Sound the alarm. The Ford F-150 Lightning might be facing its first problem. Testing the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning has gone pretty well in cold areas of Alaska and while towing heavy trailers. However, the F-150 Lightning might have a significant issue to solve. 

The first 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning problem involves the brakes 

Everyone is incredibly excited to get behind the wheel of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. We’re on the list to receive a few models for a week later in the summer. We can’t wait to provide our reviews. 

However, other critics are already putting the F-150 Lightning to the test, and it failed braking tests. As a vehicle operator or enthusiast, you may already know that braking power is essential. 

Massive trucks, SUVs, and much smaller options like the tiny Smart Car all need the ability to come to a complete stop. 

During regular testing, Car and Driver found that the F-150 Lightning’s brakes began to overheat. Each vehicle is regularly texted b braking at 60 mph. The best stopping distance for the F-150 Lightning came to 180 feet, then the problems set in. 

The F-150 Lightning may have overheating brakes 

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning performed well in the first two brake tests. But the third time didn’t exactly go as planned. After the third test, an ABS warning alerted the team that the brakes were overheating. 

The warning came with a fade and plenty of smoke. Then the truck couldn’t keep ABS engaged. This could make people nervous about going for the Lightning’s maximum towing capacity of up to 10,000 lbs. 

Other trucks, including heavier options like the Rivian R1T, handled this testing just fine. A new full-size truck should provide confidence upon accelerating, towing, and stopping. 

Typically trucks have trail brake assist that downshifts and uses engine braking to maintain speed. But electric trucks have extra weight to regenerate more energy for the batteries while heating the brakes less.

Also, the Ford F-150 Lightning’s battery is positioned to provide nearly a 50/50 weight distribution. It feels much more stable while unloaded compared to other trucks and hopefully prevents nose dives upon heavy braking. 

Is this F-150 Lightning problem a concern? 

People shouldn’t be too concerned about the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning yet. This is the first case of overheating to emerge. In other extreme vehicle tests, the Lighting performed just fine. But we will keep an eye on the brakes to see how this issue develops. 

The top-spec Lightning Platinum weighs 6,500 lbs, and the battery accounts for 1,500 of those pounds. The Lightning is 300 pounds lighter than the smaller Rivian R1T and 100 pounds lighter than the Ram 1500 TRX. Also, the GMC Hummer EV is a chonk and weighs 9,000 lbs. 

Despite weighing more than other models, the Lighting is the fastest F-150 variant. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.0 seconds. The GMC Hummer EV reaches 60 mph in about 3.0 seconds. 

The F-150 Lightning is fast, capable, and hefty. It includes a lot of truck that needs to come to a safe stop. We hope this overheating problem is related to the one model, but it could evolve into a significant issue for Ford to fix.