Ford Alerts Thousands of Drivers That Something May Detach from This Truck | Carscoops

      The front upper control arm ball joint nut on nearly 30,000 electric trucks may not have been adequately tightened. Six hours ago, by Chris Chilton.

      Ford is recalling its F-150 Lightning due to an issue with the front suspension.

      The ball joint nut on 29,501 trucks from the 2024-25 model years may not have been secured properly.

      Dealers will inspect the upper control arm nuts and replace the entire arm if necessary.

      Ball joints play a crucial role in the vehicle's suspension system, acting as the connectors that hold various components together and maintain road stability. However, Ford has initiated a recall for thousands of its well-known F-150 trucks due to concerns that this critical connection might fail.

      In more detail, a total of 29,501 Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks from the 2024-25 model years are being recalled to verify the condition of the ball joint nuts on the front upper control arms. Ford suspects that some of these nuts may not have been correctly tightened and could potentially loosen or detach completely. Should this occur, the steering knuckle might separate from the control arm, resulting in a loss of vehicle control.

      A Loose Nut Is More Than Just a Metaphor.

      Ford has established a specific torque requirement for the ball joint nuts, but they have indicated that some nuts may not have been installed to the proper specifications due to alignment discrepancies with the torque wrench. If a nut were to loosen, drivers would likely receive adequate warning before any critical suspension components fail. Ford advises that drivers should be attentive to any unusual vibrations, clunking, or rattling noises when navigating over bumps or uneven surfaces.

      Ford first became aware of this issue on March 6, 2025, when it received a report regarding a missing right front upper control arm nut on a 2024 F-150 Lightning that was manufactured just three days before. The truck had accumulated about 634 miles when the owner reported a front wheel failure while driving. Upon being towed to a dealership, a technician confirmed that the nut was absent and the control arm had separated from the knuckle.

      This Isn’t the First Time.

      Does this ring a bell? Ford previously announced a recall for the same problem in December 2024 for Lightnings from the 2023-24 model years. They implemented an additional torque verification step during production, but received a field report in March this year about a Lightning experiencing a critical suspension failure while on the road. After being towed, technicians found that the right front upper control arm nut was completely missing.

      Owners of the 20,528 model year 2024 and 8,973 model year 2025 Lightnings affected will be instructed to bring their trucks to a dealership where technicians will check the torque on their nuts. If the nut passes inspection, it will be replaced nonetheless, but if it fails, Ford will cover the cost of a completely new knuckle.