Class Action Lawsuit - Home Integration System

[Danface]

Me too! When I ask my Ford rep that question, she always responds that all of them work but mine.

Was that after she told you that Santa will be delivering the need parts and software to make it work?

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[Danface]

Too many cooks in the kitchen. The engineering teams got it working but there's no single overarching owner to the process. Of course the engineers got it work on Version 12.2 but Sunrun updated their hardware and firmware and Ford moved to Olympus Version 6.8 that no longer supports widget level macros and changed the IR Protocol to the newest AEII 11.2 standard etc etc etc ... too many moving parts and no owner

 

[MountainAlive]

Too many cooks in the kitchen. The engineering teams got it working but there's no single overarching owner to the process. Of course the engineers got it work on Version 12.2 but Sunrun updated their hardware and firmware and Ford moved to Olympus Version 6.8 that no longer supports widget level macros and changed the IR Protocol to the newest AEII 11.2 standard etc etc etc ... too many moving parts and no owner

I think this sums up the issue well. I have avoided the home integration system and will continue to do so until another solution arrives. CA is already getting ready to mandate EVs are bidirectional so it seems inevitable that other hardware solutions have to be on the horizon. But it’s anyone’s guess if Ford will make these work with the current gen Lightning. I really hope they do.

 

[Danface]

I think this sums up the issue well. I have avoided the home integration system and will continue to do so until another solution arrives. CA is already getting ready to mandate EVs are bidirectional so it seems inevitable that other hardware solutions have to be on the horizon. But it’s anyone’s guess if Ford will make these work with the current gen Lightning. I really hope they do.

I'm hoping Massachusetts follow suit and guessing they will soon. Luckily, I'd assume (danger!) that "a battery is a battery" so it won't be up to Ford to decide if the Lighning will work with a V2G integration.

 

[Wattsgas]

My Lightning is supposed to go in tomorrow for service and receive some updates per the service tech, including the gateway module which @Jim Lewis mentioned being part of the HIS fix. I asked them to perform the TSB related to the HIS but I do not know if they will (I'll ask them again tomorrow). If you pull up my thread on this TSB, I explained how the system was acting in my most recent test and have not tried any tests since.

In my 2 years with the truck, and 1.5 with the HIS, my experience has been unsatisfactory, while it physically can work, it never has as advertised. I have never had an actual automatic transfer during a real outage. I've had to manually fiddle with the truck or the FCSP in some way to get it to transfer during outage, and one time i was unable to get it to transfer at all. This has caused me to not trust the system and test it monthly by shutting the main breaker to the house. A few times it has worked during testing, but usually something is hung up with the FCSP and it needs to be rebooted in order to function as required for the transfer. This is disappointing since it does not help with my intended use of reliable power for my wife and kids at home when I am at work during storms.

This and the frunk were the main reasons I considered the Lightning, having never been a pickup truck driver in the past i figured this would fit the bill and could replace a propane generator at home. Those systems are fool proof so i figured they'd be able to make this at least WORK. But here we are, and things are getting worse not better.

Another thing we were promised that has not come to be is app based control and monitoring. They actually removed the function from the app, and i have yet to see any ability to enable or disable the backup power function as advertised in the promotional materials.

I've had a good amount of correspondence with Ford and Sunrun since the system was installed. I've had to replace the FCSP once due to the network/Bluetooth module dying. The new unit still requires frequent reboots to keep online (a complex task with the HIS dark start battery), I've had Sunrun out multiple times, I have multiple e-mail threads with Ford BEV support and Sunrun, and have gotten the same "an update is coming someday soon" messaging.

With my most recent issue, calling into Ford BEV and explaining the problem, the CSR hung up on me and when I called back immediately, it went right to voicemail like they just punched out. If this week doesn't turn things around i'll be a willing participant and hopefully can provide some useful documentation to the lack of engineering assistance we have gotten as customers.

I can't be the only one that has gone thru all this, there must be others on here with similar stories. Maybe airing them out will get us some results from Ford.

You know the most amazing thing is that Ford monitors our forum. And if you posted how good your truck tows, or how you did an amazing camping trip they would responds within minutes to the post. But if you have a problem with the HIS system you get crickets.

And yet they still advertise powering your home with HIS. They still advertise truck to grid, and all we get is crickets.

 

[tubby]

The Ford Home Integration System for the Ford Lightning has been oversold as a game-changing feature, but in reality, it’s more of a novelty than a necessity for most owners. While the idea of using the truck as a backup power source for your home is intriguing, the actual practical use of it falls short. For most people, the system is more about the “cool factor” than true utility. Between the high installation costs and the fact that home battery backups or generators offer more reliable and cost-effective solutions, it’s clear that this setup is not something the average Lightning owner will ever truly need or get their money’s worth from. But, kudos to those who actually have a lot of use for it and made the effort to get and keep it working.
Forums have been buzzing with negative feedback, as many users have found that the complexity and expense of the system far outweigh its benefits. Enjoy your Lightning for the powerful and versatile vehicle it is, but avoid turning it into a headache by investing in this overpriced home integration feature. It’s simply not worth the hassle for most owners, especially when other energy backup options are more accessible and affordable.

 

[Monkey]

I never installed the HIS, first due to cost but then later watching this dumpster fire burn and all the complaints. My FCSP still sits in its unopened original box and I almost sold it a couple times. But then didn’t because it would be really nice if I had the backup power. We’ve had more power outages this past year than we’ve had the entire previous 17 years combined, since living here, so would be nice…

I hope you guys find a resolution and Ford gets this figured out, even if it does take legal action to do it.

 

[nulafed]

It’s not, at this point about if there will be legal action, it’s about who wants to join and how many are having issues and want to join. I’m 100% of litigation simply out of principle at this point. I have 5-6 law firm here in D.C. wanting to jump on this ASAP, but I’m filtering it down to the best viable and capable firm. I appreciate the thoughts of others without the system, but the focus here is for those with the system that do not work or do not work as advertised.
For the comment about the guy that got his truck bought by Ford, I’d love more information and their contact info as that’s interesting to me.

Thanks All!

 

[Steely]

Back from the dealer with whatever updates they deemed appropriate but the backup power transfer still fails under test. It's doing the same thing as before where it thinks it's transferred but isn't actually providing power, then a minute or two in the charge ring on the truck flashes amber and it goes idle. I recorded it as proof. Guess I'll send out emails to Sunrun and Ford tomorrow to see if anyone wants to act.

?

 

[JackieDemarais]

You know the most amazing thing is that Ford monitors our forum. And if you posted how good your truck tows, or how you did an amazing camping trip they would responds within minutes to the post. But if you have a problem with the HIS system you get crickets.

And yet they still advertise powering your home with HIS. They still advertise truck to grid, and all we get is crickets.

They do still advertise this feature? I haven’t seen that in some time now.

 

[luebri]

They do still advertise this feature? I haven’t seen that in some time now.

its on Ford.com right now, when you go the Lightning page.

 

[Schroederhc1]

Incredible but true shit stories; Farley seems like a straight shooter; I don't know how in good conscience, he can ignore this.

 

[IWIRE]

I bought the 2023 Lightning for the purpose of using the Home Integration System (HIS) to store my excess solar during the day and use the truck batteries to power my home at night. I hooked up a temp solution while I was trying to decide whether to buy expensive Enphase batteries or buy the FORD HIS. My temp system solution has been problematic trying to back feed my home from the Pro Power Onboard,(PPO) which works somewhat but causes many of my AFCI breakers to trip on a regular basis. Is the problem that the system does not transfer automatically or that it doesn’t transfer at all?
The reason I want to go to the HISis that I can get twice as much power out of the truck at any given moment 19.2 kW with the HIS versus the 9.6 kW from the PPO. I am net zero on consumption, just need a storage solution. Thoughts?

 

[invertedspear]

Incredible but true shit stories; Farley seems like a straight shooter; I don't know how in good conscience, he can ignore this.

Farley seems very concerned about the vehicles themselves. I wonder how much attention he even pays to peripherals like this. It's really REALLY far outside the Ford wheelhouse. They should have just helped establish a VTL standard and pushed the manufacturer of the FCSP to follow that standard instead of this walled garden BS.

 

[Schroederhc1]

Farley seems very concerned about the vehicles themselves. I wonder how much attention he even pays to peripherals like this. It's really REALLY far outside the Ford wheelhouse. They should have just helped establish a VTL standard and pushed the manufacturer of the FCSP to follow that standard instead of this walled garden BS.

Agreed.

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