nuts are indeed missing or loose, it could lead to arcing and possibly result in a fire.

      Unbeknownst to some, automotive safety has never reached its current level of advancement. This safety encompasses more than just how vehicles perform in on-road incidents; it begins at the manufacturing facility. Ford's recent recall exemplifies this point.

      The Blue Oval has recalled three separate F-150 Lightnings because of one or more potentially missing or loose retention nuts. In a recent recall notice submitted to the NHTSA, Ford indicated that these nuts secure the bus bars for the high-voltage battery junction box. If they are either absent or not tightened, this could lead to electrical arcing or fire.

      According to Ford, the nuts in question may have been mistakenly removed during a reworking process. There seems to be no record of the nuts being re-torqued to the required specifications following that rework. Consequently, Ford aims to verify that the nuts are not only present but also properly tightened.

      While Ford has stated that it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue, it does note that it has received one field report and one warranty report concerning the same matter. The company has already informed dealerships and will notify all three affected owners by May 23 at the latest. Dealers will inspect the nuts, re-install them if necessary, and ensure they are properly torqued, which should resolve the issue.

      In the meantime, owners should be alert to symptoms such as a "loud noise while driving," a "Stop Safely Now" warning, and a check engine or malfunction indicator light illuminated on the dashboard. If the issue arises, the truck will lose its driving power, but the 12-volt battery will continue to power the steering and braking systems.

      Several decades ago, it’s unlikely that a singular problem like this would have even been detected. Even if a production line worker had identified it, they might not have had the necessary procedures to track similarly affected vehicles.

      While recalls are indeed increasing across the industry, cases like this illustrate that such news is not as concerning as it may appear. Essentially, the safety mechanisms that identify defects are now much more refined than before, ultimately making us all safer.