Ford is recalling certain 2022 F-150 Raptor units that were manufactured this year. In an announcement made through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Blue Oval company said that the problem lies in the lug nuts, which could have been loose due to a fault in the assembly process.
In the NHTSA Recall 22V-675, over 1,500 Ford F-150 Raptor units are potentially affected. These vehicles were built between April 19, 2022, and August 11, 2022. The VIN range wasn't specified in the recall documents, but one thing's for sure – only those equipped with optional 37-inch tires are affected by the said defect.
Gallery: 2022 Ford F-150 Raptor: Review
According to the chronology of events, the problem happened when an automated three-spindle DC lug nut tool replaced a manual process on April 18, 2022, for the 37-inch tires. However, the new DC lug nut tool was "incorrectly set to a nominal torque of 170 Nm instead of the intended 200 Nm."
After auditing 477 vehicles, 236 units were found with low residual torque. This, of course, could result in the loosening of the wheel attachment and potential wheel separation from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford's Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) hasn't identified any reports of loose road wheels or separations.
Naturally, the remedy for the defect will be to tighten the lug nuts to specification, free of charge. Owners have already been notified but if you want to make sure that your F-150 Raptor isn't part of the recall, you might want to call your dealer just to double-check.
Of note, has already adjusted the F-150 Raptor's production line before because of the optional 37-inch tires. With these rubbers in place, the truck was apparently too tall to fit the factory. Ford spent 15 months to find a solution to this problem.
