Repeated Alignment Issues on 2024 F-150 Lightning – Anyone Else?

[boltandcece]

I’ve got a 2024 F-150 Lightning (~1,400 miles) that’s experiencing a recurring alignment issue that has two different Ford dealers stumped.

The Issue:
• At just 300 miles, the truck had a hard pull to the right that needed constant correction.
• First alignment showed rear toe was well out of factory spec from the factory.
• Now at 1,400 miles, after two dealer alignments, rear toe keeps drifting out of spec, even within 40-60 miles of normal driving.
• The truck also pulls hard right or left under acceleration, much more than what I’d expect for normal AWD torque steer.

Dealers’ Response:
• Both have checked all suspension components and say everything is “tight.”
• They realign it, but within a few drives, alignment shifts again.
• No clear answer yet on what is allowing rear toe to move repeatedly.

Could This Be a Design Issue?
• The weight (~7,000-8,000 lbs) and 775 lb-ft torque put extreme stress on the suspension.
• Could this be bushing deflection, rear subframe shifting, or toe links not holding position?
• Or is this just a one-off issue with my truck?

I love the truck, but if Ford doesn’t figure this out, it’s looking like a Lemon Law case. Anyone else experiencing this? Would appreciate any insight!

Sponsored

 

[Maquis]

This is the first time I’ve seen this reported here. If it were a design issue, we’d have heard about it by now. The dealer needs to get Ford involved.

 

[l!ghtning]

24 Flash, ~800 miles, literally just noticed an odd pulling to the left at street speeds. Didn't know I could take it to dealer for this.... is it covered under warranty?

 

[boltandcece]

This is the first time I’ve seen this reported here. If it were a design issue, we’d have heard about it by now. The dealer needs to get Ford involved.

Totally agree, and that’s exactly what I plan to push for after tomorrow. Just spoke with the service advisor this evening, and he’d like me to come in tomorrow for a test drive with the lead tech to demonstrate the pull I feel to the left and right under load.

At this point, I see that as secondary because steering feel can shift based on conditions and as the alignment moves. The bigger concern is that I have alignment readouts from three different dealer visits showing measurable movement—with rear toe drifting out of spec twice.

Another layer of concern is the upper control arm recall for improper torque, which raises questions about whether other suspension components could have also left the factory under-torqued. If that’s the case, it could explain why alignment isn’t holding properly.

Depending on how tomorrow goes, I’ll push for a Ford field engineer to be involved because while the techs say everything is “tight,” it’s hard to confirm whether torque was actually checked across the board. Something is allowing alignment to shift, and it needs to be properly investigated.

 

[boltandcece]

24 Flash, ~800 miles, literally just noticed an odd pulling to the left at street speeds. Didn't know I could take it to dealer for this.... is it covered under warranty?

Yes, at that mileage, the dealer should inspect it under a customer service-type inspection at minimum. If the vehicle is out of alignment, and the alignment isn’t in factory spec, and you haven’t hit anything (potholes, curbs, etc.), then the inspection and necessary alignment should be covered under warranty.

In my case, I’ve had multiple inspections and alignments at two different dealers, and I haven’t been charged for any of them because the misalignment happened without any external cause within just a few hundred miles.

One thing to keep in mind—there’s a known recall for upper control arms that were improperly torqued from the factory, which adds another variable to this issue. If alignment is shifting unexpectedly, there’s a possibility that other suspension components in some build ranges may have also been affected. That recall did impact some 2024 builds and just something to be mindful of.

Definitely take yours in and have them document everything, especially if the pull is noticeable. If they find it out of spec without any external impact, it should be covered.

 

[Heliian]

rear toe keeps drifting out of spec,

Theres your problem. Why is it going out of spec though? Align, torque and mark all the components then drive it to see which one is the problem.

pulls hard right or left under acceleration, much more than what I’d expect for normal AWD torque steer.

You gotta hold on to the reins when you're gettin on the ponies.

 

[TaxmanHog]

One thing to keep in mind—there’s a known recall for upper control arms that were improperly torqued from the factory, which adds another variable to this issue.

Discussed in this thread if you haven't read it yet.

NHTSA Recall - Loss of Steering from Front Control Arm Separation (Impacting certain 2023 to 2024 builds)

 

[jetfixr1]

Get it realigned and put torque seal on everything. When it happens again you will know whats causing it.

 

[boltandcece]

Get it realigned and put torque seal on everything. When it happens again you will know whats causing it.

Great idea, and something I will push the dealer on. You’re spot on. Standard practice for many aircraft fasteners anyway. Photo checks out.

 

[rdr854]

I have a similar issue with my 2022.

Is anyone aware of an actual solution?

 

[boltandcece]

Finally ended up at a decent dealer. They retorqued most of the components underneath and realigned the truck. So far it’s held alignment pretty well over the last 5k miles. I marked everything with torque seal to watch for movement and all the seals are still holding.

No clue what the actual issue was or if it’ll come back. I laid everything out to Ford and told them how ridiculous the whole process was—tons of wasted time, multiple dealers, and most just telling me to pound sand while handing me alignment sheets that showed major shifts after barely any mileage.

After enough back and forth and months of waiting, Ford finally offered me a free extended warranty. Sometimes they do that as goodwill, but it definitely felt like they knew there were suspension problems or more problems coming with the recall. At the time, they told me my VIN wasn’t in the first recall batch… then, during all this, it got flagged in the next round even though my build date was in the original window. Lots of wonkiness.

Honestly feels like they just wanted me to quiet down and move on, so they tossed the warranty my way instead of admitting anything. Wish I could be more help on root causes, but at this point I’d just be guessing.

Keep the forums aware what you find out.

 

[21st Century Truck]

Finally ended up at a decent dealer. They retorqued most of the components underneath and realigned the truck. So far it’s held alignment pretty well over the last 5k miles. I marked everything with torque seal to watch for movement and all the seals are still holding.

No clue what the actual issue was or if it’ll come back. I laid everything out to Ford and told them how ridiculous the whole process was—tons of wasted time, multiple dealers, and most just telling me to pound sand while handing me alignment sheets that showed major shifts after barely any mileage.

After enough back and forth and months of waiting, Ford finally offered me a free extended warranty. Sometimes they do that as goodwill, but it definitely felt like they knew there were suspension problems or more problems coming with the recall. At the time, they told me my VIN wasn’t in the first recall batch… then, during all this, it got flagged in the next round even though my build date was in the original window. Lots of wonkiness.

Honestly feels like they just wanted me to quiet down and move on, so they tossed the warranty my way instead of admitting anything. Wish I could be more help on root causes, but at this point I’d just be guessing.

Keep the forums aware what you find out.

It would help us readers if Your avatar block listed the location where You live.

 

[boltandcece]

It would help us readers if Your avatar block listed the location where You live.

Should be amended now. Good call. I’m in LA.

Sponsored