50,000 mile owner update. Quite an impressive vehicle overall.

[RickMachE]

I appreciate @SnBGC posting this. Forums are full of mostly negative things, some very real issues, some due to the vehicle owner not familiar with vehicles, or not familiar with EVs, or bitching and whining about every little thing on leading edge technology and somewhat unrealistic expectations. This is one of heaviest use cases of a Mach-E, and it's refreshing to see the feedback.

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[Jimrpa]

My 18 month old Mach-E has finally reached the 50,000 mile mark. Quite an impressive vehicle overall.
I think this is a fantastic vehicle that is let down by glitchy software. That being said, the software obstacles are totally manageable. Meaning, the random software issues have never kept me from using the car. The critical systems have always functioned as expected. So far, the glitches have been with auxiliary features such as infotainment, driving aids, mobile app etc.

I don't see any reason for a play-by-play of my ownership experience. Many here already know the great things about this car so the purpose of this post is to talk about some items that I have experience along the way and get some feedback if others are having similar experiences.

So let's see....
The tires have worn evenly on all four corners and I drove them for 49,655 miles before installing a new set. That is VERY good performance for a BEV tire in my opinion. Those still had a little over 4/32" of tread dept still so I could have probably gone to 55k miles but I didn't see any reason to risk it.

1. I did notice that at around 45k miles the MECS (motor and electronics cooling system) degas tank was low on fluid.
2. I see some oil seepage past the axle seals on the front and rear motor. Front is worse....rear isn't so bad.
3. The driver's door panel is starting to show some sun fading where the top rail of the door panel is exposed to the sun.
4. I had a rattle in the right rear side of the car that turned out to be a loose door striker latch. That was a simple job to tighten it back up again. No biggie.
5. I get regular messages for Front Camera Fault and Collision Assistance Un-Available messages. When those occur, the driving aids don't work very well. So far these episodes have been temporary and the system returns to normal operation within a mile or two.

I have learned to live with the update process. They always have some sort of consequence but usually they are minor issues that are easy to remedy or go away on their own after a short while. I am disappointed to lose the ability to track off center when using Lane Centering but it's not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination. Blue Cruise Hands-Free is pretty nice when it is working well. I find it works well when out on the open road. I recently drove to San Diego and back and that system substantially reduced the amount of driver fatigue that I would normally experience otherwise. So, there is value there for those that have the use of that system.

Some of the notices in FordPass are pretty useful. The car really doesn't like to be low on washer fluid and it lets me know on the driver's screen every few hours as well as in Ford Pass. I also got a neat notice about my tires needing to be replaced so that was pretty cool (even though I was on top of it already....).

I really like the native navigation system. Has worked very very well for me. I don't use Carplay or Android Auto but I like that the car supports those features and can do it without wires. That comes in very handy when my wife or kids have something on their phones that I want to put on the screen. It's pretty easy just to switch over to their broadcast and continue driving along.

This car has saved me a ton of money in fuel, maintenance and repairs. I estimate around $8,000 per year. I would recommend this vehicle to others. It is fun to drive. Well built. Has all the features that I need and a bunch of additional features that I never knew I liked but am now glad to have.

I will get the leaking motor seals looked at and shoot for another 50k trouble free miles.

Excellent write up and tracks with my paltry 12K miles in 17 months.
By the way, I love the view out your windshield. Where is it?

 

[Jimrpa]

None observed so far. I still see right about 300 miles of range at full charge. I expect to begin observing deg around 75k miles. I believe there is some deg but I just haven't observed it yet because the upper buffer hasn't been consumed yet. It is a matter of time though. Eventually I will begin to observe a loss of capacity but so far so good.

You get 300 miles of range when fully charged? What magic are you doing? I think the most I’ve ever seen on the GOM is about 275 AWD ER

 

[PJS3]

I appreciate @SnBGC posting this. Forums are full of mostly negative things, some very real issues, some due to the vehicle owner not familiar with vehicles, or not familiar with EVs, or bitching and whining about every little thing on leading edge technology and somewhat unrealistic expectations. This is one of heaviest use cases of a Mach-E, and it's refreshing to see the feedback.

Definitely want to +1 this comment. Appreciate the post and feedback as one that is soon to take delivery in the next several weeks!

 

[Maquis]

Congrats on your 50K milestone! We are coming up on 15 months and still below 11K miles. How often do you rotate your tires? I had the first rotation done at 6.5K and will probably do it again at 11.5K.

My dealer does the rotation at the 10K service. It costs me all of $14. My tires show no signs of uneven wear.

 

[generaltso]

You get 300 miles of range when fully charged? What magic are you doing?

Arizona.

 

[SWO]

Good write up.

I was more worried about the coolant but the Ford Owner's Manual (which is oddly very detailed on the coolant) says adding up to a liter of coolant per month is normal.

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CHECKING THE COOLANT

WARNING: Do not remove the coolant reservoir cap when the vehicle is on or the cooling system is hot. Wait 10 minutes for the cooling system to cool down. Cover the coolant reservoir cap with a thick cloth to prevent the possibility of scalding and slowly remove the cap. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury. WARNING: Do not put coolant in the windshield washer reservoir. If sprayed on the windshield, coolant could make it difficult to see through the windshield. WARNING: Do not add coolant further than the MAX mark.

Note: Coolant expands when it is hot.The level may extend beyond the MAX mark.
Your vehicle has a battery cooling system and a motor electrical cooling system. See Under Hood Overview. The luggage compartment covers need to be removed in order to access the reservoirs.
See Installing and Removing the Luggage Compartment Cover.
When the electric motor is cold, check the concentration and level of the coolant at the intervals listed in the scheduled maintenance information. See Scheduled Maintenance.
Maintain coolant concentration within 48% to 50%, which equates to a freeze point between -29–-35°F (-34–-37°C). Check coolant concentration using a refractometer. We do not recommend the use of hydrometers or coolant test strips for measuring coolant concentration.
Adding Coolant
It is very important to use prediluted coolant approved to the correct specification in order to avoid plugging the small passageways in the electric motor cooling system. See Cooling System Capacity and Specification.
Do not mix different colors or types of coolant in your vehicle. Mixing of coolants or using an incorrect coolant may harm the electric motor or cooling system components and may cause damage that the vehicle warranty may not cover.
Note: Automotive fluids are not interchangeable.
Note: Do not use stop leak pellets, cooling system sealants, or non-specified additives as they can cause damage to the electric motor cooling or heating systems.
Note: If prediluted coolant is not available, use the approved concentrated coolant diluting it to 50/50 with distilled water. See Cooling System Capacity and Specification. Using water that has not been deionized could contribute to deposit formation, corrosion and plugging of the small cooling system passageways.
Note: Coolants marketed for all makes and models might not meet our specifications and could cause damage to the cooling system. Resulting component damage could void the vehicle warranty.
If the coolant level is at or below the minimum mark, add prediluted coolant immediately.
To top up the coolant level do the following:

1. Unscrew the cap slowly. Any pressure escapes as you unscrew the cap.
2. Add prediluted coolant approved to the correct specification. See Cooling System Capacity and Specification.
3. Add enough prediluted coolant to reach the correct level.
4. Replace the coolant reservoir cap. Turn the cap clockwise until it contacts the hard stop.
5. Check the coolant level in the coolant reservoir the next few times you drive your vehicle. If necessary, add enough prediluted coolant to bring the coolant level to the correct level.

If you have to add more than 1.1 qt (1 L) of coolant per month, have your vehicle checked as soon as possible. Operating your vehicle with a low level of coolant can result in overheating and possible electric motor damage.
In case of emergency, you can add a large amount of water without coolant in order to reach a vehicle service location. In this instance, have qualified personnel do the following as soon as possible:

1. Drain the cooling system.
2. Chemically clean the coolant system.
3. Refill with coolant.

Water alone, without coolant, can cause damage from corrosion, overheating or freezing.
Do not use the following as a coolant substitute:

• Alcohol.
• Methanol.
• Brine.
• Any coolant mixed with alcohol or methanol antifreeze.

Alcohol and other liquids can cause damage from overheating or freezing.
Do not add extra inhibitors or additives to the coolant. These can be harmful and compromise the corrosion protection of the coolant.
Recycled Coolant
We do not recommend the use of recycled coolant, as an approved recycling process is not yet available.
Dispose of used coolant in an appropriate manner. Follow your community's regulations and standards for recycling and disposing of automotive fluids.
Severe Climates
If you drive in extremely cold climates:

• It may be necessary to increase the coolant concentration above 50%.
• A coolant concentration of 60% provides improved freeze point protection.
• Coolant concentrations above 60% decrease the overheat protection characteristics of the coolant and may cause damage to the electric motor.

If you drive in extremely hot climates:

• You can decrease the coolant concentration to 40%.
• A coolant concentration of 40% provides improved overheat protection.
• Coolant concentrations below 40% decrease the overheat and corrosion protection characteristics of the coolant and may cause damage to the electric motor.

Coolant Change
Change the coolant at specific mileage intervals listed in the scheduled maintenance information. Add prediluted coolant approved to the correct specification. See Cooling System Capacity and Specification.

​

​

 

[Shaggyrn]

Thank you for this information. I am glad to see someone else that is putting the miles on their mustang. I have put roughly 32,000 miles and I will have had my mustang for 1 year on the 28th of this month.

 

[Guss-E 2021]

As someone only 2.5 months and 5,000 miles into ownership, I really appreciate the time the OP took to make this post. Especially on what is obvious the previous model year. Thank you @SnBGC !

 

[PicassoPC]

You get 300 miles of range when fully charged? What magic are you doing? I think the most I’ve ever seen on the GOM is about 275 AWD ER

Hang in there - it gets better over time

 

[SnBGC]

Congrats on your 50K milestone! We are coming up on 15 months and still below 11K miles. How often do you rotate your tires? I had the first rotation done at 6.5K and will probably do it again at 11.5K.

I rotated them once at 19 k miles. All 4 corners appear to wear evenly on this car for some reason.

 

[SnBGC]

Excellent write up and tracks with my paltry 12K miles in 17 months.
By the way, I love the view out your windshield. Where is it?

Thanks.
That was I-8 heading East from San Diego towards Arizona. We had attended the Fully Charged Live show and was heading back home.

 

[The Black Horse]

Posts like this are why I love this forum. Thanks for taking the time to write this up and help us all out.

 

[SnBGC]

You get 300 miles of range when fully charged? What magic are you doing? I think the most I’ve ever seen on the GOM is about 275 AWD ER

I do a lot of driving on local freeways around 65-68 mph and surface streets are around 45-50 mph. When the ambient temps are 110F or higher, then I see range estimates around 270-280 miles. Once it cools down to 105 or less then I see 300 miles or just a bit more. Reality is probably around 290 miles on a full charge from what I have observed.

 

[ExpensiveWino]

Very good overall summary....thank you for sharing! I'm at 1,700 miles and I hope most of us new owners will have an experience like yours.

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