My F-150 Lightning Story (with videos)

[Idea Of The Day]

Some of you may remember me and wondered whatever happened to me... let me do a quick recap.

I joined the forum a while back and talked about the fact that I wanted the Cybertruck to arrive ASAP, before the warranty on my 2016 F-150 expired.

Well, in June of 2021, my F-150 wouldn't start and in spite of the extended warranty the dealer couldn't diagnose it and it sat in their service bay for over 4 months without any clue as to why it wouldn't start.

Long story short, that's when I decided to give up on gas engines completely and I traded it for a Ford Mustang Mach-E while I waited for what I really wanted... an EV pickup.

The race to replace my pickup with an EV pickup gained speed when Ford converted my reservation to an order in January.

I went to the NY Auto Show and was given an adrenaline fueled ride to experience the acceleration in the convention center. After the ride, they invited me to do a 5 minute customer reaction interview, which turned into a 20 minute interview.

I posted a video of that test ride.




The test ride video and interview led to them flying me and about 20 customers to the factory for the Lightning Strikes Launch Event in April, where they officially let non-Ford people drive one for the 1st time. Before that, the only non-Ford employee to dive one was President Biden.

After taking me for a crazy ride on their test track, through cones at 60 miles per hour... (in pouring rain where it didn't fishtail at all), I became the 5th person outside Ford to be allowed to drive one. We got to drive one even before the major media outlets like Road and Track and Motor Trend were given access.




I met Bill Ford, Jim Farley the CEO and all the major brass at the event, wandered around the factory, was featured in some of their promotional videos and even got to met Sandy Munro in person.

I posted a couple of videos from the event, including one that I shot in 360 degrees.

Here's the factory in 360º format





Here's a regular non-360º version:





A few weeks ago, I did another video of my opinions of the Lightning.





I'm still on the reservation list for the CyberTruck, but it will be quite some time before they reach my reservation #.

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[MiguelAznar]

Well, in June of 2021, my F-150 wouldn't start and in spite of the extended warranty the dealer couldn't diagnose it and it sat in their service bay for over 4 months without any clue as to why it wouldn't start.

What a nightmare! I’m glad they made it right.

 

[firsttruck]

Some of you may remember me and wondered whatever happened to me... let me do a quick recap.

I joined the forum a while back and talked about the fact that I wanted the Cybertruck to arrive ASAP, before the warranty on my 2016 F-150 expired.

5 years old is not an old car. Many people are making payments for 6-7 years. I have owned several 10-15 year old vehicles that were relatively low maintenance for an ICE.

If in 4 months Ford could not fix a relatively new Ford tough truck, I would not have bought another vehicle from Ford.

 

[Idea Of The Day]

What a nightmare! I’m glad they made it right.

Ford Corporate went out of their way to make it right, which is why I'm so loyal to the brand.

 

[Idea Of The Day]

5 years old is not an old car. Many people are making payments for 6-7 years. I have owned several 10-15 year old vehicles that were relatively low maintenance for an ICE.

If in 4 months Ford could not fix a relatively new Ford tough truck, I would not have bought another vehicle from Ford.

There are 3 Fords, Ford the Corporation, Ford the Product, and Ford the Dealership.

The Product is created by world class engineers and designers who work for the Corporation, but then it's sold to Dealerships who crap all over everything and everyone, especially the customers.

The F-150 has been the best selling vehicle in the world for over 45 years in a row, not just the best selling pickup, but literally the best selling vehicle. One reason is that it's a solid and reliable product, but dealerships are another animal entirely.

I obsessed over the potential expiration of my Extended Warranty because that's normally when I trade-in. I talked about that in my very first posts on this forum way back when. That's also the day that I'm at the mercy of the dealership, a place I never like to be.

Basically, my truck wouldn't start and needed to be towed. I used the FordPass App to request a free Roadside Assistance tow to the dealer and that's where the 3 Fords revealed themselves.

Two days later, Ford Corporation called me for feedback about my experience with their RoadSide Assistance. I told them the tow came quickly, and I had not yet heard anything from the dealer and I was concerned that I was supposed to get a free rental and the Dealer wouldn't arrange it until they had a chance to diagnose it. They followed up a couple of days later and the dealer still didn't even look at it. For all they knew it just needed a jump-start but since they never looked at it... no rental.

From that point on, for over 4 months in a row, Ford Corporate literally called me at least once or twice a week, and they kept calling the dealer to set things right.

They offered multiple times to send an engineer to the dealer to help diagnose the problem. The dealer refused.

After the 4th month, I went in person to the dealership to try to reach a manager. The manager said the service department is basically run independently and the service managers call all the shots. When I reminded them that my truck was now there over 4 months, they told me that actually had a few other trucks in the service bays for 6 months or more.

I was between a rock and a hard place. I knew that the engine must've been in taken apart months earlier and even if they finally fixed it, there would be a good chance they wouldn't put it back together right and it may no longer be safe and reliable. I also knew it would be hard to sell it, when it couldn't start, so I traded it to the dealer for a Mach-E.

When Ford Corporate made their weekly call, I told them I gave up on the repair and without asking for it, offered to compensate me for the time I lost without my truck and were going to send me $1000, which they did, and I actually used as my deposit for the Lightning.

Here's the key points.

As the years go by, ICE engines are increasingly more complex to diagnose and repair. There are countless reasons things stop working and in spite of all the sensors and computers, it's a guessing game that dealers lack the skills to handle.

Thankfully, Ford is making headlines trying to change or eliminate the role of dealerships, but by driving a Ford EV, there are at least fewer complex things to break.

 

[JBee]

There are 3 Fords, Ford the Corporation, Ford the Product, and Ford the Dealership.

The Product is created by world class engineers and designers who work for the Corporation, but then it's sold to Dealerships who crap all over everything and everyone, especially the customers.

The F-150 has been the best selling vehicle in the world for over 45 years in a row, not just the best selling pickup, but literally the best selling vehicle. One reason is that it's a solid and reliable product, but dealerships are another animal entirely.

I obsessed over the potential expiration of my Extended Warranty because that's normally when I trade-in. I talked about that in my very first posts on this forum way back when. That's also the day that I'm at the mercy of the dealership, a place I never like to be.

Basically, my truck wouldn't start and needed to be towed. I used the FordPass App to request a free Roadside Assistance tow to the dealer and that's where the 3 Fords revealed themselves.

Two days later, Ford Corporation called me for feedback about my experience with their RoadSide Assistance. I told them the tow came quickly, and I had not yet heard anything from the dealer and I was concerned that I was supposed to get a free rental and the Dealer wouldn't arrange it until they had a chance to diagnose it. They followed up a couple of days later and the dealer still didn't even look at it. For all they knew it just needed a jump-start but since they never looked at it... no rental.

From that point on, for over 4 months in a row, Ford Corporate literally called me at least once or twice a week, and they kept calling the dealer to set things right.

They offered multiple times to send an engineer to the dealer to help diagnose the problem. The dealer refused.

After the 4th month, I went in person to the dealership to try to reach a manager. The manager said the service department is basically run independently and the service managers call all the shots. When I reminded them that my truck was now there over 4 months, they told me that actually had a few other trucks in the service bays for 6 months or more.

I was between a rock and a hard place. I knew that the engine must've been in taken apart months earlier and even if they finally fixed it, there would be a good chance they wouldn't put it back together right and it may no longer be safe and reliable. I also knew it would be hard to sell it, when it couldn't start, so I traded it to the dealer for a Mach-E.

When Ford Corporate made their weekly call, I told them I gave up on the repair and without asking for it, offered to compensate me for the time I lost without my truck and were going to send me $1000, which they did, and I actually used as my deposit for the Lightning.

Here's the key points.

As the years go by, ICE engines are increasingly more complex to diagnose and repair. There are countless reasons things stop working and in spite of all the sensors and computers, it's a guessing game that dealers lack the skills to handle.

Thankfully, Ford is making headlines trying to change or eliminate the role of dealerships, but by driving a Ford EV, there are at least fewer complex things to break.

Although I like your story and presentations, I'm somewhat dumbfounded the the problem couldn't be found nor fixed. Regardless of how complicated the parts are that control and ensure the smooth operation of the engine, a ICE is still an ICE! I would of picked it up and taken it to another dealer.

Or by plugging in my own OBD port reader to at least get some error codes.
To start it only needs air, fuel, ignition, compression and starter to crank. It's really not hard at all.

Did you have any overheating problems or smoke coming from the exhaust when it wouldn't start? Sounds like someone might of tried to scam you out of a F150 by forcing a Mach E sale on you?

 

[Idea Of The Day]

Although I like your story and presentations, I'm somewhat dumbfounded the the problem couldn't be found nor fixed. Regardless of how complicated the parts are that control and ensure the smooth operation of the engine, a ICE is still an ICE! I would of picked it up and taken it to another dealer.

Or by plugging in my own OBD port reader to at least get some error codes.
To start it only needs air, fuel, ignition, compression and starter to crank. It's really not hard at all.

Did you have any overheating problems or smoke coming from the exhaust when it wouldn't start? Sounds like someone might of tried to scam you out of a F150 by forcing a Mach E sale on you?

My F-150 was super reliable until that fateful morning. No smoke, rattles or indications of trouble. I was driving along, saw a message on the dash about some sensor failure. I pulled over just to be sure, then shut it and it wouldn't start. I already knew my dealer's service department had a bad reputation, but it was the closest and assumed it was something quick.

They finally looked at it about 5 days later (that alone is a red flag), and with Ford Corporate's help, I got a loaner and they said they needed to wait for a part that would take a couple of weeks.

They replaced that part, and according to them it led them to a new round of ODB codes, and the cycle continued. I keep an Apple AirTag in the back of the driver's seat, so I always knew the exact location of my truck through the whole 4 months. For the 1st month, it mainly sat in their lot awaiting parts.

Eventually, it sat in the garage itself for more than 2 months in a row, which means they took apart, found something that needed to be replaced, and decided to keep it apart rather than put it back together while waiting for the replacement, then needing to take it apart and put it back together again. So it remained inside, taking up a bay.

Clearly, the dealer is only skilled at simple things like oil changes, shocks, tires, etc..

While it was apart, it would be hard to move to another dealer. Moving it to anything other than another dealer would mean I'd have a hard time getting them to cover it with my extended warranty. Rock and hard place.

The thing that bothered me (and Ford Corporate) most was that Ford kept offering to send them an engineer to help and the dealer kept refusing. This shows the power the dealer has over Corporate. Towards the end Corporate said they could insist that they accept the engineer, but by then I just wanted to end the saga and put that dealer in the rear view.

The twist? I ended up giving that dealer my old truck at a bargain ($25K)... plus the sale of a new $50K Mach-E... plus they were already my dealer of record for the Lightning and I didn't want to screw up that deal by moving it to another dealer or I would lose my position in line.

I've heard similar stories about mechanics that can't understand how to fix today's modern engines. None with such a long and drawn out ending, but the key point is that ICE engines have more things that can go wrong than an EV, and that is one of the main things I love about an EV.

 

[rr6013]

Although I like your story and presentations, I'm somewhat dumbfounded the the problem couldn't be found nor fixed. Regardless of how complicated the parts are that control and ensure the smooth operation of the engine, a ICE is still an ICE! I would of picked it up and taken it to another dealer.

Or by plugging in my own OBD port reader to at least get some error codes.
To start it only needs air, fuel, ignition, compression and starter to crank. It's really not hard at all.

Did you have any overheating problems or smoke coming from the exhaust when it wouldn't start? Sounds like someone might of tried to scam you out of a F150 by forcing a Mach E sale on you?

FORD engineered obsolescence I thought the presenter put up-front owned it and the Dealer steered him right getting him into a new FORD.

Its attractive. It’s like getting the same girlfriend/boyfriend you know only a newer, fresher model and this Ford hasn’t been with anyone else, either.

.

 

[Idea Of The Day]

FORD engineered obsolescence I thought the presenter put up-front owned it and the Dealer steered him right getting him into a new FORD.

Its attractive. It’s like getting the same girlfriend/boyfriend you know only a newer, fresher model and this Ford hasn’t been with anyone else, either.

The Lightning is my 8th Ford so far. I definitely like their products and my experience with the company over the decades has been exceptional. The F-150 has always been their most important vehicle so they put a lot of effort into making sure it's what customers like most about a truck, and reliability is a critical part of that.

The DEALER is another story.

The dealership near me has a bad reputation for service. If you call them for an appointment, you're lucky to get one in less than 3 months. I know 2 other dealers that have MUCH better service, but I live on an island, so I didn't have much of a choice when I needed to be towed. I assumed it was something small, so I didn't think it was worth the hassle of arranging to tow it to a dealer off the island.

Thankfully, manufacturers are finally finding ways to break away from the traditional dealer system. Tesla has no independent dealers. GM and Ford are attempting to bypass dealers for their EV sales by effectively creating a new product brand outside the control of their existing franchise agreements.

Hopefully this will be the last time I have to deal with a dealer.

 

[rr6013]

Thankfully, manufacturers are finally finding ways to break away from the traditional dealer system

This “dealers are bad“ perspective is owed a little microcosm of detail.

At times inventory exceeds demand and the mfgr has to sell what it has produced. Ford dealers buy from the mfgr and make money selling cars to you. Typically a car you’ve bought or ordered.

BUT when the mfgr has misjudged, produced too many units; cars are delivered out to dealers. FORD unload on dealers. I will spare you the mechanics. The mfgr inventory is dumped upon dealers. Dealers then are, by force of franchise and (ahem) gentleperson’s agreement, blessed with riches. Those excess cars must be floored(read financed by dealer as inventory). The mfgr is paid from the dealership loan and is completely out of the picture. Good dealers, sell cars. Bad dealers who don’t – aren’t dealers for Ford. Brutal ground fact.

THUS when mfgrs design bad cars people don’t want, don’t order is when the dealership suffers a passle of misfortune. Bad dealers who don’t sell – aren’t dealers for Ford.

SO now FORD doesn’t compete at the dealership level any longer. Its product sells(ahem) pre-sells itself without Good dealers, who sell cars. Suddenly, the teat that provides the living sustenance to FORD network of franchise dealers has dried up. FORD unilaterally has gone into franchisee competition selling-direct-to-public business.

Of course, Ford dealerships have no more inventory to sell as FORD produces all it can sell itself – any idea why it takes so long to get an appointment at a dealership? FORD finding a way around its dealer franchisees is history in the making of a deconstruct from above.

IDK, it might mean Ford car owners won’t have to deal with Ford dealerships.

 

[Idea Of The Day]

This “dealers are bad“ perspective is owed a little microcosm of detail.

At times inventory exceeds demand and the mfgr has to sell what it has produced. Ford dealers buy from the mfgr and make money selling cars to you. Typically a car you’ve bought or ordered.

BUT when the mfgr has misjudged, produced too many units; cars are delivered out to dealers. FORD unload on dealers. I will spare you the mechanics. The mfgr inventory is dumped upon dealers. Dealers then are, by force of franchise and (ahem) gentleperson’s agreement, blessed with riches. Those excess cars must be floored(read financed by dealer as inventory). The mfgr is paid from the dealership loan and is completely out of the picture. Good dealers, sell cars. Bad dealers who don’t – aren’t dealers for Ford. Brutal ground fact.

THUS when mfgrs design bad cars people don’t want, don’t order is when the dealership suffers a passle of misfortune. Bad dealers who don’t sell – aren’t dealers for Ford.

SO now FORD doesn’t compete at the dealership level any longer. Its product sells(ahem) pre-sells itself without Good dealers, who sell cars. Suddenly, the teat that provides the living sustenance to FORD network of franchise dealers has dried up. FORD unilaterally has gone into franchisee competition selling-direct-to-public business.

Of course, Ford dealerships have no more inventory to sell as FORD produces all it can sell itself – any idea why it takes so long to get an appointment at a dealership? FORD finding a way around its dealer franchisees is history in the making of a deconstruct from above.

IDK, it might mean Ford car owners won’t have to deal with Ford dealerships.

My beef with the car dealership model goes back a long time before the current shortages that shifted us from a point where people started complaining that the dealer is asking $40k above list for a $60K truck, although my dealer did that to some of the Lightning buyers. (Technically, all they did was call a bunch of interested buyers and told them they had one on the lot... then sat by as they kept bidding up the price, then just took the highest offer).

Before the current mess, the fact that a tough guy riding in on a Harley could growl his way to a great deal, yet a soft spoken woman would almost always pay top dollar always bothered me. When GM introduced Saturn, the biggest selling feature was that EVERYONE paid the sticker price. Dealers gave everyone the same fair price.

Then there are the hidden extras. My dealer added about $600 for things like window etching, and "Maintenance" to my invoice. I had no choice. The etching was already done before I arrived and they still haven't explained what Maintenance was. It's not an extended warranty. Ford doesn't even offer them on EVs. Everything is covered.

My biggest beef is that in spite of the fact that people say they make the most money on service, my dealership has horrible service. I've heard similar problems from friends about local Subaru and Jeep dealers, so maybe it's just a NYC thing.

My nephew called the dealer in May of last year as the weather started getting warm to have them check out the air conditioner which didn't work. It was covered under warranty. He called for an appointment. The only opening was in September. He took the appointment... sweat in the car all summer and when his appointment arrived on a Monday morning in September, he waited, and waited. Two days later, they said they hadn't looked at it yet.

By Thursday I got involved. He was without a car since Monday so I called and reminded them he waited months for the appointment so they should at least look at it. Friday afternoon came and I called them again. They still hadn't looked at it, and told me they don't work on weekends so the car would be held over until the following Monday. I showed up Saturday morning to get the keys. At first they wanted to charge him, but I had the manager drop the charge because they never even looked at it.

We decided it was best to just skip the dealer's extended warranty and take it down the road to Pep Boys. 15 Minutes later, they plugged in a pressure tester, told him he had too much refrigerant, released some of the excess and charged him about $50.

I've noticed this particular dealership sends out tons of ads for things like oil changes, tire rotations and milestone based services such as 5,000 or 10,000 mile services. They've even called me to schedule those things, meanwhile people wait months for real repairs. Apparently tires, brakes and other routine maintenance are cash cows and they can hire unskilled labor to get those things done. Anyone who needs actual service is out of luck because they lack skilled labor to handle anything complex.

For me, driving an EV at least eliminates the kinds of mechanical problems ICE vehicles often have.

 

[Crissa]

My beef is the random gouging me for repairs and monopoly areas.

-Crissa

 

[Idea Of The Day]

The F-150 ergonomics and storage are my favorite features. They rarely talk about the interior storage, but it's hard to find anything with even close to the same interior storage. Before the Frunk that interior storage was super important.

While some Ram models are pretty plush inside, the base models like the Classic are not as nice as the Ford XLT trim that I've always liked. I prefer cloth seats, physical buttons for seat heat, HVAC, turning on the cameras, and controlling the radio.

Both Ram and Ford have two glove boxes... Ford's a bit bigger, but the odd thing is Rivian has zero glove compartments and the center console can barely hold anything larger than a pair of gloves.

The center console on the F-150 is literally the size of a small filing cabinet. In fact, it's actually designed to be used as one. There are Pendaflex rails on both sides, so you can actually hang real letter sized Pendaflex folders from it. I can fit my laptop, an iPad, power cables, and because it's somewhat insulated, I keep a lot of snacks and water bottles in there at all times.

Then there's the space under the rear folding seats. It's insane how much you can fit there. Once again, before frunks came along, that was critical space, where I kept my tools, some extra shoes, and all sorts of things.

Certain Ram models also have storage on the sides of the bed, but they do this by removing space from the bed itself, and it's kind of awkward space to use, so it never appealed to me.

Lastly, I've always preferred the look of the F-150, both inside and out. I think it's a bit cleaner and more refined.

 

[Dids]

https://www.lightningowners.com/
Is so boring that Lightning owners have to find community with CyberTruckers

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