You are not the only one that wants to buy a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. In fact, reservations for the Ford F-150 Lightning are already full. This could be creating the perfect storm as dealerships take advantage of limited inventory with massive markups. 

How much does the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning cost? 

You can get started in the base model of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning for about $39,974. The XLT trim raises the price to about $52,974, and the top-of-the-line Platinum trim starts at around $90,474 if you opt for all the bells and whistles. 

These prices are the MSRP, though. They don’t include the destination fee or dealership markups. So, seeing these trucks cost a little more shouldn’t be too shocking. However, price gouging is already in effect. 

There is evidence of some dealers charging o$10,000 over the sticker price for the new electric F-150. Plus, one dealer is asking for over $30,000 over the MSRP for the first 25 orders. The increase in pricing has been labeled as a market adjustment by dealers. 

Is the F-150 Lightning fighting price gouging? 

We’re currently unaware of any efforts made by Ford to limit price gouging with the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. Even though the first Ford Lightning models are still a few months away from being delivered, prices are climbing. 

The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is a suggestion. It’s the price that auto manufacturers recommend selling vehicles for. Most dealers try to stick close to the MSRP under normal circumstances to stay competitive. 

But when the demand is higher than the supply, dealers start to go rogue. They start adding on thousands of dollars to the purchase price in an attempt to see what they can get away with. For example, Ford Bronco models are commonly listed with a significant upcharge. 

This happens because automakers in the United States are required by law to sell their models such as the new Ford F-150 Lightning, through a network of third-party dealers. The Dealers act as independent businesses. Imagine if we could buy directly from the manufacturers and eliminate the middleman. 

Ford may take action against Ford dealers for price gouging. But it might not be easy. When Dodge attempted to keep prices down with the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, they prioritized dealers selling at or below the MSRP. 

But dealerships quickly found ways around this strategy by hiring affiliated to sell the right to order the Dodge Challenger for thousands extra on eBay. 

How many Ford Lightning models are left? 

Reservations for the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning are full, and the truck could remain scarce for a couple of years. With over 200,000 reservations on the books, Ford only plans to build 15,000 models during 2022. Ford only plans to build 55,000 models next year. 

Ford plans to invest $250 million into the production of the F-150 Lightning to increase production to 80 million units per year. But, this could still leave some current reservation holders waiting for a 2023 model. 

About 7- percent of the reservation holders are new to Ford as first-time truck buyers. New customers are attracted now that the poor fuel economy is gone. Ford will notify reservation owners before the ordering window opens to finalize their purchase and agree on the price.