Can't deal with the bouncy ride anymore after two weeks with the Mach-E. What do I do?

[Kamuelaflyer]

Sorry for not replying directly to a lot of the comments/thoughts/suggestions above, but I am going to try to respond to much of that in this post.

- One Pedal Driving is turned off and is not related to this issue. I was not a big fan of OPD, so I tried it for a day and switched back to good, old-fashioned two pedal driving.

- I keep the car in Engage mode, but have tried both Whisper and Unbridled. Engage is the most comfortable ride for us, but I do not think any of the modes impacted the bounciness at all.

- The bounciness we are experiencing is most definitely *not* a feature of the car or of a Mustang. I use to own a 2007 Mustang GT manual transmission, so there was plenty of the "feeling the road" sensation and lurching back and forth somewhat between gear changes, etc. The constant bouncing we are having here is not at all similar and my Mustang GT was a much smoother car than what this is. Heck, my old '98 Jeep Wrangler was a less bouncy ride than this. The bouncy sensation is not from hitting the occasional (or many) potholes or speed bumps and getting jostled around a bit. The bounciness is pretty much a constant rocking front to back of the car as you drive along an expressway; likely, mostly when the expressway is not completely even pavement, but it is truly constant and you visibly watch the headlights shining ahead moving up and down against the jersey barriers and cars ahead of you. Hitting potholes while driving regular city streets is a little rough and getting tossed around a little from it isn't great, but it is not terrible; the issue is the sustained bouncing/rocking front to back as we speed along the expressway that is the cause of concern (and car sickness).

- As for the Accelerometer app recommendation, we are a one-car city family, so we don't have another car to test it in, but I guess if I can arrange a test drive of another MME with my dealer, I can try to compare.

Take it to the dealer for a suspension/shock check.

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[Shayne]

Here is to hoping they make a light EV by 2035 for you.

I've had various trucks (Rangers, F-250, F-350, E-350) and it definately does not ride like a truck.

None of them could take a cloverleaf off ramp at 70 mph without batting an eye. (You know the ones with the sign showing a semi-tipping over warning to go no faster than 45 mph.)

Solid suspensions are solid suspensions and over bumpy roads it feels very familiar. Did you have big V8's in your trucks? Not saying the mach does not have more torque or does not handle better than a truck just drawing analogy to weight and suspension. The suspension is solid and that is something that is a bonus not a negative for me.

 

[sockmeister]

It appears you don’t know what you’re talking about.


I have the same issue as the OP but without the feeling of sickness. The car bounces up and down as it travels along.

Along a smooth road the car will not bounce. On a road with humps, bumps, potholes, or uneven pavement, and even sometimes on inclines and declines my car bounces. This is not a “benefit” of the firmness of the suspension.

I’ve driven 5 Mustangs (rentals), 11 SUV’s (owned and rented), and owned a Camaro in the last couple years. The Camaro had a very firm, glued to the ground feel and I could feel every bump as if it was happening right under my feet. I disliked it at first but got used to it pretty quickly.

Let me be clear that the OP is not referring to a firm suspension that is a feature of the vehicle. He is referring to the bounciness that is exhibited in some Mach E’s and apparently not in others. My car bounces and it shouldn’t, and it’s annoying enough to try to seek out a solution for it.

I’d love to hear any suggestions for DIY or a target area for the service department to check to reduce the bounce ???

If it's straight up continued bouncing after hitting a bump, then the solution is stronger shock absorbers.

 

[bellyer]

Take it above 60 and see if it disappears. Something seems to be resonnating at those speeds.

Okay, I was able to get out for a quick drive on a mostly wide open expressway just now and was able to get the car up to 65-70 for a couple miles and the bouncing is still noticeable at those speeds, too. I did fire up an Accelerometer app on my phone for most of the drive. I will need to see if I can figure out how to read the output from it and who knows if it paints a good picture of the experience, but I can honestly say the bobble-head sensation was in full effect for me on the drive just now anywhere between about 30-70 MPH.

 

[jeffdawgfan]

It may or not be the issue but there is a term....(resonance) I think I read somewhere. I will give an example. When pulling our RV we sometimes hit a patch of highway where the joints in the concrete are placed at just the right distance where we get the bouncing "resonance" motion of a up and down rocking motion. Does not happen all the time, just at certain places. It is caused by the different axles hitting those joints at just the right time and the right speed where there is positive feedback and the bouncing just keeps getting worse until I slow down or speed up and the effect goes away. I can drive the same stretch of highway without the RV and the truck never does that. It is possible you may being this effect in your MME. Are the roads you are traveling concrete or asphalt?

 

[bellyer]

It may or not be the issue but there is a term....(resonance) I think I read somewhere. I will give an example. When pulling our RV we sometimes hit a patch of highway where the joints in the concrete are placed at just the right distance where we get the bouncing "resonance" motion of a up and down rocking motion. Does not happen all the time, just at certain places. It is caused by the different axles hitting those joints at just the right time and the right speed where there is positive feedback and the bouncing just keeps getting worse until I slow down or speed up and the effect goes away. I can drive the same stretch of highway without the RV and the truck never does that. It is possible you may being this effect in your MME. Are the roads you are traveling concrete or asphalt?

The expressways around here are primarily concrete. I cannot recall whether I have had it on any sections of expressway that were asphalt.

 

[JamieGeek]

Here is to hoping they make a light EV by 2035 for you.

Solid suspensions are solid suspensions and over bumpy roads it feels very familiar. Did you have big V8's in your trucks? Not saying the mach does not have more torque or does not handle better than a truck just drawing analogy to weight and suspension. The suspension is solid and that is something that is a bonus not a negative for me.

Bigger and smaller: Ranger's had the 4.0L V6 and the F-250, and F-350 had V-10s.

Also the trucks (F-250 and F-350) had solid rear and front axle's. Mach-E is independent all around.

 

[JamieGeek]

Well you really can't compare the SS with mag ride at all since the mag ride can adjust the suspension on the fly.

The GT is supposed to be able to do that.

 

[JamieGeek]

True my example was handling and not ride quality.

 

[engnrng]

@bellyer has confirmed: bounces at speeds between 35 and up to 70. This does not sound like resonance or unbalanced wheel/tire. @SteelMach is another poster who is experiencing the same thing.

1. Test drive another Mach E on the same roads.
2. Drive OP Mach E on asphalt country back roads, preferably on one paved within the last year or two.
3. Regardless of the results of 1 or 2, take to dealer. Make sure dealer words the condition correctly so that Ford Engineers are not barking up the wrong tree. Not "harsh ride". Something like "Excessive rocking and bouncing at all speeds between 35 and up to 70 mph, causing nausea in driver and passenger."

Something is wrong with these two cars unless 1, above, finds the same conditions on the same highways in another Mach E.

 

[agoldman]

There is no fix for this. The car is designed this way to compensate for the extremely heavy battery, and trying to give the car some dynamics. Yes it is "bouncy". It takes a lot of getting used to, and it won't be for everybody. The Tesla for instance, is designed with less ride dynamics and, a more stable ride. Just the way it is.

 

[Jimmy2]

Yes, this is exactly it!

I have not taken delivery yet. Before I sign sale papers, I'm asking dealer for a 24 hr test drive. Been following the bounciness threads for a while now; its my number one concern.

I do note the MMe has a very long wheel base, but from what I have read, that should improve the ride.

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