Electrical and propulsion system and unintended acceleration issues are among the top complaints.
Battery problems? Read our post on the 2021-2022 Ford Mach-E Battery Recall.
Ford jumped into the EV market in 2021 with the Mustang Mach-E. This highly-coveted EV package was meant to excite and thrill the discerning driver. What’s been most unusual with the lineup is why it’s named after the iconic Mustang. It turns out Ford wanted to use the nameplate on the crossover lineup to ensure customers knew what this EV was capable of. This investment has been good for the automaker. In 2021, Ford sold more than 27,000 Mach-E models in the United States. With this amount of sales, Ford quickly became the second top leader in electric vehicle sales, trailing behind Tesla. But many of the consumers who invested in the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E are disillusioned due to problems with the electrical and propulsion systems.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2021
Even though the Ford Mustang Mach-E is a top seller, it has its share of problems. Despite being an electric car, electronics seem to be the top, ongoing issue. The system responsible for propelling the vehicle forward is also causing major problems.
Analyzing the problems in terms of complaints received by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a challenge because so many affected components appear to be linked. For example, 94% of the complaints about the fuel/propulsion system are combined with complaints about the electrical system. And about 58% of the powertrain complaints are combined with the electrical system. Forward collision avoidance and vehicle speed control complaints are also linked by consumers to problems relating to the electrical system and propulsion as well as unintended acceleration, which is sometimes seen as a powertrain problem.
Apart from the many complaints received, the NHTSA also has a record of four recalls and three investigations affecting the 2022 Mach-E.
By mid-December 2024, four recalls affected 2022 Mach-E models. Two relate to the electrical system and warn that the high-voltage battery contactor may overheat. One is a powertrain problem that highlights rear axle half shafts that may break under load. The fourth was implemented because seat belts weren’t attached correctly.
The second (October 13, 2023) affects 34,762 of these vehicles and carries the same basic warning. However, it specifies that the Mustang Mach-E vehicles affected have an extended-range battery. Rather than software, the recall states that dealers will replace the high-voltage battery junction box (HVBJB), free of charge.
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There are three NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (OD) investigations on record for the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Only one is active.
BlueCruise was introduced in a range of 2021 model-year Ford and Lincoln vehicles. It is only available on certain roadways and uses a camera-based driver monitoring system to determine driver attentiveness to the roadway. The ODI is busy evaluating the performance of the system’s “dynamic driving task and driver monitoring.”
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Engine | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Steering | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
There are a plethora of electrical system complaints most of which focus on the failure of the high-voltage battery junction box and faulty charging cables. Since the problems associated with the HVBJB and cables potentially lead to vehicles losing propulsion, there is an overlap in the problems reported. We will deal with loss of propulsion in more detail in the next section. However, a portion of a complaint from an owner in California highlights how the failures are linked.
“The HVBJB subassembly in ALL Ford Mach-e vehicles has known defects with under-designed main contactors that are known to fail under normal charging and driving conditions.” He goes on to say, “Unfortunately, the internal damage to contactors is not visible externally, and warning notices are displayed only after damage has occurred. This can result in sudden loss of propulsion power at highway speed, loss of power steering, power brakes, and failure of other 12v systems due to failure to charge the 12v battery properly after contactors are damaged. Less catastrophic results can include failure to start, which can strand drivers and passengers in remote areas, bad weather conditions.”
The original June 2022 recall for the system was a software update that did nothing to correct issues that had already occurred. As mentioned above, the updated recall issued in October 2023 provides a different fix in the form of a new, free high-voltage battery junction box. However, more than a year later, complaints about the HVBJB are still being lodged by irate owners.
An owner from New York has been through the gamut of problems and supposed solutions. In a complaint listed as an electrical system, powertrain, and fuel/propulsion system problem, he states that the HVBJB of his 2022 Mach-E failed in November 2022. Ford replaced the faulty part with an “upgraded” version of the part. Soon after, Ford issued a recall, stating that the solution was a software update to upgrade the part. But in October 2023, the HVBJB failed again. The Mach-E was in the shop when Ford issued the second recall for the physical HVBJB, and his recall was “marked as complete.”
“In addition to my own HVBJB failing, I am hearing many instances of this newer part failing. Being that this recall stemmed from vehicles potentially losing propulsion as a result of this failure, the risk still exists (although potentially at a lower rate).” The complaint maintains that Ford knows the failure rate is still high and that their upgraded part does not provide a sufficient solution to the problem. It also claims that Ford “has not been transparent with the NHTSA due to the costs associated with redesigning a third version of this part. I do not feel safe driving my family in this car because I know that it’s just a matter of time before this part fails once again.”
In a complaint dated October 24, 2024, an owner from California states that “Ford knowingly sold unsafe vehicles.” Despite the second recall, the HVBJBs are still failing. “What they have hidden from you and all of its customers that they suckered in buying their defective product, is that the front motors have undersized wiring, which could cause a fire.”
A complaint lodged in September 2023 claims that “Ford has faulty charging cables that they know about and have not recalled voluntarily. This I have an issue with because it is causing the battery on my car to overheat and put it at a potential risk of catastrophic thermal runaway incident. I have had two charging cables go bad on my car. I just got my car back today and I noticed the new cable has a new part number on it as well as different types of wiring marked on the outer portion of the top cable. This is the gauge of wiring that is being used to plug into the outlet of my home to the actual charging conversion.” He emphasized that “prior model charging cables are putting stress on the electrical system of the car,” and urged the NHTSA to open an investigation.
An owner from California reports that he had “two 240v Ford charging cables go bad with a solid amber light on it and a pulsating blue light in the middle and no red light. This means, according to the chart I saw online, that the charging is reduced because it’s overheating.” Furthermore, “This coupled with the high voltage battery connector failure recall that is also currently being investigated leaves me to believe the battery itself may be overheating causing the high voltage battery connector to weld itself shut and 240v Ford charging cables to fry. With both of these issues currently happening I believe it puts us at a higher risk for a catastrophic thermal runaway event.”
As mentioned earlier, because of the failure of the HVBJB, the Mach-E can suddenly lose power while traveling at highway speeds. This defect puts occupants at risk of an accident. These problems are usually regarded by consumers as being electrical system or powertrain issues. Many are regarded as fuel/propulsion system issues.
In a powertrain, fuel/propulsion system complaint, an owner from Minnesota describes the powertrain malfunction warning that has occurred twice. The first time, the dealership replaced the HVBJB. When there was a powertrain and high-voltage battery warning six months later, the HVBJB was replaced again. The second “warning resulted in (a) reduction of power, but not full loss of power.”
In a complaint listed as being both an electrical system and powertrain problem, an owner from Michigan tells how “the vehicle alerted me to ‘Stop safely now’. I no longer had any power and could not accelerate. I was doing 70 MPG in the middle lane and had to switch to the right lane, then to the shoulder of a busy interstate. This was extremely dangerous as I was losing speed quickly.” He managed to get to the shoulder of the road and tried to restart the vehicle with no success. “Eventually it just completely lost all power. This vehicle is fully electric and had 76% charge at the time of the incident with 23,642 miles.” To add insult to injury, it took five hours for Ford Roadside Assistance to get the vehicle towed to a dealership. “I was stranded on the side of the freeway, completely unacceptable.”
When a vehicle suddenly accelerates with no input from the driver, the results can be catastrophic. Several NHTSA complaints describe how drivers have struggled to maintain control when the Mach-E accelerated on its own. One complaint discusses an accident that occurred in a parking lot because of this failure, while other customers said accidents were avoided on two occasions while firmly pressing the brake pedal during the acceleration.
An owner from California wasn’t so lucky. The driver was just lucky not to have been injured. Like the incident mentioned above, the driver was pulling into a parking lot. The vehicle was moving at about 2 mph when the Mach-E suddenly accelerated. The vehicle crashed into a light post, ran over the post, and crashed into the back of a building. There was damage to the hood, grill, and bumper, and also to the undercarriage.
An owner from Arkansas had the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control set at 35 mph in a 35 mph speed zone. “As I approached a stop light I tapped the brakes, which should have disengaged the cruise control but instead the vehicle speed accelerated. The warning light stated cruise control was disengaged with (a) gray line through (the) speed indicator. I stepped on the brakes hard and the vehicle did stop and (the) accelerator stopped.”
Another owner states in a complaint that at least eight times, “the car unintentionally shifted into cruise control and accelerated immediately. This usually happened while driving under 30 mph and rapidly accelerated to a much higher speed, sometimes set as high as 70 mph.” This happened in a parking lot three times and twice in a bank drive-through with a vehicle only a few feet ahead of the Mach-E.
If you find yourself with a Ford Mustang Mach-E that has a substantial defect that the manufacturer cannot repair, it may be a lemon.
Lemberg Law specializes in Lemon Law and we will evaluate your case. You don’t have to be stuck with a lemon. We can negotiate a settlement that may involve a replacement vehicle, a refund for the purchase price, or a buy-back.
If you’ve bought a lemon, the law ensures that Ford will pay your legal bills.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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