Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~12,000 2023-2024 model year F-150 Lightning* BEV vehicles, according to mandatory filing documents ( 49 CFR §573) made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Ford does not make public its recalls. The Lightning’s front upper control arm ball joint nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the front upper control arm to detach from the knuckle assembly.
“Certain vehicles may have an improperly torqued nut on the ball joint which secures the front upper control arm to the knuckle assembly. An improperly torqued nut on the ball joint can result in separation of the front upper control arm from the knuckle assembly. Ford told NHTSA. “If the upper control arm ball joint nut is loose or missing, the front upper control arm can separate from the knuckle assembly, which can cause the driver to experience a partial loss of directional control, increasing a risk of a crash,” Ford told NHTSA.
Ford said “it is aware of one accident attributed” to this safety defect. The driver may experience vehicle vibration and hear a clunk or rattle noise during suspension compression and extension.
Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 3 February 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 24S76. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to nhtsa.gov about NHTSA campaign number 24V949 or 24V-949.
Chronology
- On 12 September 2024, Ford received a Global Common Quality Indicator System (GCQIS) incident report pertaining to a missing left front upper control arm ball joint nut on a 2024 model year F-150 BEV vehicle. The customer reported that at 639 miles they experienced intermittent vibration while driving at highway speed before the vehicle suddenly made an un-commanded left turn into a side rail. Upon inspection, the dealer technician discovered the upper control arm nut was missing and the joint had separated from the knuckle.
- On 3 October 2024, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) opened its investigation into this issue. The CCRG investigation included a review of the assembly plant retorquing station data when 100% torque inspection was in place. Based on a review of this data, CCRG was able to determine that certain vehicles built between November 6, 2023 and February 12, 2024, may have failed to achieve the required torque due to variation in the alignment or orientation between the DC nut runner tool and the nut to secure the upper control arm to knuckle ball joint. CCRG was able to confirm that the suspect vehicle population, including the vehicle that experienced an accident, were built within this date range.
- As of 14 November 2024, Ford is aware of two field reports and one warranty claim representing two incidents related to this concern, received from 12 September 2024 through 23 October 2024.
- On December 13, 2024, Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a field action.
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About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Another Ford F-150 Safety Recall – Steering Loss
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~12,000 2023-2024 model year F-150 Lightning* BEV vehicles, according to mandatory filing documents ( 49 CFR §573) made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Ford does not make public its recalls. The Lightning’s front upper control arm ball joint nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the front upper control arm to detach from the knuckle assembly.
“Certain vehicles may have an improperly torqued nut on the ball joint which secures the front upper control arm to the knuckle assembly. An improperly torqued nut on the ball joint can result in separation of the front upper control arm from the knuckle assembly. Ford told NHTSA. “If the upper control arm ball joint nut is loose or missing, the front upper control arm can separate from the knuckle assembly, which can cause the driver to experience a partial loss of directional control, increasing a risk of a crash,” Ford told NHTSA.
Ford said “it is aware of one accident attributed” to this safety defect. The driver may experience vehicle vibration and hear a clunk or rattle noise during suspension compression and extension.
Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 3 February 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 24S76. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to nhtsa.gov about NHTSA campaign number 24V949 or 24V-949.
Chronology
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.