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

[urprising]

I don't own a Mach E but I do own a VW ID.4 and have very similar complaints about the ride quality as discussed here. I would recommend folks who have concerns to test drive another vehicle. I recently test drove another ID.4 and it was pretty convincing that the problems I have are specific to my vehicle. I plan to give the dealer a chance to find something but if they come back with 'everything is normal' I will sell and get another one (and make sure to do a thorough test drive before I buy).

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[Neil4Real]

I don't own a Mach E but I do own a VW ID.4 and have very similar complaints about the ride quality as discussed here. I would recommend folks who have concerns to test drive another vehicle. I recently test drove another ID.4 and it was pretty convincing that the problems I have are specific to my vehicle. I plan to give the dealer a chance to find something but if they come back with 'everything is normal' I will sell and get another one (and make sure to do a thorough test drive before I buy).

Based off people that have posted their experience here, including reviews mentioning it and showing the issue, it seems pretty concrete that it effects all MMEs below GT PE, with the GT, and possibly the select, being slightly better. It takes the right conditions to really experience the bounce, but its there on all of those mentioned above.

 

[DrSteveBrule]

I don't own a Mach E but I do own a VW ID.4 and have very similar complaints about the ride quality as discussed here. I would recommend folks who have concerns to test drive another vehicle. I recently test drove another ID.4 and it was pretty convincing that the problems I have are specific to my vehicle. I plan to give the dealer a chance to find something but if they come back with 'everything is normal' I will sell and get another one (and make sure to do a thorough test drive before I buy).

Have you isolated the other variables (tires, tire inflation, wheel size, etc.)? I own an ID.4 (Pro S non-gradient with 19" wheels and Bridgestone Alenza tires) and have no complaints about the ride, but I've only ever driven the one I own.

 

[urprising]

Have you isolated the other variables (tires, tire inflation, wheel size, etc.)? I own an ID.4 (Pro S non-gradient with 19" wheels and Bridgestone Alenza tires) and have no complaints about the ride, but I've only ever driven the one I own.

I have the exact same config as you and also test drove the same. My car is bouncy like the OP describes where you are literally bouncing up and down in your seat on most roads. Tried different tire pressures with no effect. After test driving another car I now know it’s not normal and will work to get it fixed or replaced.

 

[mkhuffman]

I have the exact same config as you and also test drove the same. My car is bouncy like the OP describes where you are literally bouncing up and down in your seat on most roads. Tried different tire pressures with no effect. After test driving another car I now know it’s not normal and will work to get it fixed or replaced.

That sounds worse than the MME. Also makes me think it must be a big challenge handling the extra weight in a small vehicle.

 

[miata]

...must be a big challenge handling the extra weight in a small vehicle.

Whether it's organ pipes or masses on springs, bigger/heavier things have lower natural frequencies. The problem here is the frequencies are at ranges uncomfortable for humans, as in Dramamine uncomfortable.
The earth's crust is really heavy, and yes it moves, but at such a slow rate (excepting earth quakes) that it's not a nuisance (except when paying for asphalt repairs). Little economy cars can be quite tinny, and be quite a handful in crosswinds, but we humans seem to tolerate those frequencies better.
But as said previously, Ford knew how to make the old 3-ton Lincolns ride pretty darn nice. It's just doing it while maintaining the sporty cred of the "Mustang" name.
The early (late 1960's) Mustangs had dozens of options and could be configured in 100's of ways. You could get a CobraJet Shaker in a Grande luxury model. I trust Ford is reading this Forum. They knew they had to have a GT (Gran Turismo?) version that could whup just about anything at a stop light. This forum is subtly letting them know there might be a market for a CT (comfortable touring?) package. Like a heavy old Lincoln, it may not be as fun in the twisties, but different strokes (I'm thinking struts!) for different folks.
Thinking back to 1970, I don't think plush carpeting in a Grande Mustang hurt the sales of the Boss302 one bit.

 

[dwadj]

Yesterday i had to bring in my MME for a windshield replacement, so going to the dealer's there's a part of some 15 miles concrete slabs road.
Omg, the car was going all over the place, except straight ahead...
Never had this issue on my European Ford cars, like my last S-max, even with bigger wider wheels, completely imperturbable handling on this road, and driving with a lot of confidence..., the car wanted you to go faster, way faster ... whereas the MME is the opposite, please slow down, i can not handle this type of road..... WTF.

 

[bellyer]

Yesterday i had to bring in my MME for a windshield replacement, so going to the dealer's there's a part of some 15 miles concrete slabs road.
Omg, the car was going all over the place, except straight ahead...
Never had this issue on my European Ford cars, like my last S-max, even with bigger wider wheels, completely imperturbable handling on this road, and driving with a lot of confidence..., the car wanted you to go faster, way faster ... whereas the MME is the opposite, please slow down, i can not handle this type of road..... WTF.

Welcome to the club... ?

 

[mkhuffman]

So one day I would really like to do a test and run two or three trim levels of the MME over the same stretch of bad highway. Is there anyone in the Virginia Beach to Washington DC corridor that has a Premium or Select model who wants to do that test with me?

We need to identify the road to use, as I have not had any problems with the roads along that corridor. It is a little bumpy in some places on I64, but I95 is generally really good.

The Interstate run from VA Beach to DC does not have any concrete with bad spacing, at least not any that causes problems with my GT.

Anyone have a suggestion for a road and willing to do the testing with me?

 

[Socalsp3]

A Select RWD here - it, specifically the rear bounces (the ride reminds me of older body on frame SUVs and trucks with a leaf spring setup, rides rough and bouncy) over rough patches of socal freeways (especially those under construction). On smoother roads, like canyon roads it's fine and tolerable. In the driver seat for me it's tolerable, but wife complains if she's in the back seat (she prefers the suspension tuning from our '19 Explorer Sport).

For me personally, I hate the Michelin Primacy A/S that came with the car, although I can see why Ford uses them, they're LRR tires which are better for range/mpgs. I'm willing to sacrifice some range and going with better handling tires, but also keeping with same XL Load Rating. Eventually down the road, hopefully Bilstein and/or Koni will have dampers for the MME, I'm itching to replace the OEM ones.

do you have 19" or 18" wheels ?

 

[Joetz]

yesterday I opened the rear hatch and put my hands on the sill and bounced the suspension up and down as hard as I could. A good suspension compresses and then comes back up and stops. This MME goes down, then up, then down again, and up and keeps bouncing in smaller and smaller increments. It takes way too long to settle, as if the spring rate is too much for the damper to handle. Someone screwed up with the calibration. Also the anti-roll bar in the rear might be too stiff, resulting in a lot of side-to-side head toss when one side hits a bump. And if you hit alternating bumps side to side, good luck staying on the road.

The interesting thing is that, as far as I can tell, the front setup seems to be tuned a hell of a lot better. I wonder if 2 different people tuned each end of the car that never spoke to one another. This is definitely the most bizarre suspension setup I have ever seen on any vehicle in all my years of driving

I'm no suspension engineer, just someone who really likes physics and learning/understanding how things work and it's pretty obvious someone screwed up really badly....

 

[alexgorod]

yesterday I opened the rear hatch and put my hands on the sill and bounced the suspension up and down as hard as I could

Did you just push down once, or multiple times in sync with MME bounces? I want to try it on mine (our "as hard as I could" will not be the same, but still interesting to see what happens)

 

[phil]

yesterday I opened the rear hatch and put my hands on the sill and bounced the suspension up and down as hard as I could. A good suspension compresses and then comes back up and stops.

I tried this with my 24-year-old Lexus, and it behaved exactly as you describe for a 'good' suspension.

My Mustang GT (Regular Edition) would not budge more than a few millimeters, up or down. You must be really strong. Or really heavy.

 

[Logal727]

Maybe I don’t know crap about suspension but mine feels OK?? The back bounces over speed bumps and I can feel the road a little, which isn’t surprising for a 5k lb car. Maybe I need to experience more suspensions but the MME handles pot holes better than my Honda Odyssey touring. ?‍

 

[miata]

...A good suspension compresses and then comes back up and stops. This MME goes down, then up, then down again, and up and keeps bouncing in smaller and smaller increments. It takes way too long to settle....

Agreed. Something isn't damped right. Ford's got some 'splainin' to do.

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