• Welcome to F150Lightningforum.com everyone!

    If you're joining us from F150gen14.com, then you may already have an account here!

    If you were registered on F150gen14.com as of April 16, 2022 or earlier, then you can simply login here with the same username and password!

Sponsored

POLL: Battery induced Fire on 2/4 = Stop Production. Are you parking outside tonight?

Are you parking outside now?


  • Total voters
    192

Toby57

Well-known member
First Name
Randy
Joined
Sep 20, 2022
Threads
0
Messages
231
Reaction score
176
Location
kansas
Vehicles
2018 F-150 XL 101A
Occupation
retired
I decided I had enough. Traded in. Pic of taking delivery from dealer. Wife not happy but hay

1676580057122.png
Hey Lance romance, ya can't share that leg blanket with your wife?
 
  • Like
Reactions: chl

chl

Well-known member
First Name
CHRIS
Joined
Dec 16, 2022
Threads
4
Messages
298
Reaction score
160
Location
alexandria virginia
Vehicles
2001 FORD RANGER, 2023 F-150 LIGHTNING
Not trying to incite anger or heated debate. I am simply curious where everyone stands. After the recent news that the stop productions is related to fire from the High Voltage Battery. Are you parking outside tonight?

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/15/ford-f-150-lightning-production-halted.html
A worrisome development.
I am glad I didn't go through with a purchase, although it was because of the 40% price hike.

I would recommend anyone with a Lightning park it outdoors away from your house or other structure and not plugged in - a fire could spread via the charge cord.

At least until Ford figures out if this problem is in a particular limited batch of batteries or if it is widespread.
---
"...The battery supplier for the truck is South Korea-based SK On, a spinoff of SK Innovation, which the Detroit automaker announced a joint venture with in 2021 to establish battery production facilities in the U.S.

Ford said it is not aware of any incidents of this issue in vehicles that have already been delivered to customers and dealers. Retailers can continue to sell vehicles that they may already have in stock...

Automakers routinely have issues and recalls associated with vehicles but problems with batteries are of particular concern and interest, as the automakers invest billions of dollars in the vehicles.

One of the most notable issues has been with General Motors’ Chevrolet Bolt EVs. The Detroit automaker two years ago had to recall all of the vehicles built up until then to address fire issues caused by “rare manufacturing defects” at facilities of its battery supplier LG Battery Solution...."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/15/ford-f-150-lightning-production-halted.html
---

This could be big trouble for Lightning owners...or not.

I personally would not risk the potential loss of life and property.
 

chl

Well-known member
First Name
CHRIS
Joined
Dec 16, 2022
Threads
4
Messages
298
Reaction score
160
Location
alexandria virginia
Vehicles
2001 FORD RANGER, 2023 F-150 LIGHTNING
What are you going to drive? Gas vehicles have fires too.
Yes, and it was Ford that had ignition circuit problems that led to random fires - the advice then was PARK THE VEHICLE OUTSIDE.

One of my daughter's neighbors lost their house to a fire because theirs was parked in an attached garage.

A word to the wise...
 

Sponsored

chl

Well-known member
First Name
CHRIS
Joined
Dec 16, 2022
Threads
4
Messages
298
Reaction score
160
Location
alexandria virginia
Vehicles
2001 FORD RANGER, 2023 F-150 LIGHTNING
The battery manufacturer has excellent history with their pouch cells. It sounds like the fire happened soon after the truck left the assembly plant. No other fires have been reported while in transit, while in chip hold storage, or with the purchaser.
It would be logical a mistake happened in the assembly process.
One fire out of 20k units, certainly no reason to give up on the Lightning or EVs.
Remember Tesla now mounts the seats directly on top of the battery.
Most, although not all, EV fires occurs during/after an accident that damaged the battery, and during charging due to a manufacturing defect that showed up during charging.

However, some small number of Bolt and Volt (GM) fires occurred when the vehicles were just parked. GM traced the issue back to the battery manufacturer (LG).

Ford plug-in hybrids (20,000 in Europe) had to be recalled a year or two ago due to fires.

In this case, the Lightning, Ford say that the stop production was due to ' "a potential "battery issue" that occurred during the pre-delivery quality inspection process and on Wednesday clarified that a fire was involved' which turned out to be a battery fire, and that "the fire occurred in a company lot in Dearborn, Michigan, where the truck was being held before shipping, according to Reuters, and spread to a nearby truck. "

So seems like it was sitting on a lot being "held" not being charged.
If that's what they mean, then that is even more cause for concern.

Also, although Ford said they think they have identified the issue, Ford " It did not say exactly how many were potentially affected by the battery issue. "

Batteries for the F-150 Lightning are currently supplied by Korean firm SK On, which manufactures them in Georgia.

Ford also says they are changing the battery type to LFP from the NCM type now used because although "LFP batteries have a lower energy density than the NCM (nickel cobalt manganese) batteries currently used...[they] are cheaper to build, more durable and less susceptible to fires... They will first be employed in standard range versions of the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E, while NCM packs will still be used in vehicles with longer range and higher power requirements...."

Putting out an EV fire is no easy task by the way. Yes ICE cars catch fire sometimes, but those fires are easier to put out according to fire experts, fire departments, etc.

---
"...experts note that once a lithium-ion pack does catch fire they can be extremely difficult for authorities to deal with.

“I just remember some of our firefighters standing there shooting so much water at that electric vehicle, and it not going out,” Orange County Fire Captain Greg Barta told the Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Spotlight on America. “It was something I had never seen.”

One case documented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an example. According to the file, the Bolt caught fire at a home in Vienna, Virginia on July 4, 2021. Firefighters spent an hour trying to douse the flames but it restarted an hour later. The damaged vehicle reignited for a third time after it was towed to a Chevy dealership."
---

While not-fool proof, many (most? all?) EV's have a battery fire suppression system. At least one of the three known early Nissan Leaf battery fires that have occurred was contained by the on-board system in Oct 2012. Two other early Nissan Leafs had battery fires, and Nissan made changes to address the potential issue in the batteries and offered replacement battery packs to all potential Leaf owners affected by the issue.

It is possible Ford may have to do the same thing.
It took GM a long time to deal with their Bolt/Volt battery recall, and cost billions to effect.

Once a problem like this has been identified in a particular make/model of vehicle, it seems to me it would be prudent to not risk loss of life and property until more is known.

Note that Ford said the fire in the Lightning spread to another vehicle.
 

Pioneer74

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2021
Threads
27
Messages
3,084
Reaction score
5,212
Location
Dearborn
Vehicles
2022 Lightning Lariat ER - 2022 Mach-E Premium
Occupation
Electrician
Yes, and it was Ford that had ignition circuit problems that led to random fires - the advice then was PARK THE VEHICLE OUTSIDE.

One of my daughter's neighbors lost their house to a fire because theirs was parked in an attached garage.

A word to the wise...
I lost everything to a house fire back in 2004. It sucks and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But any vehicle at any time can catch fire. We're talking about one vehicle that could have had any number of things wrong with it. Until Ford warns me otherwise, I think you're overreacting, so you do you.
 

rdr854

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2021
Threads
7
Messages
1,066
Reaction score
699
Location
Northern Virginia
Vehicles
18 Volvo V90, 22 Ford F150 Lightning, 23 Outback
For sure, and they are also easier to put out. I’m searching for ICE being recalled due to fires like the Bolt and soon Ford.

It’s not just this Ford debacle, I think during this process and it being my second EV, they just aren’t for me right now.

I find ICE to have less compromise and better all-around for my needs but you pay for it at the pump.

Not to mention I miss the exhaust note.
My sister's 1987 Honda Civic was recalled for engine compartment fires due to fuel system leaks in the engine compartment. Of course, this happened a few years AFTER her car burned up due to an engine fire. At the time of the fire, her car was less than 2 years old.
 

Avocadodude

Well-known member
First Name
Kurt
Joined
Feb 24, 2022
Threads
10
Messages
640
Reaction score
693
Location
Fallbrook, CA
Vehicles
F150 Lariat
I not only drove my Pinto Wagon, I towed it behind my motorhome!
We might need a Pinto poll. Used to deliver newspapers from one.
 

Sponsored

Skidrowe

Well-known member
First Name
Gideon
Joined
Dec 22, 2021
Threads
6
Messages
262
Reaction score
418
Location
Texas
Vehicles
2022 F-150 Lightning ER, 2014 Honda Pilot
Mine is parked at the dealer getting body work from some damaged sustained during shipping back in September. It'll be there for at least another 1.5 weeks. I have zero concerns about this issue while it's there. Once it's home, I'll continue to have zero concerns. Additional data in the future could change my mind while rhetoric won't.

P.S. I drove a '78 pinto for about 6 months when I was younger. No fire got me then.
 

skyak

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2022
Threads
10
Messages
159
Reaction score
146
Location
Texas
Vehicles
F250, 911, Lightning
A very small % of EVs catch fire. In my opinion if you are not ok with that risk you should not buy an EV. There is a reason they don't allow lithium batteries in checked baggage. No need for the drama queens.
 

shutterbug

Well-known member
First Name
Joseph
Joined
May 20, 2021
Threads
6
Messages
1,168
Reaction score
1,131
Location
Phoenix
Vehicles
Mastang Mach-E Grabber Blue First Edition
If people stopped driving vehicles because they had the chance to spontaneously combust, we would be back to riding horses
Until spontaneous equine combustion became a thing :ROFLMAO:
 

Sealevel

Well-known member
First Name
Martin
Joined
May 22, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
181
Reaction score
153
Location
Memphis, TN
Vehicles
23 XLT Lightning SR
Occupation
Engineer
I will always park my Lightning outside - it is 10 inches longer than my garage is deep. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 

data003

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2022
Threads
9
Messages
213
Reaction score
205
Location
Maine
Vehicles
2022 F-150 Lightning Lariat ER
Occupation
Computer Nerd
Exactly! They also lied and side it was discovered during PDI. However it appears (based on the reports) that their PDI was some guy noticed a truck outside on fire in the holding lot. I have some trust issues based on that communication alone.



I have 3 little kids sleeping above my attached garage. A little more serious than an insurance claim, to say the least.

"By the end of next week, we expect to conclude our investigation and apply what we learn to the truck’s battery production process"

This statement also tells me they have not identified or implemented a fix, so I am not sure how they can justly say it does not affect previously shipped vehicles. I understand they are trying to avoid panic but I am not gambling based on their PR statements. We need more details... until then I am parking outside.

Reading the tea leaves... they are gambling on this because Farley is hanging on by a thread.

https://247wallst.com/autos/2023/02/16/ford-ceo-farley-must-be-fired/
That article reads exactly like someone who has a position in F they are unhappy with. Seriously questionable opinion piece.
Sponsored

 


 


Top