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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
1,044 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Owner Comments (Page 3 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #38

Jun 262023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On June 26, 2023 I received a message from Ford Motor Company that they had detected a battery module "not performing as expected" in my 2022 F-150 Lightning BEV truck. A contact at the Ford Battery Electric Vehicle Team stated the defective battery module would be replaced under Ford Customer Service Program 23H01. The contact stated that a replacement battery module had been ordered, and an appointment was set up at the local dealership for 7/31/2023. As of 8/22/2023 no work has been done to repair my truck. There are numerous postings on the F-150 Lightning Forum involving powertrain failures and loss of power while driving, High Voltage Battery warnings, and notices from Ford of defective battery modules. Loss of power while driving is obviously a very serious safety issue. It appears the scope of battery issues with Ford F-150 Lightning BEV trucks is very significant.

- Roswell, GA, USA

problem #37

Jul 312023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
When getting on the road from a cold start coming out of a parking lot the vehicle will not accelerate. You mash the pedal down and it just sits there barely moving for 1 or 2 seconds and then all of a sudden it takes off. I have had the truck which I bought new for 3 months and it has happened 3 times randomly over those 3 months. Twice in very busy traffic which nearly caused an accident. If you can imagine pulling out in front of someone expecting to merge into traffic and then your vehicle just sets there barely moving. I have not taken the vehicle to a dealer yet but plan too. There are not other symptoms and no warning lights.

- Collinsville, OK, USA

problem #36

Jul 312023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
Axel bolt sheared off of passenger rear axel.

- Elk Grove, CA, USA

problem #35

Jul 212023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While merging onto a freeway from the on-ramp into traffic, the transmission has trouble shifting and getting up to speed i-??ve only owned it a month now and haven-??t had it serviced yet, but it most definitely is a problem.

- Dover, KY, USA

problem #34

Jun 152023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
Vehicle has major shifting issues with the 10 speed transmission. Shifting down or up can cause violent shifts. Extremely scary on the highway when passing semi trucks as it slams into gear. Vehicle will then show vehicle needs maintenance with a Powertrain issue. When turning the vehicle off it goes away but will return when driving above 55mph. Then the service light may or may not come back on. Dealer told me that the vehicle needs to learn driving behavior and will go away. I dropped vehicle off today and told them it was unsafe to drive on highways as it could cause a crash.

- Moab , UT, USA

problem #33

Dec 122022

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding the recurring battery faults in my Ford F150 Lightning 2022 vehicle. These faults pose serious concerns about the safety, reliability, and quality of this electric vehicle model. To address your inquiries: Component/System Failure: The high voltage battery system in my Ford F150 Lightning 2022 has repeatedly failed, leading to unexpected breakdowns. The availability for inspection can be arranged upon request. Safety Risks: The recurring battery faults have compromised both my safety and that of others. Stranded on the road due to sudden breakdowns, I have been exposed to potential hazards, such as unsafe locations and traffic risks when attempting to pull over. Confirmation by Dealer/Service Center: The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a Ford dealer, who identified the recurring battery faults as the cause of the breakdowns. Inspection by Other Parties: The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or other third parties. Warning Signs: No Warning messages were displayed before the problem, only after the issue (Powertrain Malfunction). Dates/Mileage: 1st: 12/12/22 at 13465 miles. 2nd: 05/25/23 at 21842 miles (still pending repair). I emphasize the severity and frequency of these battery faults, undermining my confidence in the F150 Lightning 2022 and raising concerns about its safety and reliability. I kindly request the NHTSA's intervention to conduct a comprehensive investigation into these recurring battery faults, ensuring consumer safety for all owners of the Ford F150 Lightning 2022. I appreciate your attention to this complaint and your commitment to vehicle safety and consumer protection. I trust that the NHTSA will take appropriate action, holding the manufacturer accountable for resolving these recurring battery faults in the Ford F150 Lightning 2022. Please contact me if you require further information related to this matter. Thank you.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #32

Jun 132023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On multiple occasions, the vehicle has exhibited, what I would call, a loss of acceleration. I first noticed this during a right-hand turn from a stop. I took my foot off the brake, initiated the turn and applied the throttle, and the vehicle took 1-2 seconds before it started to accelerate. The vehicle was in "Normal" drive mode. Currently, this issue is occurring during right and left-hand turns, and straight-line acceleration. For example, I was approaching a red light, so I lifted off the accelerator and started to coast. Before I applied the brake, the light turned green, so I went back to the accelerator, but the vehicle did not increase speed for 1-2 seconds. It suddenly lunged forward, and I had to lift off the accelerator so I could decrease my speed. There are occasions when you need to be quick, like merging onto a freeway, and this lack of responsiveness could lead to an accident. The vehicle has been to the dealer for known transmission issues and the dealer performed a reset on the adaptive tables. The issue I am writing about occurred before and after the adaptive table reset. No warning lamps or messages were displayed during the issue.

- Goshen, IN, USA

problem #31

Jun 082023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
There is a bolt on the rear axle shaft that hold on the hub. The one on my right rear axle sheared off. I have discovered by online research that this has been an issue with the HD Towing a le on this model truck.

- Milford, NH, USA

problem #30

May 312023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
I was driving down the road when I noticed a squealing sound coming from the right rear end. Luckily, I made it home to remove the right rear tire and noticed that the axle bolt sheared off inside the axle. I checked a few different forms and this is a common occurrence with the max tow package.

- Lawndale, CA, USA

problem #29

May 262023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
I recently took a trip home to Pennsylvania (I live in Alabama) to visit family. A few days into my trip I noticed a rattle sound coming from my rear passenger side wheel. It was only noticeable at low speeds but it sounded like the wheel hub may have been lose or perhaps a stone had made it inside the center hub. I take immaculate care of my vehicle and it is still under the manufacturer new vehicle warranty. Upon further inspection, I removed the wheel hub and noticed that the axle spline bolt had sheered off with the washer and was actually rolling around like a wash machine inside the hub. At high speeds the centrifugal force was enough to keep the bolt against the outer wall of the wheel hub. When slowing down the force was no longer great enough and the bolt would fall down and then tumble around as the speed went down. I was supposed to leave for home at 3am, but now due to this issue, the vehicle is not safe to drive. Ford has not offered a solution other than to let the local dealer look at it (700 miles from home). They have verbally told me they will reimburse a rental car and get my truck shipped home to me after the repair, but none of this has been made in writing. This is a known issue for Ford. There are hundreds of documented cases online and my local selling dealer in Alabama knew of the issue when I called to report it. They have had 4 cases recently of the same issue. Ford MUST issue a recall IMMEDIATELY! This is a major safety issue and could cause the axle to "fall out" of the wheel hub at speed and could cause a major accident and almost certain death if this were to occur at high speeds.

- Meridianville, AL, USA

problem #28

Apr 192023

F-150 Lightning

  • 16,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2022 Ford F150. The contact stated that she took her vehicle to the dealer to be serviced and the dealer informed the contact that the passenger-??s side rear axle bolt had detached. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V128000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 16,500.

- Big Bend, WI, USA

problem #27

Apr 082023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
Rear axle retaining bolt failure

- Henderson, NV, USA

problem #26

Mar 092023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
Right rear axle bolt sheared. See https://www.f150forum.com/f129/2021-powerboost-rear-rotor-axle-bolt-sheared-515460

- Toronto, OH, USA

problem #25

Nov 282022

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
First I heard a rattling sound coming from the back.Tough it was something in the bed. Finally went away 3 days later. To realise I lost the wheel center cap on driver side. 2 weeks later while checking to order a new center cap, I notice the center bolt thats supposed to retain the axle has been broken flat and is completely missing. This can cause the axle to drive itself into the differential housing and eventually lead to no powertrain and/or locking the wheel. This bolt also put the preload on the bearing and therefore be dangerous to loose the wheel if not noticed soon enough and cause bearing to wear prematurely or even split apart. Called the local ford dealer as soon as I noticed and they told me to not use the truck if possible and If I had to to not put any load on the back since they didnt have a replacement truck for now and it could be dangerous. Had to drive 2 other weeks before getting a temporary one since it is the truck I gain my money with, knowing that any moment I could loose my wheel on the highway. They finally had to replace the axle and put new bolt in under warranty. This seems to be a recurring problem from what I see on the internet. Truck had about 15 000 kms when it happened. I am afraid this will happen again on either side since this problem seems to be reoccuring even to truck that had them changed. Please do something about this, ford seems to have no real fix for this and just changes the parts and hope for the best when it happens.

- Prevost, Quebec , Canada, WY, USA

problem #24

Jan 172023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
Experienced multiple incidents where the vehicle battery has been either damaged by the vehicle itself or receiving multiple defective OEM batteries. Vehicle has been brought into Ford service centers at least twice for low charge on battery. Each time, the Ford service technicians have identified a "dead cell" in OEM battery. This condition makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. The resulting low charge has resulted in erratic/unpredictable transmission/engine/electronics performance while driving. This includes low power, shifting problems, and start-stall-start "lurching" in various driving conditions. Service centers have never identified the cause of the battery drain (alternator checks ok). They just keep replacing the battery and the problem reoccurs 2-3 months later.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

problem #23

Jan 162023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
without any prior indicators, truck lost power, could not exceed 2 mph either forward or reverse - battery malfunction - wasn't an emergency I had to go somewhere but if it was I would have been SOL as the vehicle is totally undriveable - dealer has it now for service - only 6 months old and under warranty - reading online F150 forums this is not a unique problem

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #22

Jan 132023

F-150 Lightning 8-cyl

  • 10,703 miles
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle downshifted from 10th gear to 3rd gear. The vehicle slid across the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle could be driven in low gear; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission seized in 1st gear. The vehicle was towed to Village Motors, Inc. (784 Wooster Rd, Millersburg, OH 4465) but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred him to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 10,703.

- Newcomerstown, OH, USA

problem #21

Jan 032023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
Rear axle bolt sheering off leaving the truck undrivable. Ford states the parts are on back order. Dealership does not have any loaners so I-€™m without a car for an unknown length of time.

- Temple, TX, USA

problem #20

Jan 032023

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
Axle bolts sheared off on both driver and passenger sides. Problem was discovered during tire rotation.

- Monroe, LA, USA

problem #19

Dec 132022

F-150 Lightning

  • miles
Any 2021 f150 or newer with the max tow package has faulty rear axle shaft bolts that are installed from the factory. These bolts shear off within the first 10k of driving and ford has yet to issue a recall for this. A sheared off axle shaft bolt can cause a failure in the rear differential or a wheel to fall off potentially causing an accident. There are many reports of this failure all over the internet. Just google "2021 f150 axle shaft bolt sheared off" for more examples like the one I am submitting

- Georgetown, TX, USA

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