Ford F-150 Lightning Purchase Turns Into a Nightmare for Owner

One Big Lemon

While new vehicle purchases usually go over fairly smoothly - these are brand new vehicles, after all, ones we expect to go for a while before experiencing any issues - there are always exceptions to the rule. There are quite a few of us who have seemingly purchased a lemon, which can turn into a nightmare situation depending on the circumstances. That was unfortunately the case with a Ford F-150 Lightning buyer in New York as well, according to the Times Union.

Photos: Ford

Good Start

Gene Fiacco - who owns a trucking business - purchased his brand new F-150 Lightning around a year ago, and he was quite enamored with it at first, calling the EV pickup "fantastic." The admitted car nut was pleased with the truck's quick acceleration, and he simply wanted to try out an EV and see what the future has in store for the automotive world - and perhaps his business - in the coming years. 

Photos: Ford

Dead in the Water

This love affair endured for around a year until recently, when the EV pickup simply went dead. A local dealership determined that the battery cells were faulty, and told Fiacco that they would need to procure the necessary parts to fix his pickup, and he was given a loaner vehicle in the meantime. However, things didn't go quite as planned after that. 

Photos: Ford

Buyback

The dealership then informed Fiacco that they were unable to repair his F-150 Lightning after all, a pretty shocking revelation by any measure. “Then Ford called and offered me my money back,” Fiacco said. The automaker not only took back his $92k Platinum-trimmed F-150 Lighting, but also, refunded his year's worth of $1,000 monthly payments as well. 

Photos: Ford

Reacquired Vehicles

Since then, Fiacco has gone back to using his diesel-powered pickup as a daily driver, while Ford is facing a handful of issues similar to his. The automaker wouldn't confirm how many F-150 Lightning pickups it has bought back thus far, but there are several internet threads floating around pertaining to what the automaker calls “Re-Acquired Vehicles” or RAVs, at the moment. 

Photos: Ford

Compounding Issues

Of course, these types of teething problems are nothing new in the automotive world, and there have been plenty of ICE vehicles that have turned into lemons over the years, too. However, this particular issue isn't a great look for the F-150 Lightning, which has dealt with falling demand as of late for these reasons, coupled with high pricing and other factors such as concerns over how towing and hauling heavy loads greatly impact range. 

Photos: Ford

Not Quite Ready

Regardless, Fiacco admits that he isn't giving up on the idea of EVs because of his bad experience, though he echoes a pretty common sentiment shared by most these days - he feels like EVs have a ways to go in terms of refinement and development, at least, as it applies to larger models like the F-150 Lightning. 

Photos: Ford

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