Ford Pauses F-150 Lightning Shipments
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Ford Motor Co. has paused shipments of the 2024 F-150 Lightning pickup truck as part of a longer-than-expected quality check process.
A spokesperson declined to specify why the quality check is taking so long. The stop-shipment went into effect on Feb. 9 after shipments of the ’24 Lightnings began last month. Despite the hold, production of the Lightnings continues at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. "We expect to ramp up shipments in the coming weeks as we complete thorough launch quality checks to ensure these new F-150s meet our high standards and delight customers,” the company said in a statement sent by spokesperson Emma Bergg.
Meanwhile, the automaker began shipping the first of its refreshed gas-powered 2024 F-150 pickups to dealers last week.
The 2024 F-150 is the first in a series of launches this year for the Blue Oval. Earlier this month on an earnings call, CEO Jim Farley said the rollout is important after quality issues hindered past vehicle launches and profitability. The F-series trucks are the nation’s best-selling vehicles.
Revamped vehicle and quality testing processes began last year on the redesigned Super Duty trucks built in Kentucky. That slowed down the ramp-up, costing Ford $1 billion in operating earnings.
“It was the right trade-off for our company and our customers,” Farley said. “We’re seeing the benefits in the F-150 launch. That launch is underway right now, and it’s a really important one for our company.”
Automotive News was the first to report on the Lightning stop-shipment.
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Ford last month said it was increasing prices on most of its ’24 Lightning models, though the automaker reduced the price on its top trims. It was part of an effort to compress the cost difference between options and simplify the lineup.
The company also is offering bonus cash incentives on certain ’23 Lightnings. The Lariat, XLT and Pro trims also qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit at the point of sale for eligible customers.
Ford isn’t the only automaker taking steps to ensure vehicle quality for customers. General Motors Co. issued a pause on sales of the new GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickups after identifying software issues during validation. The Detroit automaker says it has a fix for the affected 15,000 trucks and expects the hold to lift soon. A few months earlier, GM had put a stop-sale on the Chevrolet Blazer EV, also because of software issues.
