Who would be stupid enough to buy after ford cancelin the lightning

[Athrun88]

If I was buying this year instead of last year, I would still buy the Lightning despite it being discontinued by Ford in it's current form. Would probably get a sweet deal from the stealership to get it off their lot and I would be happier. Hell, if my wife wanted to get one now to replace her Q6 early (she loves the ride of the Lightning), I would grab her an XLT or Flash that's on the lot.

No Android Auto/Carplay on GM/Chevy is a hard stop. Not into the 'lifestyle' offerings from Rivian/Hummer. Definitely not a fan of the Cybertruck and never was a fan of Tesla as a whole. Well, maybe their supercharger network, but credit where credit is due. Lastly, not in the market for a smaller EV SUV or crossover, nor am I willing to go back to anything that requires dino juice.

Only times I've had to go back to the dealership for service was for a new windshield and door keypad; both of which are probably common to the overall F-150 platform or can be fabricated to spec as needed. Difference is that, this time around, I would firmly go in with the understanding that there will be no more software updates and I'm truely buying the truck 'as-is' instead of last year when I went in knowing that any update would be a happy bonus.

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[EV Engineer]

I kind of wonder if announcing the T3 so early on was a bit of a mistake.
I also think that only having the 100k versions on day 1 was also a mistake.

So basically you were lead to believe that the Lightning was a 100k vehicle that was going to be outdated in 3 years by the T3...... Hell, I even thought that the Lightnings were 100k until I started cross shopping the Rivian. If I didn't do this I wouldn't have ended up with the Flash at a pretty decent price.

Can't tell you how many guys I've seen in 70k+ GMC Sierra AT-4's give me a jarr about the price of lightning.....

If only the knew there was a trim level out there that was not much more than mid-size Tacoma's...

A big blunder IMO was not advertising the hell out of the affordable PRO option.

I think they were just not profitable.

But look at Model 3 and Model Y...they've reached economy of scale.

Way more $ in volume than selling a couple high end products.

 

[PrimeRisk]

You do realize class action lawsuits exist right? When we purchased our cars Ford entered into a binding agreement on paper to provide the warranty they have written down- 10 years/100,000 miles. If they don’t honor that (and they obviously will) the class action would be massive.

Ford isn’t going anywhere, and their warranty coverage for 100,000 lightnings that were sold with warranties aren’t going anywhere either.

I never said they would not honor warranties, however they are not obligated to fix your vehicle under the terms of the warranty if it is deemed irreparable at their sole discretion. This literally means that if they do not want to repair it, for any reason, they will not. If the parts no longer exist because they are no longer manufactured or the repair is economically disadvantageous to them to provide, they will not repair your vehicle.

This does not mean you get stiffed. In this scenario they would buy the vehicle back for residual value and/or offer you a discount to buy another vehicle from them.

In addition, you do not have 10 years unless you bought an extended warranty. The Lightnings came with 3-year/36,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Warranty, and a special 8-year/100,000-mile Electric Vehicle Component Warranty.

 

[PrimeRisk]

Magnuson-Moss Act.

There is no 10 year obligation in it, it only protects companies from voiding warranties on technicalities.

 

[waffleso_0]

Call me stupid. I also love my Lightning, so much that I ordered a replacement for my 2025 Lariat. I really don’t know if it’ll be built; wait and see for now. I’m also disappointed at the EREV strategy for F150 but I won’t turn my back on an iconic brand that has delivered for me and my family and extended family for generations. So, call me stupid. I’ll stick around and if/when the EREV emerges, I’ll let you peeps know how it goes. I remain cautiously optimistic for now.

This is the way. I've owned 2 fords in my time and both are great. I have to imagine the data speaks for itself in terms of the market. Sucks for many but to be honest, I loved my plugin fusion and hope they make a newer fusion down the road.... and cant wait to see the full size truck with the best of both worlds.

I went from a fusion to a ford ranger so I went back to gas knowing full well my commute is 1.5 hour, why? I wanted more power and ability. I wanted the do it all vehicle as my only vehicle (gave fusion to my parents)

 

[PrimeRisk]

I was slightly misinformed. They are required to support the vehicle for the entire warranty period so it would be 8/100k minimum (possibly more if you bought the Ford ESP). But lots of vehicles have been discontinued or replaced over the years and you can still get parts for them.

I have zero doubt that you’ll be able to get parts for a long time to come. I can still get parts for 20+ year old vehicles if I need them.

Software updates are my only concern here. Legacy auto has a habit of dropping support for software once a new model comes out so I’ll be curious to see if they change their tune in the long run or not.

The issue here is the very small volume of vehicles produced. 100k units sounds like a lot until you realize that this is across 44 months (or ~2,300/month). Compared to the ICE version of the F150 producing over 30k per month or Tesla Model Y production of over 85k/month, the F-150 Lightnings are unicorns in the vehicle world.

The common parts between the ICE F-150 and the EV will likely be available until the sun burns out, however the EV specific components are the problem. My key concern is with the EV powertrain, specifically the battery packs, onboard chargers, and motor assemblies. These are out of production now and once backstock is gone, they will never return to production by Ford and 2nd tier OEMs will never invest in tooling up to support them. The likelihood that the architecture used in the Lightning will be reused in future generations of their EVs is very low. We have experienced Ford's 1.0 EV vision and the next version will likely be completely different.

Time will be the enemy. If you have a battery failure in the next year or two, there will likely be a new, old-stock pack or individual modules readily available to get you back on the road. If you took delivery of a '25 recently and have a failure near the end of the 8-year warranty period, you are likely to be SOL. The same will be true for the onboard chargers and motors.

Then the software issue: Think the software ecosystem and the lack up updates to correct existing defects for the F150s stinks now, well it's about to get a WHOLE lot worse. These vehicles are computers that you happen to be able to drive. They are 100% dependent on the software to operate and we already know that there are stories about bricked Lightnings that have their root issue based in a software fault. Tesla and other successful EV manufacturers are continually updating the software and not for window-dressing reasons. Sure, I just got my Holiday Update on my Tesla and now I can perform a light and music show, but that's only the window dressing. The real updates are making changes to the charging/maintenance profiles to extend battery life and acceleration profiles that extend the longevity of the motors and gearboxes. These changes behind the scenes make all the difference between the car lasting 150k miles vs 300k miles.

Sure, there will be opportunities to get parts from wrecked vehicles to keep your truck on the road and there will be a shop somewhere that will find profit in component-level repair of your battery packs, but that will be outside of the warranty, out of your own pocket, and it will not be cheap.

RIP F-150 Lightning, I knew ye!

 

[BennyTheBeaver]

Just to add to everyone else's sentiments...I love my Lightning. Best vehicle I've ever driven, I will drive it for as long as I can (or at least until the extended warranty runs out). I also think it will be our last Ford. I have little faith or trust left, makes me wish the Lightning software and also the (purchasing) dealer experience were similar to Rivian's. Ford's service has been great for us for the most part. Wife and I were considering a Mach-E or a Rivian R2 for our 2nd vehicle, I think this made up our minds for us.

 

[RLXXI]

I never said they would not honor warranties, however they are not obligated to fix your vehicle under the terms of the warranty if it is deemed irreparable at their sole discretion. This literally means that if they do not want to repair it, for any reason, they will not. If the parts no longer exist because they are no longer manufactured or the repair is economically disadvantageous to them to provide, they will not repair your vehicle.

This does not mean you get stiffed. In this scenario they would buy the vehicle back for residual value and/or offer you a discount to buy another vehicle from them.

In addition, you do not have 10 years unless you bought an extended warranty. The Lightnings came with 3-year/36,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Warranty, and a special 8-year/100,000-mile Electric Vehicle Component Warranty.

3yr/36000 BTB, 8yr/100,000 for electric power trains, 5yr/60,000 for gas power trains. They lump it all together in literature to save a page of paper and 5 mins.

 

[TaxmanHog]

My blood runs Ford Blue........................

 

[cdherman]

I know everyone is freaking out right now, but I still feel confident Ford will support our Lightnings for the 10 year period as promised. If I had bought a Rivian or Lucid and they cancelled the EV, I’d be a lot more worried about future support guarantees.

10 years? A real work truck is just broke in at 10 years. And every indication is that a Lightning CAN be a serious working truck. My family farm has a 95 Silverado, a 2004 Silverado, a 2008 2500 HD Chevy, a 2009 4x4 "nice" extended cab Silverado... And a 2023Lighting.

Its a food chain. The old trucks live on until some event totals them -- either the frame rusts out, or engine is gone. In the real world, trucks just descend down.

BUTTTT. A lightning without Ford support with its electronics is going to be a nightmare. My brother and I plan on this being the last Ford EVER. DONE. OVER.

Maybe I'll crush my 1965 F100 restored antique out of spite. (not).

But seriously Ford, you caved. You ran. You wasted it. You could have scaled back production, admitted the economy and politics were not optimal without blaming anyone. Could have just lost a few more millions for a while (you say you lost 19 billion, but that is hogwash -- Ford is taking that hit to pay less taxes and dividends and make climate denying naysayers happy)

Even if there are vehicles on firesale prices, its STUPID to buy a Lightning at this point. I highly doubt there will ever be third party support for a Lightning. Has anyone heard of a Delorean? Possible that some Ford dealerships in some places might continue to support the LIghtings if their local customers were sufficient. Doubtful though.

2033 = crusher...... Sad.

 

[Deleted member 22541]

FORD will do well - LMAO
a good business decision
FORD willl do exceedingly well -
all the threats by disgruntled make me SMH
it is child tantrums from an insignificant group -
CARRY ON

 

[bc1]

Well...... So back at ya What Ford man/person would be stupid enough to buy a Chevy, Dodge, or some foreign pickup? Ford has never been perfect but the seats comfortably fit my rear end and back and I understand how to work on them.

 

[Jesse-Infotainment]

I dont see how this is any different than a new gen Lightning releasing. Meaning if they released the new gen essentially the old one is dead. They arent going to focus on the old one anymore. Same as when they end the 13 gen Ice F150 and went to the 14 GEN.

I fail to see how this affects anyone that owns one or buys one that is still out there. The warranty coverage isnt an option for Ford.

I dont like Ford ended a PURE EV full size truck. If I were to ever have to buy a new truck I would have to look at what I have going on at that time and see what is available. The lightning to me was still the best option and best priced EV truck option. I know they were more expensive than they were supposed to be, BUT the Rivian, Cyber Truck were way more for less In MY opinion. The GM offerings were ok.. but still expensive and look weird to me. Some of us want a normal looking truck.

Lightning being ended is the way the wind is blowing right now. I think the Lightning was really just starting to gain traction too. In Dallas on cars.com there are 140 new Lightnings total within 150 miles of me. So they are selling and I know I have seen way more in my daily commute than ever.

Seems like as the Lightning is gaining in market.. they kill it. I can see FOrd looking back at this decision in 8 -10 years and regretting it.

 

[PrimeRisk]

I dont see how this is any different than a new gen Lightning releasing. Meaning if they released the new gen essentially the old one is dead. They arent going to focus on the old one anymore. Same as when they end the 13 gen Ice F150 and went to the 14 GEN.

I fail to see how this affects anyone that owns one or buys one that is still out there. The warranty coverage isnt an option for Ford.

I dont like Ford ended a PURE EV full size truck. If I were to ever have to buy a new truck I would have to look at what I have going on at that time and see what is available. The lightning to me was still the best option and best priced EV truck option. I know they were more expensive than they were supposed to be, BUT the Rivian, Cyber Truck were way more for less In MY opinion. The GM offerings were ok.. but still expensive and look weird to me. Some of us want a normal looking truck.

Lightning being ended is the way the wind is blowing right now. I think the Lightning was really just starting to gain traction too. In Dallas on cars.com there are 140 new Lightnings total within 150 miles of me. So they are selling and I know I have seen way more in my daily commute than ever.

Seems like as the Lightning is gaining in market.. they kill it. I can see FOrd looking back at this decision in 8 -10 years and regretting it.

This is very different than a planned new gen, it is a complete re-platform and different direction in technology. This isn't so much a shift in focus, but an abandonment. In this case since the manufactured base is so tiny, ~100k, there are going to be a significant shortage of the parts that are unique to the 2022-2025 F-150 Lightnings. Put another way, Ford plans replacement part backstock for warranty repairs based on long-term failure rates on large amounts of data. The Gen 13 F-150 was manufactured for 5 years and a total unit count of around 2 million units. This gives them a lot of data on what fails. In addition, the plans for the Gen 14 were well under way when Gen 13 production started. They had a plan as to when the Gen 13 would halt manufacture and when the Gen 14 would start. The end of the Lighting appears to be more of a snap decision and the generational plan was not completed.

Today that is not a concern as there are a likely a significant backstock on the EV-unique parts. In a few years, your mid-life, still under warranty, Lightning may have one of these unique parts fail. If they no longer exist, then you will be stuck with an irreparable vehicle (at least by Ford on their dime), so they will be compelled to compensate you.

The compensation formula will not be your friend. While Lemon Laws likely will not apply as most state statues apply during only the first few years of ownership, the formulas enshrined in these laws will be what they offer you in compensation. In Colorado, for example, the expected mileage lifetime under Lemon Laws is 100,000 miles. So take your mileage / 100,000 and multiply by your purchase prices and that's what they can deduct from your buy-back.

So, let's say your battery on your 2025 F-150 Lariat ER you bought for $80k dies at 7 years, 11 months (in 2033) with 99,500 miles on it. Well, congratulations, your buy-back offer will be:

$80,000 - (99,500/100,000) x $80,000 = $400

Does that sound fair to you?

It's not and your attorney will argue that it is unreasonable, so Ford will offer you a $10k discount on a new $100k EREV (and a hearty "Trust us this time") or $5k cash to make you go away.

Do I fault Ford for this business decision? No, they are in the business to make money and they have clearly demonstrated that they are absolutely incompetent in bringing a profitable EV truck to market. They should have given up after 2023 when sales numbers were weak and feature deleted tons of little features from the vehicle tiers trying to make the losses look less bad.

The point I'm making is only P.T. Barnum's favorite people would buy one of these vehicles unless it was a true fire sale like 50% or less of MSRP.

 

[Jesse-Infotainment]

The lightning and Mach E share the same motors.. MANY of THe same Modules through out and I believe the same individual Battery modules, not sure on that one.. I know they have a LFP option for Mach E. The Mach E is staying in production.

If I wanted a full size EV truck and the Lighting is available.. I would do it. I guess Im not scared about a module going bad I would be able it figure it out and fix it myself.

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