Troubled American EV maker Lordstown Motors is recalling just five units of its Endurance electric pickup because the electric parking brake might fail.
The recall was launched by the carmaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on March 3, with the federal agency saying that the issue lies with brake calipers that may feature faulty thrust washers, which could lead to a decrease in the clamping force and ultimately allow the vehicle to roll away when parked, “especially if on a high grade, which could increase the risk of a crash.”
Lordstown Motors says that the problem originates from its supplier, Akebono, which delivered certain rear electric park brake (EPB) calipers with thrust washers that haven’t been properly heat treated. As a result, these washers could excessively wear over time, leading to the EPB losing its effectiveness.
The supplier says the affected calipers are uniquely marked and easily traceable via a green square, with Lordstown adding that the five vehicles that are a part of this recall will be repaired for free. Also, all the vehicles that haven’t been sold yet and are awaiting delivery at the factory will be retrofitted with corrected EPB calipers.
Lordstown started production of the Endurance electric pickup truck in late September 2022 and managed to sell just three units last year, with another three reportedly getting to customers in 2023. In total, Lordstown Motors has made just 31 units of its four-door pickup, but in late February it halted production and deliveries, saying it has experienced performance and quality issues with certain components.
At the same time, the company issued a voluntary recall for 19 vehicles “that are either in the hands of customers or being used internally by LMC” because “the high-voltage cable between the inverter and motor may experience a fault that causes a loss of drive power and the vehicle cannot be restarted once turned off.”
The Lordstown Endurance has four individual in-hub electric motors that make a combined 550 horsepower and can propel the American-made truck to 60 miles per hour in 6.3 seconds. The vehicle has been homologated and certified for US sales in late November 2022, with the company aiming for a 200-mile EPA range rating courtesy of a 109 kilowatt-hours battery that can be DC fast-charged at up to 150 kilowatts.
