Q1 2026 Forum Survey Results (And what we're doing next)

[halfbakedenchilada]

I don't feel like a sucker for buying this truck. I'm glad I bought it and I don't feel manipulated or fooled into doing so. It has many flaws and room for improvement, but I knew them going in. I don't understand this barrage of whining and complaints in a thread where the guy is trying to empower this forum and improve the truck.

I agree with you, mostly. It's the idea that they are still taking on information that I find annoying. If there are not going to be updates just say so and be done with it. But it's been years of "tell us more, we are listening!" followed by .... not much. Again, I really love my truck, probably the best vehicle I've ever owned. It might also be that many of us, including me, have owned Teslas (and Rivians) and so we know what *could* be possible with software.

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[22legit2quit]

These are gonna be the syclones, typhoons, terminator mustangs and svt lightnings of the future. The market will be niche but premiums will be paid to well cared for models. I haven’t seen the same number for sale, whether new or used, in a while in my area. To me that says they’ve been bought up or the manufacturer has recalled them.
I agree with the previous post about not continuing to solicit feedback when there will be no action nor follow-up. Personally I think Brian, not AI is more of a Fomoco plant to see what we’re most annoyed about and continue to make negative gains to those items in hopes that we lose faith and go back to ice. You know and not be the helpful advocate he claims to be.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

It seems more like we are the source of information that will be applied to the next model/universal platform group, not for application to trucks already sold in a model discontinued. - hope I am mistaken...

 

[astrand1]

Really would love to have PPO work with my 23 Platinum Truck off. Keep the updates coming!! (Just got my OTA update for trailer recall done today while camping). Love having recalls fixed without dealer trips!

As long as certain modules are updated enough you can enable that yourself in forscan.

 

[GoodSam]

wishlist add: OBD screen as standard, with nice layout of parameters

 

[JayF]

wishlist add: OBD screen as standard, with nice layout of parameters

This is legitimately a great suggestion. A diagnostics app, maybe even just implemented as a settings page, that returns the same basic battery info you can pull from OBD -- like SoH and such. Hide it behind a "Advanced information..." or whatever screen if you want.

 

[Altivec]

As long as certain modules are updated enough you can enable that yourself in forscan.

This is exactly the point.... People such as myself have been promised this when buying my 23 "It will be coming in a OTA update I was told". Here we are THREE years later and people still begging and holding on to that promise.... The feature has been implemented for years and all that is really needed is for Ford to activate the feature by changing some parameters and sending the OTA... a few minutes of work... That's what bugs me the most. it just screams "NOBODY CARES!!!!" without saying nobody cares. As you said, we can easily do it ourselves but I don't want to be messing around with that stuff. I didn't buy a truck to tinker with programming. I paid top dollar for Ford to do that for me as they promised they would.

 

[astrand1]

This is exactly the point.... People such as myself have been promised this when buying my 23 "It will be coming in a OTA update I was told". Here we are THREE years later and people still begging and holding on to that promise.... The feature has been implemented for years and all that is really needed is for Ford to activate the feature by changing some parameters and sending the OTA... a few minutes of work... That's what bugs me the most. it just screams "NOBODY CARES!!!!" without saying nobody cares. As you said, we can easily do it ourselves but I don't want to be messing around with that stuff. I didn't buy a truck to tinker with programming. I paid top dollar for Ford to that for me as they promised they would.

Oh I hear you bro! I feel the same way about things like updating the APIM so the Tesla SC show up. So irritating. And the fact that the Mach-e is still being built in my mind there is no excuse.

 

[struckby]

Really would love to have PPO work with my 23 Platinum Truck off. Keep the updates coming!! (Just got my OTA update for trailer recall done today while camping). Love having recalls fixed without dealer trips!

Update in Forscan to enable this.

 

[jsamp17]

There is one thing that I worry about more now that the Lightning is cancelled and thats long term service.

Ive not done a deep dive but Ive casually looked for the factory service manual for the truck. Ive heard there might be a subscription model for access to it but I would feel a lot better if I had that manual in hand. If there was an option theough Ford to purchase a copy I would appreciate that.

I was already a little cagey about finding a dealer that had techs that are enthusiastic about the EVs. Now there will be fewer opportunities for techs to see and work with them.

I would appreciate deep dives mentioned in the original post. Wanting to learn more about the truck and how the systems work describes me to a tee.

 

[Ted23Lightning]

This is exactly the point.... People such as myself have been promised this when buying my 23 "It will be coming in a OTA update I was told". Here we are THREE years later and people still begging and holding on to that promise.... The feature has been implemented for years and all that is really needed is for Ford to activate the feature by changing some parameters and sending the OTA... a few minutes of work... That's what bugs me the most. it just screams "NOBODY CARES!!!!" without saying nobody cares. As you said, we can easily do it ourselves but I don't want to be messing around with that stuff. I didn't buy a truck to tinker with programming. I paid top dollar for Ford to do that for me as they promised they would.

Agreed. I know (more or less lol) what I can & can’t do with Forscan, FDRS, & my Autel. But ur average buyer isn’t going to have the time & knowledge to tinker with these.
A funny (but sad) example is the salesman at the dealer I purchased my Lightning from didn’t even know what PAAK was… let alone I could use it for this truck :/
My hope is that they keep up with the updates, and take what they’ve learned for the Universal EV platform. The upgrade from the 12 to 48v architecture is already hopeful for a lot of our complaints.

 

[struckby]

Agreed. I know (more or less lol) what I can & can’t do with Forscan, FDRS, & my Autel. But ur average buyer isn’t going to have the time & knowledge to tinker with these.
A funny (but sad) example is the salesman at the dealer I purchased my Lightning from didn’t even know what PAAK was… let alone I could use it for this truck :/
My hope is that they keep up with the updates, and take what they’ve learned for the Universal EV platform. The upgrade from the 12 to 48v architecture is already hopeful for a lot of our complaints.

A larger deep cycle battery would have been a good option. All that room wasted. Also just have the current charhe circuit engage when in acc mode. That way you can't kill the 12v battery while listening to the radio while waiting on someone you are picking up. Simple things really.

 

[CoolViper777]

It all comes down to time and effort to implement and test any changes in the software. I've been a software engineer for many years. And the reality is, it may be a minor change, but when it comes to embedded software for a car, it needs to be tested to make sure it's working properly in all instances and it doesn't cause some other side effect.

And I'm sure the software team at Ford has more important things to do with their time in their mind.

I'm not saying it's right, but in the end, embedded software for a new model year vehicle will always take priority over older vehicles.

Someone should really leak the entire embedded code base and associated tools to create the firmware files. Then we could have a community software effort. Or Ford should open source the embedded software for these features.

This is exactly the point.... People such as myself have been promised this when buying my 23 "It will be coming in a OTA update I was told". Here we are THREE years later and people still begging and holding on to that promise.... The feature has been implemented for years and all that is really needed is for Ford to activate the feature by changing some parameters and sending the OTA... a few minutes of work... That's what bugs me the most. it just screams "NOBODY CARES!!!!" without saying nobody cares. As you said, we can easily do it ourselves but I don't want to be messing around with that stuff. I didn't buy a truck to tinker with programming. I paid top dollar for Ford to do that for me as they promised they would.

 

[JayF]

Someone should really leak the entire embedded code base and associated tools to create the firmware files. Then we could have a community software effort. Or Ford should open source the embedded software for these features.

Open Sourcing the "how the car runs" software + infotainment is a route to getting my money for vehicles forever.

 

[22legit2quit]

Open Sourcing the "how the car runs" software + infotainment is a route to getting my money for vehicles forever.

That would be cool but effectively remove the company(to include dealers and service) from the loop and you know remove money… it ain’t right but it’s real.

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