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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported on Dec. 19 that the upper control arm of the Ford Motor Co. F-150 Lightning vehicle can be detached while driving and can cause a loss of steering control and increase the risk of a crash.
The potential number of units that are affected is 11,922.
As of Nov. 14, Ford Motor Co. stated that it was aware of two field reports and one warranty claim representing two incidents related to the problem with the control arm that were received Sept. 12 through Oct. 23. Dealers are set to be notified by Jan. 6.
The front upper control arm ball joint nut might not have been tightened properly during the assembly line, allowing the front upper control arm to detach from the steering knuckle assembly.
In Farmington, Ziems Ford told the Tri-City Record that the recall might affect local owners.
“It could affect local F-150 Lightning models here locally. We have not been given specifics on which VIN number are affected yet,” said Matthew Clugston, general manager at Ziems Ford.
“Ford plans to provide dealers and owners an official notification the week of Jan. 6, 2025.”
Clugston said a small number of the vehicles likely were in the Farmington area.
“We don’t know how many are here in Farmington – only a handful (less than 10) have been sold by us – but there are some here that were purchased at other dealerships,” he said.
The upper control arm can affect how tires wear, and whether wheels lean inward or outward.
A camber angle is an imaginary line that runs vertically through the center of the tire, and it can tell you if the tire is leaning inward or outward of your vehicle. The camber angle is expressed in positive or negative degrees.
Negative camber means the top of the tire leans toward the vehicle, and positive camber means the top of the tire leans away from the vehicle. The ideal alignment should be straight-line, zero camber, giving more contact to the road and even tire wear.
If there isn’t a clear indication that your control arm is loose, take a closer look. If you still can’t identify the warning signs your tires can tell you.
Corner wear: This can be identified by excessive wear in the middle of the tire. Usually caused by overinflation of the tire.
Cupping: This can be identified by patches of uneven wear across the entire tread pattern spaced along the tire, signifying that the tire is out of balance.
Flat spots: This can be identified by a section of the tire that is noticeably thinner than the rest of the tire. Which can be caused by wheel lockup or tire skidding. This can happen because your brake calipers can get locked up.
Toe wear: This is identified by an uneven tire wear pattern between the inside and outside of the tire. It is usually indicated that one tire may not be tracking with the other tires.
To learn more about the recall, call the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit nhtsa.gov. Letters about the recall are expected to be sent to owners by Feb. 3.
