Electrical system & visibility issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Battery problems? Read our post on the 2021-2022 Ford Mach-E Battery Recall.
2021 is the first model of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, a battery-electric compact crossover SUV that was unveiled in 2019.
In its media release, Ford says, “It’s fast. It’s fun, It’s freedom.” They also describe it as “a car that strikes like forked lightning all over again.”
But not everything in every 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E functions correctly. Some owners report recurring problems, which means there are issues that might mean the car is a lemon.
There are already 20 complaints on file with the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, there have been 9 manufacturer communications. Most of which discuss issues with the electrical system of this all-electric SUV.
We’re going to look at the most common problems on file with the NHTSA.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2022
The most common problem in the NHTSA reports relates to the electrical system. Forward-collision avoidance is also a common complaint, as is visibility. Between them, these categories describe 13 problems. There are 5 complaints that relate to the electrical system and 4 each to the other problems.
Complainants describe 2 problems each about lane departure issues and the powertrain. Back-over prevention, the engine, seat belts, service brakes, and vehicle speed control all have 1 problem in the NHTSA complaints. There are also several random issues in the category Unknown or Other.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Power Train | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Lane Departure: Assist |
Complaints about electrical system issues are varied. One is from the owner of a brand new Mach-E, with only 200 miles on the clock. The complaint is that the stability track, traction control, and pre-collision warning lights all come on when the driver tries to start the car.
Another says that the tailgate of both their Mustang Mach-Es has opened spontaneously several times. Once the tailgate impacted a closed garage door causing about $1,500 in damage that they are claiming from insurance. Another time, it narrowly missed a 2-year-old child. This complaint states that the same fault has been reported by several other drivers on a Mach-E forum.
Two of the complaints relate to drivers using their cellphones as “a key” to get into and drive their cars. As one complaint states:
“This vehicle is sold with a single key FOB and an option to use Phone As A Key software. This feature has been a continual source of problems, as reported by almost every purchaser. It has been updated numerous times, including a dealer-installed software update. This is a serious safety issue.”
All this complainant wants is a second key fob at no cost!
The other complaint describes how the app option with his phone fails over and over again. “They need to pick one option. Make the phone-as-key product work or call it an experiment (which it is) and provide all Mach-E customers with two key fobs. They claim there is “a serious safety impact” by suggesting a compromise and expecting drivers to use a solution that doesn’t always work!
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Failures relating to forward-collision avoidance elicit various responses in complaints. For example:
One says that there is “no clear sound or indication when BlueCruise disengages, leading to unexpected behavior.”
Another says, “If any of the passengers are unbuckled and the seat chime is on, the car does not have an audible forward-collision or pedestrian warning alert sound.”
The other complaints state that sensors and various functions don’t work when it is very cold. After some chilling experiences when driving while it’s been snowing, one owner complains:
“The Mach-E refuses to clear sensors unless it’s restarted. I do believe this compromises the safety of the driver and passengers by causing unnecessary extra driving with multiple instances of stopping and restarting while road conditions are really poor.”
All 3 of the visibility-related complaints are about the unavailability of parts for recall repairs. They all come from different parts of the U.S. – Texas, Florida, and Washington – so it isn’t an issue that relates to lack of delivery to any particular state.
All of them complain that the parts needed to carry out the repairs are not available. And they all maintain that Ford has exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repairs.
The 3 complaints span 4 months, from 14 September 2021. Ironically, none of the complainants experienced a failure, they simply responded to the recall notifications.
An even more recent complaint dated 3 February 2022, states that the car’s panoramic roof was making a lot of wind noise. But the roof panel was still intact, and the recall isn’t mentioned.
There are already 4 recalls on the 2021 Ford Mustang-Mach-E. These potentially relate to as many as 35,116 vehicles, close to the 40,393 Ford reports selling to December 2021.
Two issues are related to visibility recalls:
The potential number of units affected is 17,692 and 13,544. It isn’t clear if the same vehicles have been recalled more than once. But as of 21 January 2022, when the most recent visibility complaint was lodged with NHTSA, there were no parts available to fix the problem. So, does it matter?
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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