2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Consumer Reviews
Pricing
Pro - $51,990 MSRP
Edmunds suggests you pay
$49,5133...
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 F-150 Lightning, so we've included reviews for other years of the F-150 Lightning since its last redesign.
Range anxiety, spacious interior & stupid quick
RealUser, 01/29/2023
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning XLT 4dr SuperCrew 4WD SB (electric DD)
11 of 17 people found this review helpful
XLT 312A Standard Range. The truck fit and finish is great, but electricity costs are cutting into some of the expected savings over gasoline. Range seems very optimistic at 230 miles for the 98kW-hr battery when driving 75% of miles on the freeway at 67mph and only getting 2 miles/kw-hr or much worse at any higher speed, or in colder weather, or towing! Recent "distance to empty" software update seemed to increase Ford's optimism of available range. On top of those concerns, there are too many down DCFC (direct current fast charging) stations, so long distance travel is risky and Ford does not seem to be actively trying to correct that situation. Furthermore, reported just in the F-150 Lightning forums, there have been at least 15 reports of HV (high voltage) battery failure in these first 9 months of production of 15,000 vehicles. So 1 per 1000 vehicles, a 0.1% failure rate that we know about. Is that approximately ~four week repair time acceptable for consumers? That is a lot of total days out of service, somewhat due to many dealers are not up to speed for EVs and low supplies of parts in the Ford network and delivery times. Frunk total space is nice, but oddly shaped and pretty tight for two sets of golf clubs. Good spot in the bottom section to store all the many various 240Vac power adapters that you will need to plug in your "mobile charger" when traveling. The 5.5 foot bed is a touch short while the 2nd row seating has lots of knee space and the seats fold up for a fantastic flat floored room. The cloth seats only come in one color and I question their resistance to dirt; plus the side bolsters do not seem stiff enough. No memory driver's seat for the XLT seems cheap. No rear signature light bar for the XLT is also a miss by Ford as that would point out the Lightning as special for more customers...and the price for the XLT High (312A) is a big jump in price. I had to go for the 312A package to get the Adaptive Cruise Control Assist 2.0, as it really helps in stop and go traffic (or my glancing away) and lane keeping - it should be required safety equipment. BlueCruise seems unnecessary as it will nag you to be looking forward all the time anyway. The 9.6kW Power Onboard is sweet for powering all sorts of things; the 7.2kW, 240Vac/30A plug can be used as a generator back to the house without the fancy and costly Intelligent Power backfeed system. The F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid provides that as well without jumping up to the Lightning; too bad that is not a Plug-In battery for some low cost local range. To scare you away from being a Lightning early adopter, here are some issues reported from the f150lightningforum: Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power (HV battery module problem), slight "Click" when starting off either in forward or reverse or metal ‘tink’ sound (axle fix TSB), Sync 4 error, Reduced power with no Fault code, Power reduced to 64%, Humming / Slight Vibration @ 45-48ish or Higher, FordPass App Stopped Working, Recall 22S71 - Windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, Frunk completely dead, Audio off / GPS not functioning after 4.1.1 update, Auto-fold mirrors not working, CarPlay Stereo Issue, No Preconditioning for over a week, Driver window lowering itself after being raised, Safety Issue with Cruise Control Accidentally Engaging, Modem stopped working.....then worked with a weird possible fix, Pro power onboard died on first use! (update: fixed by 12v reboot), Shutter Assembly, Lost my Speedometer screen, Auto-dimming rear/side mirror, Help Interpreting DTC for Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power Vehicle Alert, Advice on Frunk Plastic Paint Repair, BlueCruise Driver-Facing camera fault, Heater question during charging...., Where the heck did my power go?, Issues with trucks delivered recently (modem/OTA)?, Ford Service - they can see everything, Phone recognized but CarPlay won't start. I've tried everything I know..., Motor power is reduced from 100% as battery gets lower, Trailer brake module fault, Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power (DTC P0AA4:BECM), This just started - tail lights flickering, FordPass Activations for MY2023 Unavailable Until February, Battery and Motor Temperature Dashboard Display Always at Midpoint, ...to give you a few...and on top of these, the Ford Battery EV customer service is getting poor marks. What does a failure rate on an individual part need to be to perhaps only have one failure for the life of a vehicle? And Software is made up of many parts! So, if your truck is working fine, and many must be getting good use, not sure if that is a high enough percentage of satisfied users for the "Truck of the Year" awards. I cannot complain too much about intermittent FordPass App not connecting for a day, or about the user interface software being less than friendly, in my less than 3 months of ownership (<2000 miles) [Ford: please implement the easy software display fixes suggested by many of us! Show the OBD2 data on a screen! Add HV battery % on the Instrument cluster and battery/motor digital temperatures.]. The Ford navigation (3 years free?) with Alexa help without paying for a $10/mo subscription (to get more Amazon music, etc; was free for first 30 days which was not enough to test it out) has been OK enough that I might ignore Android Auto (and Nav can expand to use the whole 12" screen if you want). However, if I decide to use Android Auto for A Better Route Planner App, Waze or Podcast Addict, or for other data heavy functions, I might pay $20/mo for the AT&T Hotspot Wi-Fi and the need to USB-C cable connect the phone to use that. In January 2023, the 15" screen for Lariats and Platinum (as seen in the Mach-E as well) has received some improvements to employ the dial for more functions, like temperature, which makes it more user friendly. The Pro and XLT 12" center screen is liked by many as there are physical buttons and dials for climate and audio. Overall, the cost for a truck can go through the roof if you must have the fancy additions. And the Pro and XLT can be modified to add some higher priced items at a lower cost, especially if you are a DIY'er. Try not to break the bank! Maybe a EV bicycle is all we need? Has global warming reached a tipping point and reducing CO2 (up 33% in 100 years) from fossil fuels must be a priority to save the planet? I think EV use, even with mining all the lithium, is a step in the right direction.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
No issues 5K miles in and still loving it
Dexterdog10, 07/19/2023
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning XLT 4dr SuperCrew 4WD SB (electric DD)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I came out of a 2020 Lariat (511A?). It was loaded up with pretty much every option except massage seats (not available in a 2020 Lariat). Unfortunately I could not afford the Lariat Lightning that so many people have reviewed here. I had to go for the XLT SR and only added the 9.6 pro power and tailgate step. I added black custom fit (model and year specific) leather seat covers that fit extremely well and give the look and feel of factory leather seats ($600). I just miss the cooled seats!!! I typically drive about 30 miles per day. So charging at home is only done every few days or so. Although, my son just started playing travel baseball so I charge to full each night before his games. That provides enough range for 1.5 hours out and back with a "little" leftover. That's driving WELL above the posted highway speed limits too. I'm not a conservative driver, range wise. I've had only one issue. It would not shift out of park. Shutting it off, opening the door and trying again corrected that. *I do have to say, to the guy who wrote a review for his Platinum Lightning. You had a Mach E and now a Lightning and nowhere to charge your Lightning? Besides that, if you can afford a $125K truck you can afford to go online and buy a $300-400 mobile charger from Amazon to use in the interim. Sorry to be so critical. That just seems odd. I realize every use case is different. But I think you could have found a way to make it work. The truck has its limitations. But anyone spending big money and waiting a long time to get their truck should have had the time to do your research and plan accordingly.
Not just a flash in the pan
Nmdolphan , 11/19/2022
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat 4dr SuperCrew 4WD SB (electric DD)
5 of 8 people found this review helpful
Great vehicle, I use this as my daily driver and drive about 80 miles a day and I am able to change overnight without issue. I use a 240 circuit and 24 amps. I don't tow or haul often and if you do this may not be the vehicle for you but for me it is fantastic
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Had my Lightening 7500 miles now
Dallashusker , 08/02/2023
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat 4dr SuperCrew 4WD SB (electric DD)
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
I here a lot of negatives on the lightening around quality. I haven’t seen any of those. Very happy. Everything other reviews say, fast, drives great. I also own a Tesla Model Y and would say software and ease of use isn’t in Tesla’s league although it improves every auto update. The Blue Cruise absolutely blows away Teslas auto pilot cruise. That was pleasant surprise. The other negative is long road trip charging. Really iffy. But the Tesla Supercharger network will fix that problem. Bring a Tesla owner the Supercharger network is absolutely outstanding.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Excellent vehicle
Gary Howell, 01/20/2023
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat 4dr SuperCrew 4WD SB (electric DD)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
I have had Tesla for long time. This is equivalent too or better.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
3...