My lightning got BRICKED with the software update. WILL NOT START.

[FordEVr DAD]

Hi Lightning owners,

I was on my way to work this past Tuesday 8/27/24 so I got to my driveway and entered my Truck. I then started it the usual way when initially I saw a "Full Accessory power active" sign on the screen. I pressed "OK" then started the truck, but it won't start. I tried about 5 times and still won't start. I googled the issue with Accessory power active and tried the tricks that people used to start their vehicle: I placed a new battery on my key fab, tried the push start only without brake then do break and start together, tested my 12 v battery (was fine), let the truck cool down for 30 mins then tried to start it again, tried to use my ford app to start it and still won't start. Needless to say, my wife had to drive me to work that day. When I came back from work around 8 pm, I tried to start it again and truck still won't start. After cooling it for another 20 minutes, I went back to try to start it again and now the main screen is showing "Update not successful. Unfortunately, a recent software update was not successful. Your vehicle cannot be driven. Please call customer support......". To make the long story short, I called Ford Roadside Assistance, and they towed the vehicle (mind you, took them over 40 minutes to figure out how to get it to neutral because even with the instruction on the screen, it would not do it) to the nearest ford dealership.
Has this happened to anyone else before? My truck is a 2023 Ford F150 Lightning Lariat with 23,000 miles on it. Today is 8/30/24 and per the dealership yesterday, the truck could be with them for another week as they have been having issues trying to update it with the new module. Per the dealership, the truck still won't start.

Thanks for any input you guys may have. I loved my truck. No other truck compares to this in my opinion, but this issue has been devastating.

Lionel

Sponsored

 

[bosox8]

Yikes - I'm so sorry! Please keep us updated. I had power train malfunction in the fall of '22 and three weeks later I was as good as new. Did encounter a new "issue" the other night - home with about 148 miles of range, plugged in and saw "Electrical system drain Service required" - reconnected charger and all is good - apparently these batteries / software is extremely tempermental @Ford Motor Company

 

[Zprime29]

There have been a few reports here of this happening. Here's a thread that came to mind:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/failed-ota-update-bricked-my-2023-f150l.18635/

 

[TaxmanHog]

What update was your truck attempting to install, did it have a code below the description of the update?

 

[Zprime29]

After re-reading that thread, I'm definitely going to pick up a mongoose. @rugedraw do you have to have an active FDRS license in order to run that inhibit removal tool?

 

[MountainAlive]

Hi Lightning owners,

I was on my way to work this past Tuesday 8/27/24 so I got to my driveway and entered my Truck. I then started it the usual way when initially I saw a "Full Accessory power active" sign on the screen. I pressed "OK" then started the truck, but it won't start. I tried about 5 times and still won't start. I googled the issue with Accessory power active and tried the tricks that people used to start their vehicle: I placed a new battery on my key fab, tried the push start only without brake then do break and start together, tested my 12 v battery (was fine), let the truck cool down for 30 mins then tried to start it again, tried to use my ford app to start it and still won't start. Needless to say, my wife had to drive me to work that day. When I came back from work around 8 pm, I tried to start it again and truck still won't start. After cooling it for another 20 minutes, I went back to try to start it again and now the main screen is showing "Update not successful. Unfortunately, a recent software update was not successful. Your vehicle cannot be driven. Please call customer support......". To make the long story short, I called Ford Roadside Assistance, and they towed the vehicle (mind you, took them over 40 minutes to figure out how to get it to neutral because even with the instruction on the screen, it would not do it) to the nearest ford dealership.
Has this happened to anyone else before? My truck is a 2023 Ford F150 Lightning Lariat with 23,000 miles on it. Today is 8/30/24 and per the dealership yesterday, the truck could be with them for another week as they have been having issues trying to update it with the new module. Per the dealership, the truck still won't start.

Thanks for any input you guys may have. I loved my truck. No other truck compares to this in my opinion, but this issue has been devastating.

Lionel

Well this sucks. Sorry to see this is happening. I hope it gets resolved soon. As a public service announcement to others out there about tow trucks and getting your truck into neutral in various ways, I highly recommend watching this video.

 

[astrand1]

You said del

After re-reading that thread, I'm definitely going to pick up a mongoose. @rugedraw do you have to have an active FDRS license in order to run that inhibit removal tool?

I have an active FDRS license but what is this tool you speak of. Had not heard it before.

 

[Zprime29]

You said del


I have an active FDRS license but what is this tool you speak of. Had not heard it before.

This post: https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...pdate-bricked-my-2023-f150l.18635/post-377784

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Hi Lightning owners,

I was on my way to work this past Tuesday 8/27/24 so I got to my driveway and entered my Truck. I then started it the usual way when initially I saw a "Full Accessory power active" sign on the screen. I pressed "OK" then started the truck, but it won't start. I tried about 5 times and still won't start. I googled the issue with Accessory power active and tried the tricks that people used to start their vehicle: I placed a new battery on my key fab, tried the push start only without brake then do break and start together, tested my 12 v battery (was fine), let the truck cool down for 30 mins then tried to start it again, tried to use my ford app to start it and still won't start. Needless to say, my wife had to drive me to work that day. When I came back from work around 8 pm, I tried to start it again and truck still won't start. After cooling it for another 20 minutes, I went back to try to start it again and now the main screen is showing "Update not successful. Unfortunately, a recent software update was not successful. Your vehicle cannot be driven. Please call customer support......". To make the long story short, I called Ford Roadside Assistance, and they towed the vehicle (mind you, took them over 40 minutes to figure out how to get it to neutral because even with the instruction on the screen, it would not do it) to the nearest ford dealership.
Has this happened to anyone else before? My truck is a 2023 Ford F150 Lightning Lariat with 23,000 miles on it. Today is 8/30/24 and per the dealership yesterday, the truck could be with them for another week as they have been having issues trying to update it with the new module. Per the dealership, the truck still won't start.

Thanks for any input you guys may have. I loved my truck. No other truck compares to this in my opinion, but this issue has been devastating.

Lionel

Good morning, Lionel. Would you please send over a private message with your VIN and dealer info so I can look into this concern on my end? Thank you!

 

[rugedraw]

This post: https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...pdate-bricked-my-2023-f150l.18635/post-377784

The owner of the truck would need an active FDRS license to fix this as the license is tied to the laptop it is on and not the user name/password.

However, due to the fact that FDRS now has a requirement where an NFTSA password is needed for non-dealer users to update the BCM (which is the module responsible for putting a vehicle in inhibit mode for an OTA and releasing it when's done), it seems like even with FDRS, non-dealers FDRS users are screwed if this happens to them. The sample size for this is very small......that I know of, only one owner (who is on this forum) had his truck bricked and was not able to get it out of inhibit mode with FDRS.

If this were to happen to someone on this forum that has FDRS and a Mongoose, we have a work-around so they can get their vehicle out of inhibit mode. In the case of the OP, he is at the mercy of the dealer.

@FordEVr DAD It takes 5 minutes to fix this. As a matter of fact, it probably takes longer to sign in to the software needed to fix than it does to actually fix it. A week is ridiculous unless there are some underlying issues which are rare. I get this sucks and from an owner's point of view, this will leave a bad taste in your mouth. What happened to you is very rare in the grand scope of things and is not a Ford only problem. Sometimes, sh*t happens.

 

[astrand1]

This post: https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...pdate-bricked-my-2023-f150l.18635/post-377784

Thank you. Glad to know about that. “In case” lol.

 

[TaxmanHog]

As a public service announcement to others out there about tow trucks and getting your truck into neutral in various ways, I highly recommend watching this video.

This video is PINNED to the top of the Towing / Hauling / Trailering node.

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/forums/towing-hauling-trailering.85/

 

[MountainAlive]

Nice I haven’t visited that part of the forum yet but good to see!

 

[Heliian]

It happened to a few Mach es too, seems like it should be a straightforward fix if your dealer is competent.

 

[DesertEV]

Well this sucks. Sorry to see this is happening. I hope it gets resolved soon. As a public service announcement to others out there about tow trucks and getting your truck into neutral in various ways, I highly recommend watching this video.

Really great video. Thanks for sharing.

Sponsored