Ford Halts Mustang Mach-E Sales and Deliveries due to overheating defect
Ford sent a notice titled "NEW VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD - Advance Notice - Safety Recall 22S41" to all Ford dealers stating that 2021 and 2022 Mustang Mach-E electric crossovers produced between May 27, 2020, and May 24, 2022, at the automaker's Cuautitlan plant in Mexico, may be affected.
The Ford memo explains that the Mustang Mach-E's primary high voltage battery contactors could overheat, which could cause "an open contactor or welding condition." That, in turn, can lead to the contactors welding shut while the car is in motion. Owners of affected vehicles may receive a powertrain malfunction warning light the next time they drive, and the Mach-E could fail to start.
Or, as Ford tries to sugarcoat in a message to consumers:
On affected vehicles, Direct Current (“DC”) fast charging and repeated wide open pedal events can cause the high voltage battery main contactors to overheat. Overheating may lead to arcing and deformation of the electrical contact surfaces, which can result in a contactor that remains open or a contactor that welds closed. An overheated contactor that opens while driving can result in a loss of motive power, which can increase the risk of an accident.
The remedy for this program is a Secondary On-Board Diagnostic Control Module (SOBDMC) and Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) software update. Ford is anticipated to begin Over-The-Air (OTA) deployment to update the SOBDMC an BECM software for affected vehicles next month. Alternatively, owners will have the option to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to complete the software update.
There are no open investigations with NHTSA.
This action affects 48,924 vehicles in the U.S."
In any event, if you want a vehicle that does not have open recalls, electrical or not, you’re better off not purchasing a Ford, especially considering they’ve issued at least two other recalls this week, posted here regarding the Ford Bronco and here regarding the Ford Escape, Fusion and CMAX.