My Zoom meeting with many Ford Mach-E engineers/employees

[JoeDimwit]

It seems the PaaK is randomly unstable. I can go for literal weeks without an issue and then a stretch of time were I constantly get "key not detected". I may be able to take to the dealer and have them perform some updates but since I can enter a door code and passcode on the screen to start, I never feel stranded, just inconvenienced.

I know people with Teslas and have seen it happen to them first hand. I'm sure it happens to them less frequently though.

Until PaaK works as well as the fob, I dont feel comfortable using it. It is rainy season here in Michigan, and I don’t feel like having to stop and punch in a 5 digit code then wait for the car to unlock while I’m getting dumped on.

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[imstriker]

Until PaaK works as well as the fob, I dont feel comfortable using it. It is rainy season here in Michigan, and I don’t feel like having to stop and punch in a 5 digit code then wait for the car to unlock while I’m getting dumped on.

I long ago gave up on PaaK opening my doors. By habit now, I just pull out my phone and send the FordPass command to unlock. At least I can get in while I wait for the backup start screen to show up.

 

[theo1000]

If you are having to use the backup code sometimes, how did you conclude paak has worked 100% for you each time?

You provided an example of how it is failing right after reporting a 100% success rate.

Personally I don’t count it as a fail. If I delete the back up code PaaK works just fine without a code. PaaK get me in the car, starts the screen and asks for the code. I don’t look at that as a fail as long as it starts the car. I like the backup code. If my phone gets stolen they still need the code to start the car. One more security level. I don’t have to worry about it.

 

[JoeDimwit]

I long ago gave up on PaaK opening my doors. By habit now, I just pull out my phone and send the FordPass command to unlock. At least I can get in while I wait for the backup start screen to show up.

And, I don’t have to take those steps with the fob. The car wakes up as I approach, and I push the button on the car and the door opens. No me working around a system that is failing.
Bottom line, until paak works as well as the fob, Ford should have included 2 fobs and considered oak a user selectable feature. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first vehicle that Ford has used paak on, and the lack of a second fob on a $40,000+ vehicle is insane. Expecting me to bring hardware to the table on a $40,000+ vehicle is insane. You will never convince me otherwise, and you will never convince me that using a workaround isnt a failure, or that it is acceptable.

 

[fayt349]

You realize that nothing (except death) is 100% successful, right?

Science would disagree. Gravity is also successful. Same with any other law of physics.

 

[FairfieldCT]

I just don't get why they are being so cheap on the second key fob. Unlike some people on this forum, I had no issues with PaaK yet I turned off! Two simple reasons:

- Every time I approached the garage with my phone, the car would unlock (then lock itself). Perhaps due to the layout of the house and garage, nevertheless, annoyance that I didn't want.

- It kills the phone battery - requiring location services on all the time is a deal breaker for me.

On that note, a car with so much technology that I need the phone to track my trips (also with location services always on) is really disjointing. How can a car like this not track itself and transmit to the phone/cloud its travel history?

Lastly, I wonder if they had any comments on Apple Car Play... and the hit or miss when you are trying to use it.

 

[IMDIDOC]

I believe the variations in reliability is partially due to Android vs iPhone. I have a Samsung Note 10 which was top-of-the-line not that long ago and setting up PAAK reports "phone not supported".

Also I believe I received an email that some Android fixes are coming in the next update in June. I hope so.

Until it's reliable on all platforms, sales folks should not use it as a selling point.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

My favorite PAAK fail was when I approached the car with the phone in my shirt pocket and pressed the open door button. Without any lag or second thought, the car alarm went off. Nothing I tried in the app helped. So I had to run upstairs to get my FOB to turn the alarm off. This happened in the middle of the day. But imagine if it was in the middle of the night. I don't think my neighbors would be so understanding.

Let me ask a question. What was the percentage of the time that your FOB failed to work perfectly and immediately? In my case it's ZERO on multiple cars over 20 years, with the obvious exception of a dead battery. It's not the end of the world, but you say PAAK failure rate is about 2% over what? A couple of months?

None of the 3 Tacoma fobs I have work better than 2/3 of the time. Really. I use the ...

 

[jbotelho15]

What I'd like too is instead of these silly sliders for all the control how about we tap fan and then use the knob to turn it up or down or tap where the air is blowing then turn knob and have a pop up show where you're switching it too etc and have it time out after 5 seconds or so of no response and revert back to volume. Basically ford gave us a knob because it's convenient I'd like to use that for everything. Heated seat? Tap and turn. It should be that simple not take my eyes off the road and gently slide to the position i want or go to another menu to select my feet instead of winshield for air.

 

[shutterbug]

None of the 3 Tacoma fobs I have work better than 2/3 of the time. Really. I use the ...

WOW! 2 out of 3 success is pretty awful. No wonder you think 98% is very good. As I said I've had great success with FOBs for 20 years, and for the past 7 hadn't had to take the FOB out of my pocket to get in or start the car. So obviously we have different levels of expectation for PAAK. BTW, my mother's RAV4 FOB works flawlessly. It even throws a message on the screen when it's time to replace the FOB battery.

 

[Garbone]

Yup, so much easier than having a fob in your pocket with the key to my house.

 

[SoriceConsulting]

I did not get any hints of what they're working on. However, buttons on the dash area seemed to be a big topic of conversation.

And, to open the rear lift gate door by swinging your foot underneath the bumper...the sensor is close to the license plate. And, it works better by using a "kicking" motion instead of a "sweeping" motion....so they say. I haven't tried it yet.

While dashboard buttons might be good I think they have GREAT CHANCE to make so much MORE use of the 'Volume' dial.

This has been brought up by me, others in various threads.

If they just made the Volume dial interactive, it would obviate the need for many dash buttons.

Oft cited examples:
> When radio is active, volume dial is, um, a volume dial.
> When you press the fan control icon, the 'volume' dial becomes a fan control dial.
> When you press the temperature control icon, 'volume' dial adjusts the temperature.

Etc. etc.

I think it would be brilliant use of the Dial Control.

 

[tmblue]

they need to tighten up the relationship, communications between Ford and their dealer network. The dealer network is really crappy

 

[mburtsvt]

Not to be a sh^% disturber- but didn't we have to agree to NDA"s before attending these Zoom meetings?

 

[medicnj]

You realize that nothing (except death) is 100% successful, right?

well, maybe not for one guy a couple thousand years ago, lol.

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