My feelings on the stalk have gone from "confusing" to "dangerous"

[Jimrpa]

Seems a lot of people prefer to complain instead of adapting to change.

I drove a rental sonata hybrid recently that had sort of a stalk shifter. Took me about 5 minutes to acclimate to it. However, it was a totally different car, so I wasn’t trying to “unlearn” anything.

that said, the other poster nailed it on the head when they said that Ford fixed something that wasn’t broken. I really wish they had moved the stupid heat pump instead.

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[E90alex]

I drove a rental sonata hybrid recently that had sort of a stalk shifter. Took me about 5 minutes to acclimate to it. However, it was a totally different car, so I wasn’t trying to “unlearn” anything.

that said, the other poster nailed it on the head when they said that Ford fixed something that wasn’t broken. I really wish they had moved the stupid heat pump instead.

The heat pump has nothing to do with the change to the column shifter.

 

[Jimrpa]

The heat pump has nothing to do with the change to the column shifter.

I know that I’m saying “ford has limited resources. I’d have rather they spent the resources on fixing the massive heat pump cluster foobar, instead of moving the shifter.”

 

[StevenC56]

Maybe they will move the heat pump and minimize the associated plumbing for 2026. Then the frunk gets a bit larger again, and if they bring back the rotary shifter too you people will go crazy trying to find something else to complain about.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

The heat pump has nothing to do with the change to the column shifter.

I think you sort of missed his point.

 

[jav_eee]

Then the frunk gets a bit larger again

maybe it’ll be big enough for that ridiculous emergency latch button inside to actually be worth it. Only thing that can fit is a newborn and how the heck is it gonna know to press that button??

 

[StevenC56]

Question. Do any of you like your Mach E at all? Asking for a friend.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

maybe it’ll be big enough for that ridiculous emergency latch button inside to actually be worth it. Only thing that can fit is a newborn and how the heck is it gonna know to press that button??

The emergency release is required by US law. The pre 2025s had large enough frunks for a toddler to climb into and get trapped.

 

[E90alex]

Maybe they will move the heat pump and minimize the associated plumbing for 2026. Then the frunk gets a bit larger again

It’s not the heat pump or the plumbing that required shrinking the frunk.

They made the condenser larger which necessitated mounting it at an angle instead of vertical.

 

[StevenC56]

It’s not the heat pump or the plumbing that required shrinking the frunk.

They made the condenser larger which necessitated mounting it at an angle instead of vertical.

OK, so are you OK with the change?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

OK, so are you OK with the change?

Heat pumps, by Ford's own admission, are beneficial to a very small segment of Mach-e owners. Strangely, though, the actual subject matter of this thread is the new stalk shifter. Heat pumps were introduced as an example of things that actually need fixing unlike the rotary shifter knob previous models use.

Here’s an interesting tidbit about the rotary shifter. There are Lightning owners that have converted their folding shift lever to a rotary knob. They do that for two reasons. More real estate, and elimination of the issues with the glitches that happen after the shift lever was folded down then unfolded.

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

 

[StevenC56]

Heat pumps, by Ford's own admission, are beneficial to a very small segment of Mach-e owners. Strangely, though, the actual subject matter of this thread is the new stalk shifter. Heat pumps were introduced as an example of things that actually need fixing unlike the rotary shifter knob previous models use.

Here’s an interesting tidbit about the rotary shifter. There are Lightning owners that have converted their folding shift lever to a rotary knob. They do that for two reasons. More real estate, and elimination of the issues with the glitches that happen after the shift lever was folded down then unfolded.

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Except as soon as the heat pump was mentioned it appeared to get bashed as well. I have a Lightning in addition to the Mach E. Again, the factory shifter in it is just fine. No issues with folding or unfolding. I have seen that some people have converted to the rotary shifter on the lightning, but I think that's a pretty goofy mod. Again, just my opinion.

 

[E90alex]

OK, so are you OK with the change?

I never had the old one with the bigger frunk so I’m not “missing” anything. Heat pump was one of the reasons I waited for 2025 instead of trying to find a leftover 2024.

 

[E90alex]

Except as soon as the heat pump was mentioned it appeared to get bashed as well. I have a Lightning in addition to the Mach E. Again, the factory shifter in it is just fine. No issues with folding or unfolding. I have seen that some people have converted to the rotary shifter on the lightning, but I think that's a pretty goofy mod. Again, just my opinion.

There’s a “Customer Satisfaction Program” to replace the shifter on the Lightning (and ICE F150s). It’s not just the folding and unfolding. It’s also the automatic moving itself to Park if you turn it off or open the door while not in Park. It’s a very complicated solution to a problem they created for themselves. They could have just used the dial or an electronic column shifter like the 2025 Mach-E.

I much prefer the 2025 Mach-E shifter over the Lightning anyways. The Lightning is harder to switch between Drive and Reverse (eg 3 point turn or repositioning while maneuvering a trailer) because you have to deliberately count the notches and move it carefully or you will overshoot and get into Park.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Except as soon as the heat pump was mentioned it appeared to get bashed as well. I have a Lightning in addition to the Mach E. Again, the factory shifter in it is just fine. No issues with folding or unfolding. I have seen that some people have converted to the rotary shifter on the lightning, but I think that's a pretty goofy mod. Again, just my opinion.

I only know 2 people with Lightning’s out here and both have had trucks leave them stranded because of the issues with the truck refusing to start after unfolding the shifter. It’s also a familiar theme in the subreddit. Is it common? No, almost guaranteed not. But it was ill thought out.

As for the heat pump it was a bad decision, it benefits an extremely narrow cross section of owners. The frunk is significantly smaller and is, for many, quite unstable now. It won’t, for example, hold my rather small toolbox.

The stalk shifter isn’t fine. Saying it is doesn’t make it so. It was a solution to a non existent problem and change for the sake of change.

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