NHTSA safety recall

Recall 23V207000 · manufacturer campaign 2023-001

Electrical System › Propulsion System › Traction Battery — Lightning Emotors · reported 7 Apr 2023 · 148 vehicles potentially affected

What's wrong

Lightning eMotors Inc. (Lightning) is recalling certain 2020 FE4-86 and FT3-43, 2019-2021 FE4-129, and 2019-2022 FT3-86 vehicles. The battery packs may have defective structural welds and experience an internal radiator leak, causing battery failure.

The risk

Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.

The fix

Lightning will replace the battery pack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2023. Owners may contact Lightning customer service at 1-970-744-7241. Lightning's number for this recall is 2023-001.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov. Please be reminded of the following requirements:You are required to submit a draft owner notification letter to this office no less than five days prior to mailing it to the customers.Also, copies of all notices, bulletins, dealer notifications, and other communications that relate to this recall, including a copy of the final owner notification letter and any subsequent owner follow-up notification letter(s), are required to be submitted to this office no later than 5 days after they are originally sent (if they are sent to more than one manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or purchaser/owner).Please be reminded that under 49 U.S.C. § 30112(a)(3), it is illegal for a manufacturer, to sell, offer for sale, import, or introduce or deliver into interstate commerce, a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment that contains a safety defect once the manufacturer has notified NHTSA about that safety defect.This prohibition does not apply once the motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment has been remedied according to the manufacturer's instructions.As stated in 49 U.S.C. § 30118(f), submission of 8 consecutive quarterly reports is required. As described in 573.7, submission of the first of eight consecutive quarterly status reports is required within one month after the close of the calendar quarter in which notification to purchasers occurs.Therefore, the first quarterly report will be due on, or before, 30 days after the close of the calendar quarter.

NHTSA campaign
23V207000
Manufacturer campaign
2023-001
Filed by
Lightning Emotors Inc.
Report received
7 Apr 2023
Owners notified
31 May 2023
Potentially affected
148

Vehicles covered by this recall

Whether a particular car is affected and still unrepaired depends on its VIN — a model year being listed does not mean every car of that year is included. Check any VIN free on CarLogs, or at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2019 Lightning Emotors Fe4-129 2020 Lightning Emotors Fe4-129 2021 Lightning Emotors Fe4-129 2020 Lightning Emotors Fe4-86 2020 Lightning Emotors Ft3-43 2019 Lightning Emotors Ft3-86 2020 Lightning Emotors Ft3-86 2021 Lightning Emotors Ft3-86 2022 Lightning Emotors Ft3-86

Is this car's recall fixed?

Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer, for the life of the vehicle. A CarLogs report shows the recall status for a specific VIN as reported by the manufacturer — whether it's open or repaired, and whether the fix is available yet.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall database. Look up another campaign →