From SVS to SSN - The Tejon Pass Claims Another Mach-E

[Neil4Real]

This gives me confidence to proceed with my 1100 mile round trip to Galveston.

It shouldn't LOL. If you have the GT and had the recall software done and are doing a route with a steep incline, I'd just have a backup plan in place on where you want to take your car for service or if you plan to turn around should you get it on the way there.

AFTER the software update, we are definitely going to see large amounts of failures, primarily on GT/GT PEs due to their higher voltage. If you live in the flat lands, maybe you'll be fine, but elsewhere, definitely a ticking time bomb.

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[DevSecOps]

This gives me confidence to proceed with my 1100 mile round trip to Galveston.

The failure rate for NON-GT vehicles is probably still really low and .5% is likely very close to reality. The failure rate for GTs is going to be significantly higher in my estimation. I don't think we have hard numbers on how many GTs have been produced and crippled so it would be complete speculation but I would guess that it's closing in on 10% at least.

 

[Neil4Real]

I don't know your dealership, but the recall states like 268 out of 50,000, or about 1/2%. Your dealership's rate would be 76%. Somebody is full of malarkey.

Yeah, those are very old numbers at this point. Post recall software, the failure rate is most certainly above 1%, at least on GT/GTPE trims. It should no longer be totally game over with the recall software, but this is a much bigger issue that Ford needs to address rather than waiting for cars to trickle in and fail. At least for the GT/GT PE trims.

I understood their thought process on maybe supply chain issues or not inundating dealers with cars needing the HVBJB or something, but this route is definitely going to cost them WAY more money. Dealers are spending countless hours misdiagnosing the cars, needing to get field service engineers involved, paying for rentals/loaners WAY longer than necessary when it can be a day job, paying for tows up the wazoo, etc.

If they just did a replacement HVBJB recall, dealers can have the parts ready, keep the car for 2 days max without needing to diagnose jack squat or involve Ford.

 

[Illinibird]

I guess you must know something that I don't know. Has Ford stated that 100% of contactors, previous to the new part, cannot handle the electrical loads put on them? No.

Has the number of vehicles with failed contactors even come close to 1% of all cars on the road? No.

I'm not defending Ford, but this kind of parts issue happens to cars all the time. If the number of failures climbs rapidly, then you'll likely see the NHTSA force Ford into a parts recall, if they don't voluntarily do it.

Easy. I agree with you about numbers at this point BUT it’s early so we’ll see unless you know something I don’t know. I didn’t see many windshields fail but Ford did the right thing and replaced them. Maybe the NHTSA forced them in that, I don’t know. I still want my contactors replaced knowing what Ford has publicly acknowledged about the problem and I’m not alone in feeling that way as MANY others do too. If I’m the 1% with a failure like Todd it doesn’t give me any comfort knowing it doesn’t happen that much (yet); it’s still a 100% failure for me. If you’re comfortable with the situation as it is, great;,I am not. Your entitled to your opinion and take on this and I am as well.

 

[RetiredDP]

I successfully drove the Grapevine, twice, in my GTPE.

On the trip south, I DCFC'd to 89% at Harris Ranch, an hour away from the start of the Grapevine. Temps were in the mid-70's, and all AC and/or heating were off. I was in Whisper mode, driving on cruise at 74-78 mph for the entire trip. On the Grapevine (65 mph limit), I was driving at 74 mph the whole way.

On the trip back home, it was lightly snowing on the Grapevine. I had steering wheel heat on, and seat heat on high...but cabin heat was off. I drove 30-35 on the snowy parts, and 74 elsewhere. My usual 74-78 for the I-5. In cruise control, except when the road was snowy/icey. DCFC'd at Harris Ranch. I DCFC'd again at the base of the Sierras. Cruised up Hwy 50 to home (3/5ths of the way to Tahoe) at 74 mph.

At the time of this trip, I had snow tires on, and 6k on the odometer.

 

[RickMachE]

Easy. I agree with you about numbers at this point BUT it’s early so we’ll see unless you know something I don’t know. I didn’t see many windshields fail but Ford did the right thing and replaced them. Maybe the NHTSA forced them in that, I don’t know. I still want my contactors replaced knowing what Ford has publicly acknowledged about the problem and I’m not alone in feeling that way as MANY others do too. If I’m the 1% with a failure like Todd it doesn’t give me any comfort knowing it doesn’t happen that much (yet); it’s still a 100% failure for me. If you’re comfortable with the situation as it is, great;,I am not. Your entitled to your opinion and take on this and I am as well.

The windshield, and roof recalls were safety issues. When Ford learned of the problem (from a windshield replacement company), they did investigating and removed windshields and looked at the adhesion and saw a widespread problem. So they had no choice but to do a recall.

Of course they had a windshield adhesion recall on the F-150 before the Mach-E, and on the Bronco after the Mach-E. In short, they don't know how to reliably adhere windshields for some reason...

I never said I was comfortable with their process. I understand their process. They can't supply 50,000 units (actually closer to twice that, because Europe has the same part). They can't get 50,000 cars into 3,000 dealerships without the dealership being unable to operate. My large dealership has one mechanic that does battery work on EVs with one battery lift. Takes a day per, assuming they have the HVBJB in stock. If they're lucky and all goes well that is.

Say my dealer had to do 50 of these. That's 2.5 months going 5 days a week, assuming mechanic is in every day and that no other battery issues occur.

 

[DevSecOps]

They can't supply 50,000 units (actually closer to twice that, because Europe has the same part). They can't get 50,000 cars into 3,000 dealerships without the dealership being unable to operate. My large dealership has one mechanic that does battery work on EVs with one battery lift. Takes a day per, assuming they have the HVBJB in stock. If they're lucky and all goes well that is.

Say my dealer had to do 50 of these. That's 2.5 months going 5 days a week, assuming mechanic is in every day and that no other battery issues occur.

Rick, this type of comment is what most people have issue with. It's not OUR responsibility to figure out the logistics. It's not OUR responsibility to figure out inventory. If Ford is knowingly not doing the right thing because it's "hard" well that's not our fault and it's not the correct course of action. If one of my employees came to me and said, I'm not going to do what you asked because it's hard, they would be getting their last check. The mentality that we don't do things because they are hard is very antithetical to many of us.

 

[ARK]

The windshield, and roof recalls were safety issues. When Ford learned of the problem (from a windshield replacement company), they did investigating and removed windshields and looked at the adhesion and saw a widespread problem. So they had no choice but to do a recall.

Of course they had a windshield adhesion recall on the F-150 before the Mach-E, and on the Bronco after the Mach-E. In short, they don't know how to reliably adhere windshields for some reason...

I never said I was comfortable with their process. I understand their process. They can't supply 50,000 units (actually closer to twice that, because Europe has the same part). They can't get 50,000 cars into 3,000 dealerships without the dealership being unable to operate. My large dealership has one mechanic that does battery work on EVs with one battery lift. Takes a day per, assuming they have the HVBJB in stock. If they're lucky and all goes well that is.

Say my dealer had to do 50 of these. That's 2.5 months going 5 days a week, assuming mechanic is in every day and that no other battery issues occur.

Right, the Service Vehicle Soon message may very well be a way for Ford to manage the flow/perhaps salvage the existing HVBJB in lower trims.

But it does seem common enough on the GTs where a proactive replacement is warranted.

 

[Dude]

Next question: has anyone experienced this failure on the east coast under less extreme conditions? For example, driving on I-95? Or does this only happen when driving in areas with extreme, rapid elevation changes?

My MME is at the dealership after the SVS banner waved at me. I did not wait for the SSN command and did a 911 to the dealer. The jury has not informed me of a verdict yet. I posted the timeline on this form earlier today.

 

[Neil4Real]

The windshield, and roof recalls were safety issues. When Ford learned of the problem (from a windshield replacement company), they did investigating and removed windshields and looked at the adhesion and saw a widespread problem. So they had no choice but to do a recall.

Of course they had a windshield adhesion recall on the F-150 before the Mach-E, and on the Bronco after the Mach-E. In short, they don't know how to reliably adhere windshields for some reason...

I never said I was comfortable with their process. I understand their process. They can't supply 50,000 units (actually closer to twice that, because Europe has the same part). They can't get 50,000 cars into 3,000 dealerships without the dealership being unable to operate. My large dealership has one mechanic that does battery work on EVs with one battery lift. Takes a day per, assuming they have the HVBJB in stock. If they're lucky and all goes well that is.

Say my dealer had to do 50 of these. That's 2.5 months going 5 days a week, assuming mechanic is in every day and that no other battery issues occur.

It would be the same as the windshield and roof recalls. You just call your dealer and schedule an appointment when they can get you in. They don't instantly need 50,000 units and instantly need to get all 50,000 replaced. Some people had to wait months and months for the windshield and roof recall.

Again, the cars most likely to fail are the GT/GTPEs, so I personally think they should at least get those over with and issue a replacement recall until more data comes in on other trims. There are significantly less of them and it saves the dealers dicking around not knowing what to do with the errors codes because TSBs are apparently too hard to follow.

 

[Dude]

When I was growing up it was Fix Or Repair Daily.

I agree with that. But both versions are clever.

 

[Dude]

LOL

 

[EELinneman]

I powered up my 2021 Select AWD Standard Range Battery in the AM when the SVS warning appeared after the overnight charge.

Are you saying that it failed after level 2 charging? If so, how many amps is your EVSE set to deliver?

 

[EELinneman]

Hey @scoopman how many of the GT owners who you have personally met have had failure? X out of Y?

Is this the hint???? @scoopman is the grim reaper? For those who's cars he took out, did you hear him playing Blippy before his evil ways took hold??? We need to know!

 

[EELinneman]

If that is the case I think selling my car and buying a different EV makes sense now. The BMW i4 M50 EV looks promising.

You will miss using turn signals if you go that route!

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