The Ford Mustang Mach-E has proven to be a strong seller for the company. While the initial controversy surrounding the CUV adopting the Mustang moniker has died down, a new stop-sale order is forcing the model to temporarily be withdrawn from sale as the company works to address a problem with the CUV’s door locks that can be dangerous for owners.
Issue can cause Mach-E owners to be locked out and children to be locked in
The problem centers around faulty software for the door lock system which can cause owners to be locked out of their Mach-Es. In addition to locking people out, the problem can also cause young children to be trapped inside the EV which can morph into a dangerous situation if the child is stuck inside the vehicle on a hot day.
The problem is also not solely attributed to the software either with owners discovering that if the 12-volt battery in the EV runs out of juice, the locks will retain whatever position they were in when the loss of power occurred (locked or otherwise.) It’s important to note that the Mach-E has a manual release on the inside of the vehicle for occupants to use in the event the electric mechanism fails but not everyone can use it including infants in car seats and small children. No injuries or fatalities have happened as a result of the problem but one family did report a case of entrapment due to the issue.
A fix is on the way
Ford confirmed a fix is coming for the issue but it won’t be ready for a few weeks. In the meantime, dealers are not allowed to sell or even demonstrate any of the Mach-E’s features to conform to the new stop-sale order. Unlike other issues that can be fixed with Over-The-Air (OTA) updates, this one cannot be fixed in that manner and will require owners to come to the dealership with their Mach-E where technicians will update both the powertrain control module and the secondary on-board diagnostic module.
While this fix will help solve the current problem at hand, it’s not enough to please other owners in California who have taken Ford to court in a class-action lawsuit stating the automaker should have included a traditional keyhole to provide an alternate form of access in the event the battery goes dead. Currently, the only way owners can get into a dead Mach-E is to either access a special service hatch and charge the battery or other manual methods of accessing the interior including breaking a window. A separate email Ford sent to its dealerships says that 196,911 Mustang Mach-Es are affected in the United States by the problem.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.