2023 Ford F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2023 Ford F-150 LIGHTNING BEV has 187 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 2.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (37% of all complaints), specifically: i have a f150 lightning being delivered ( expected 2/23 - 3/2 ). i’ve read about the fire on 2/5 almost exactly the date my truck was shipped. ford says “should” be ok. dealer says ford problem. i don’t want a bomb in my garage. what should i do? know you’re on it as i read a story today. you sh. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.
187
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
2.3x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
ELECTRICAL
69 complaints- • I have a F150 Lightning being delivered ( expected 2/23 - 3/2 ). I’ve read about the fire on 2/5 almost exactly the date my truck was shipped. Ford says “should” be OK. Dealer says Ford problem. I don’t want a bomb in my garage. What should I do? Know you’re on it as I read a story today. You sh
- • The 240V mobile charging cord that is sold with the vehicle repeatedly overheats and derates the charging speed once overheated. Problem has existed since the vehicle was brand new. Cord is used in a warm climate but not an abnormal temperature for a non-climate controlled garage. Overheating electr
- • When reversing, the center screen that contains the backup camera freezes, with no indication it has stopped functioning. This leads to a situation where you are seeing a camera image that is not related to the actual view behind you. This can cause crashes and pedestrian hazards if you do not rea
“I have a F150 Lightning being delivered ( expected 2/23 - 3/2 ). I’ve read about the fire on 2/5 almost exactly the date my truck was shipped. Ford says “should” be OK. Dealer says Ford problem. I don’t want a bomb in my garage. What should I do? Know you’re on it as I read a story today. You sh”
— NHTSA complaint filing
LIGHTING
23 complaints- • When the vehicle starts up, the adaptive headlights center themselves for driving. They move left right and back to center. This takes about 2 seconds. My right headlight functions normally, but the left does not. The left headlight takes about 15 seconds to move all the way left and does not center
- • We were driving down the road and the cluster screen went completely black. We couldn’t tell what speed we were going or any other information that gets displayed there. This is a very hazardous problem that should be looked into further.
- • In this vehicle the instrument panel is an electronic display. This display did not show any controls, speedometer, mileage, warning lights, etc. It was black, with only the backlight on. This morning (Jan 10) on my way to work I noticed my instrument panel was not working. The screen was comple
“When the vehicle starts up, the adaptive headlights center themselves for driving. They move left right and back to center. This takes about 2 seconds. My right headlight functions normally, but the left does not. The left headlight takes about 15 seconds to move all the way left and does not center”
— NHTSA complaint filing
SPEED CONTROL
19 complaints- • The entire over steering wheel display/cockpit stopped functioning. No ability to view charge level, speed, and other related details normally shown in this display was available. The things I tried to repair were: parking the car, locking the door to simulate a full stop/start cycle, disconnecting
- • I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC ON THE 405 AND THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A SCREECHING HALT ON FREEWAY. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED. THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED "FRONT CAMERA FAULT" AND :COLLISION AVOIDANCE NO AVAILABLE" ON THE DASH FOR A FEW MINUTES. N
- • We were driving down the road and the cluster screen went completely black. We couldn’t tell what speed we were going or any other information that gets displayed there. This is a very hazardous problem that should be looked into further.
“The entire over steering wheel display/cockpit stopped functioning. No ability to view charge level, speed, and other related details normally shown in this display was available. The things I tried to repair were: parking the car, locking the door to simulate a full stop/start cycle, disconnecting ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
TRANSMISSION
16 complaints- • • power train malfunction / reduced power • dealer sees the same problem / issue • I did get a "wrench" icon on my dashboard and a power train malfunction notice on my ford pass app
- • Jan 9, 2024 Aprox 465 miles Powertrain malfunction/ reduced power (15 miles per hour) Vehicle was on the dealer shop for 8 days...at the time of returm 9f the car they told me that the issue was fixed
- • Aprox 1083 miles PowertraiN malfunction/ reduced power Vehicle was on the dealer shop for 4days so far( still counting)...second time on a brand new vehicle with a little bit more than 1000 miles Not able to drive a vehicle after 15 min, very unsafe
“• power train malfunction / reduced power • dealer sees the same problem / issue • I did get a "wrench" icon on my dashboard and a power train malfunction notice on my ford pass app”
— NHTSA complaint filing
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS
15 complaints- • We were in a low speed situation. A car 2 cars in front of us was signaling a right hand turn. We began to slow down from approximately 25 mph to 5-7 mph. The car turning right stop short of completing their turn, the car immediately in front of us came to a complete stop. We were only traveling
- • We were in a low speed situation. A car 2 cars in front of us was signaling a right hand turn. We began to slow down from approximately 25 mph to 5-7 mph. The car turning right stop short of completing their turn, the car immediately in front of us came to a complete stop. We were only traveling
- • The vehicle's message center reported multiple system failures while driving 70 MPH on a two lane Montana highway. The steering assist failure caused the wheel to jerk left/right before locking up. It took all the strength I had to keep the vehicle from exiting the roadway. If someone else was drivi
“We were in a low speed situation. A car 2 cars in front of us was signaling a right hand turn. We began to slow down from approximately 25 mph to 5-7 mph. The car turning right stop short of completing their turn, the car immediately in front of us came to a complete stop. We were only traveling”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 187 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐ELECTRICAL: I have a F150 Lightning being delivered ( expected 2/23 - 3/2 ). I’ve read about the fire on 2/5 almost exactly the date my truck was shipped. Ford says “should” be OK. Dealer says Ford problem. I don’t want a bomb in my garage. What should I do? Know you’re on it as I read a story today. You sh
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐LIGHTING: When the vehicle starts up, the adaptive headlights center themselves for driving. They move left right and back to center. This takes about 2 seconds. My right headlight functions normally, but the left does not. The left headlight takes about 15 seconds to move all the way left and does not center
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐SPEED CONTROL: The entire over steering wheel display/cockpit stopped functioning. No ability to view charge level, speed, and other related details normally shown in this display was available. The things I tried to repair were: parking the car, locking the door to simulate a full stop/start cycle, disconnecting
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐TRANSMISSION: • power train malfunction / reduced power • dealer sees the same problem / issue • I did get a "wrench" icon on my dashboard and a power train malfunction notice on my ford pass app
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Ford F-150 LIGHTNING BEV — Year Comparison
How does 2023 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 187
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 2
- Crash reports
- 11
- Injury reports
- 3
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2023 Ford F-150 LIGHTNING BEV