A little over a year ago, Ford had to recall the Mustang Mach E because contactors were overheating, potentially causing the Mach E to suddenly lose all power to the wheels. Then, Ford’s prolonged inability to find a solution for the problem led to lawsuits with the Mach E. Eventually – the best solution Ford could manage, was essentially ‘a software tune’ that pulled power when & if the contactors got to a certain temp/amp limit. And this is in addition to previous recalls where the Mach E’s windshield & panoramic roof was not properly bonded. And a further additional recall where subframes bolts were loose.
Now it’s coming to light that Ford’s software update has not fixed the problem for at least some Mach E owners…
That’s right, Mach E owners are starting to report that their EV is losing powering the same fashion as before the recall. There’s been about a dozen filed complaints recently, causing the NHTSA to reopen the book & investigate once again. It seems like the bottom line here is: China didn’t make the contactors strong enough for the job. And Ford rushed an EV to market while making a Mach-ery of the iconic Mustang nameplate.
The Mach E’s issue stems from overloading the contactors…
Causing them to run at too high of an amperage/temp for too long. I’m not sure where those limits are. Or what kind of environmental factors or driving patterns can accelerate/initiate a problem. I assume spirited driving doesn’t help. But I’ve read that Ford put the contactors in an inaccessible location, requiring major components like the battery to have to come out in order to gain access. If that’s the case, perhaps Ford did not want to go through the extensive cost & labor for the initial recall. And therefore figured a ‘software update’ (that essentially restricts performance) was an acceptable solution?? I don’t know about ya’ll, but detuning a vehicle as a solution to a recall seems suspect & potentially unethical to me. But that’s the kind of corner Ford backs themselves into when they rush EVs to market & push a political agenda as the future of their brand.
Hate to say I told you so; jk actually I love it.
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