Report: Ford to Stop Delivering Mach-E Models, Recall Looks Imminent

Ford has reached out to some Mach-E owners already

written by Nick Yekikian^{Senior News Editor
Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.}
6/14/2022(updated 6/15/2022)
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Ford has issued a stop delivery on Mach-E models.
The action comes because of a safety defect that might make cars immobile.
48,924 Mach-Es might be affected by the likely recall.

[Update June 15, 2022: This piece has been updated with a statement from Ford and the exact number of models affected.]

Ford has issued a stop delivery on Mach-E models over a potential safety defect that might make some cars immobile. That means that dealers can still sell you a Mach-E, but they cannot deliver the car until the issue has been resolved.

According to a CNBC report, Ford instructed dealers to temporarily stop selling the Mach-E on Monday. The Mach-Es affected are both 2020 and 2021 model year vehicles that were built from May 2020 through May 2022 at Ford's Cuautitlan plant in Mexico, CNBC said. A Ford representative told us that 48,924 that were built in that time frame might be affected.

According to CNBC, the notice from Ford to dealers said the root cause of the problem is the potential for the battery's main high voltage connectors to overheat. The notice said the problem can happen either while the car is off and won't allow it to start, but it can also happen while the car is in motion, causing an immediate loss of power while on the road.

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A recall is likely imminent, and Ford told CNBC that it already sent a recall petition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the government organization that handles them. Ford has also already reached out to some owners regarding the problem.

We asked Ford for a statement, and this is what the automaker said:

"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 and 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."

The Ford spokesperson we heard from also noted that there is not an open investigation with the NHTSA regarding this matter.

The Mach-E was Ford's first dedicated battery electric vehicle and has been on sale since the end of 2020. It's an EV SUV with striking looks and a sporty personality on the road, but, like most vehicles, it isn't without its issues. It's worth mentioning that we at Edmunds purchased a Mach-E, and you can read about our long-term experience with it here.

Edmunds says

We're glad Ford is doing what it can to remedy the situation with the Mach-E quickly.

by Nick Yekikian

Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.