Looking for Buying Tips

[SlavaK]

Hi all,
My daily driver is no longer reliable, and since my workplace offers free EV charging, I need to switch to an electric vehicle. After doing some research, I’ve narrowed it down to the Ford F-150 Lightning. I’m looking for some honest insight to help me choose my next truck.
Right now I’m considering two options:
1. 2024 XLT with 15,000 miles from a Ford dealership
2. 2023 Lariat with 60,000 miles from a Chevy dealership
They’re priced the same, and of course the Lariat is the more desirable trim. However, since I have very limited hands-on experience with EVs, I’m not sure what counts as “high mileage” for a Lightning.
Is buying a truck with 60,000 miles a high-risk move? Ideally, I’d like a worry-free, reliable truck that will last me another 100,000 miles or 5+ years of mostly highway driving.
For context, I live in the Bay Area in California, so I don’t have to deal with cold weather — just hills.
I’d really appreciate any advice or experience you can share.

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[21st Century Truck]

QUESTIONS to help You decide:

1. Does the 2024 XLT have the 311 or the 312 trim package? My 2023 XLT has the 312 Option A package, and I've found its extra items very useful over time: the 30 amp 240V PowerPro receptacle with four prong slots in the rear left bed corner to potentially run Your house, the fold-out tailgate step and handle, etc.

2. Does the 2023 Lariat have an Extended Range battery? This is important not only for the increased range, but for the fact that 2022 and 2023 Extended Range Lightnings had two onboard chargers (yes, the EV chargers are actually built into the vehicle, and the house "wall box" is more like a spigot with some safety features which provides juice to the onboard charger(s)). In practical user terms, a 2022 or 2023 Lightning with Extended Range battery can charge at a rate of nearly 80 amps on AC current with an appropriate house wall box supply while 2024 and later Lightnings have only one onboard charger and are thus limited to 48 amps on AC current. This in turn means that a Lightning with the double charger setup (2022 and 2023 + Extended Battery) can fully charge up in about 7.5 hours while the newer Lightnings will take about 11+ hours for the same full charge. This matters a lot over time if You have Time of Use electricity supply at your house and can fully charge as needed at the cheapest nighttime rates. If the original Ford sales window sticker for this truck is still available, look for the "charging rate" line on the top right side... if it says something like "6 miles per hour" it doesn't have two chargers, and if it says something like "10.x miles per hour" then it does have two chargers.

3. The 2023 Lariat with 60,000 miles on the odometer most likely needs to have its shocks replaced now or very soon if it is still on OEM original shocks. Ford is known to cheap out on shocks for its cars and trucks. My four shocks were completely worn out at 62 thousand miles.

Good Luck on Your choices! This is an awesome truck.

 

[RickLightning]

The 2024 bumper to bumper warranty has another year or 21,000 miles left. The 2023 bumper to bumper warranty has expired.

 

[SlavaK]

QUESTIONS to help You decide:

1. Does the 2024 XLT have the 311 or the 312 trim package? My 2023 XLT has the 312 Option A package, and I've found its extra items very useful over time: the 30 amp 240V PowerPro receptacle with four prong slots in the rear left bed corner to potentially run Your house, the fold-out tailgate step and handle, etc.

2. Does the 2023 Lariat have an Extended Range battery? This is important not only for the increased range, but for the fact that 2022 and 2023 Extended Range Lightnings had two onboard chargers (yes, the EV chargers are actually built into the vehicle, and the house "wall box" is more like a spigot with some safety features which provides juice to the onboard charger(s)). In practical user terms, a 2022 or 2023 Lightning with Extended Range battery can charge at a rate of nearly 80 amps on AC current with an appropriate house wall box supply while 2024 and later Lightnings have only one onboard charger and are thus limited to 48 amps on AC current. This in turn means that a Lightning with the double charger setup (2022 and 2023 + Extended Battery) can fully charge up in about 7.5 hours while the newer Lightnings will take about 11+ hours for the same full charge. This matters a lot over time if You have Time of Use electricity supply at your house and can fully charge as needed at the cheapest nighttime rates. If the original Ford sales window sticker for this truck is still available, look for the "charging rate" line on the top right side... if it says something like "6 miles per hour" it doesn't have two chargers, and if it says something like "10.x miles per hour" then it does have two chargers.

3. The 2023 Lariat with 60,000 miles on the odometer most likely needs to have its shocks replaced now or very soon if it is still on OEM original shocks. Ford is known to cheap out on shocks for its cars and trucks. My four shocks were completely worn out at 62 thousand miles.

Good Luck on Your choices! This is an awesome truck.

I’m not sure of the trim, it was nIll
Thanks. I have to check on trim package.

 

[DoyouLightning]

The 2024 bumper to bumper warranty has another year or 45,000 miles left. The 2023 bumper to bumper warranty has expired.

Hi Rick are you sure the bumper to bumper warranty is not capped at 3 years / 36,000 miles?

If so that means only 21,000 miles left regardless it's still under warranty so take that with a grain of salt. The other thing to note on a model 2024 is the heat pump which obviously is less power hungry but since your in Cali I doubt that will come into play.

 

[RickLightning]

Hi Rick are you sure the bumper to bumper warranty is not capped at 3 years / 36,000 miles?

If so that means only 21,000 miles left regardless it's still under warranty so take that with a grain of salt. The other thing to note on a model 2024 is the heat pump which obviously is less power hungry but since your in Cali I doubt that will come into play.

Right. Oops.

 

[taraafico]

If both trucks are ER I’d buy the ‘24 XLT. Warranty is very important for these trucks.

 

[electricpig]

The 24 XLT for sure will be SR. Ford discontinued the big battery for XLT after the 23's. Flash took that spot.

Look at the VIN number on the 23 Lariat. At about the 8-9th digit you will see either "EL" or "EV". EL=Standard Range; EV=Long Range. This only works for 22 and 23 model years.

 

[JayF]

I know some folks have been posting in here about warranty -- plug the VINs into the Ford warranty checker tool https://www.ford.com/support/owner-manuals-details/ rather than assuming. I purchased a 2023 that the dealer assured me had no bumper-to-bumper warranty left, but when I looked it up it actually didn't start counting time until like mid-2024 so I still had the better part of a year left.

 

[B177y]

@SlavaK , how reliable is your work charging availability and will you have the ability to charge at home?

Most public level 2 chargers I have used are pretty low power, like 24 or 32 amps (~5.7-7.6 kW). I would try to find out what you have there. Will you have enough time on the work charger to adequately charge the truck? If not, you'll need a home charger as well.

I wouldn't focus on the 80amp charging ability. My old-ass Alameda house only had an 80 amp panel.

 

[SlavaK]

The 24 XLT for sure will be SR. Ford discontinued the big battery for XLT after the 23's. Flash took that spot.

Look at the VIN number on the 23 Lariat. At about the 8-9th digit you will see either "EL" or "EV". EL=Standard Range; EV=Long Range. This only works for 22 and 23 model years.

Both have standard range batteries

 

[SlavaK]

@SlavaK , how reliable is your work charging availability and will you have the ability to charge at home?

Most public level 2 chargers I have used are pretty low power, like 24 or 32 amps (~5.7-7.6 kW). I would try to find out what you have there. Will you have enough time on the work charger to adequately charge the truck? If not, you'll need a home charger as well.

I wouldn't focus on the 80amp charging ability. My old-ass Alameda house only had an 80 amp panel.

We have Tesla chargers with 68 Amp (per. App). Very available, people normally don’t have issues with it.
I’m looking for up 60-100 miles of driving daily

 

[21st Century Truck]

Both have standard range batteries

In that case I'd go with the lower-mileage truck. See my worn OEM shocks comment above.

 

[SlavaK]

In that case I'd go with the lower-mileage truck. See my worn OEM shocks comment above.

I’m looking at Rockauto and its shows regular gas shocks, which would be $400-600 in parts. I can’t imagine shocks be more than $1000. Other that suspension any other risks I’m taking? I’m wondering for up to how many miles do these batteries last, are there any common issues these trucks have?

 

[21st Century Truck]

I’m looking at Rockauto and its shows regular gas shocks, which would be $400-600 in parts. I can’t imagine shocks be more than $1000. Other that suspension any other risks I’m taking? I’m wondering for up to how many miles do these batteries last, are there any common issues these trucks have?

The 12 Volt batteries will usually swell at their sides before failing. Those will last 50 thousand miles or so. The big traction battery will likely be fine when the Lightning's wheels begin to fall off.

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