Ford is recalling 18 F-150 Lightning pickup trucks after reporting one defective battery that caused one truck to catch fire. This comes after the production and shipment halt over battery issues discovered during the pickup's manufacturing phase.

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Ford Motor Co. battery powered F-150 Lightning trucks under production at their Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan on September 20, 2022.

Recalling F-150 Lightning Pickups

18 F-150 lightning pickup trucks have been identified by Ford for a recall after identifying a potential battery cell defect. The Verge reported that the affected vehicles were improperly produced with battery cells by its South Korean battery supplier SK ON at its manufacturing plant in Georgia.

Ford Spokeswoman Emma Berg stated that the company has not obtained any reports of accidents or injury regarding this recall, however one truck with a defective battery caused a fire. The root cause was tracked by the company during the company's halted production. 

Bregg said that the company is "applying quality actions to already-produced vehicles with batteries built in this four-week window which we have been holding." As per Ford, these vehicles are either in dealers' hands or already delivered to the customers. 

This kind of incident is mainly rare but remains to be a serious concern for EV manufacturers. Researchers have determined that the majority of electric vehicles are at low risk for battery fires but more studies and data is needed to prove this statement. EVs with lithium-ion batteries burn hotter and faster and require more water to extinguish.

Halting Production and Shipment

Last month, Ford announced the production and shipment halt for the F-150 Lighting due to a potential battery issue. Selling was not initiated by the company. CNBC reported that during this phase, only one vehicle caught fire at Ford's manufacturing facility located in Dearborn, Michigan. This spread to two other vehicles at the facility.

Affected vehicles were built throughout most of January with the problem discovered last February 4th. Ford then announced that it will restart its production this March 13th, which has been nearly a month since the discovery of the battery issue. 

"In the weeks ahead, we will continue to apply our learnings and work with SK On's team to ensure we continue delivering high-quality battery packs, down to the battery cells," Ford noted.

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Electrek reported that some of the trucks got already delivered and reached the customers before the announced shipment halt. To make sure that the batteries of every vehicle are in shape, Ford will inform its affected customers as soon as possible and will be provided a high-voltage battery pack replaced by their dealer. 

While they can continue to drive their vehicle, Ford encouraged their customers to make an appointment for their F-150 Lightning trucks at their earliest convenience. During its initial launch, CNBC reported that the company received more than 200,000 reservations for F-150 Lightning pickup trucks and has sold 20,000 so far. 

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