High Voltage Battery Junction Box (HVBJB) Replacement Recall for recall HVBJB in 30,013 Mach-E

[Say Watt]

So, my car heard about the recall and melted the HVBJB on my way home a couple of weeks ago. Managed to get to my garage, called Ford and the dealer. They sent a flatbed truck to take my GT to the dealership and I left on a trip to Ecuador. While there I got a text message that they found "other" damage to the battery pack and claimed that I must have run over a curb at high speed..... of course, if I had done that it would have torn up the front air dam which is lower than the area beside the front passenger wheel where they claim the damage occured. I also would have felt it. Since I babied the car and only have 3,500 miles on it, I have lots of questions. Got my insurance company involved and now it looks like my car will be totaled as they want $58,000 to fix the battery pack. Supposedly, that doesn't include any work like lowering and lifting the battery and replacement of the HVBJB. I'm attaching the pictures they sent me and the repair quote. The estimator from USAA (my insurance company) is going to look at the car on Monday. My GT has been setting all apart at the dealership for 3 weeks now.

Anyone have any ideas or input? I've never had a car totaled before.

Did you watch the tow truck load and unload the vehicle? I remember the old Car Talk show on NPR with "Click & Clack, the Tappet Brothers" - one of their acronyms was "FOT", fell off truck.

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[Ghost Ryder]

absolutely crazy that the battery pack would cost 38k. That's outrageous. For comparison, Tesla's only cost 9k to replace. I think the dealer is inflating the repair cost.

 

[buzznwood]

absolutely crazy that the battery pack would cost 38k. That's outrageous. For comparison, Tesla's only cost 9k to replace. I think the dealer is inflating the repair cost.

38k is the price of the whole module, so that is case the batteries and everything else that is inside it. Basically a lazy just take it out and put another one in complete replacement job rather then just fix what is needed and charge an appropriate amount for it.

 

[DugthePug Dad]

Did anybody else ever drive your car without you in it?

That damage doesn’t happen without someone knowing they did it!

 

[Dzrhino]

Yeah that's bad. You (or somebody driving your car) hit something at high speed, I guess you didn't notice. The damage pattern looks like you were bouncing over it (suspension compressed while you were on top of the object). You did hit hard enough to bend one of the cell modules.

I disagree with the quote. I reviewed the service manual battery damage guidelines, you need a new battery case, not a new battery. One cell module got bent, so that one will have to be replaced. The rest of existing modules can be transferred over.

Tell them to take the $38k battery off the quote (why would they put a whole new battery on there at the same time as a case?) add a cooling plate, and reduce the labor down to about 15 hours (~$2500) and then it will be realistic. So the quote should be about $15k.

But if they're willing to total it, up to you. The person that made that quote was not very knowledgeable about battery repair.

I am the only one that ever drove the car. There is no possibility that I ran over something at high speed and didn't notice it. Is it possible that the EDR would have a record of this? I am getting convinced that this happened in the service department. If I had hit something that hard, it also should have damaged the front air dam that is much lower than the area they are showing.

 

[Dzrhino]

Wouldn't the event data recorder (EDR) show if I hit something that hard? I am beginning to think the dealership dropped the battery pack when they started the repair of the HVBJB. I'm letting my insurance know that the quote is completely out of line and requesting that they get the EDR to confirm that the damage didn't happen while I was driving, or if it did what the date was.

 

[silverelan]

Wouldn't the event data recorder (EDR) show if I hit something that hard? I am beginning to think the dealership dropped the battery pack when they started the repair of the HVBJB. I'm letting my insurance know that the quote is completely out of line and requesting that they get the EDR to confirm that the damage didn't happen while I was driving, or if it did what the date was.

as a fellow USAA member, I appreciate this.

 

[Ghost Ryder]

It look like a scrape, and not just falling on something. Sounds like one of the tech took it for a joy ride to test out the battery. probably went air born.

 

[Dzrhino]

Yeah that's bad. You (or somebody driving your car) hit something at high speed, I guess you didn't notice. The damage pattern looks like you were bouncing over it (suspension compressed while you were on top of the object). You did hit hard enough to bend one of the cell modules.

I disagree with the quote. I reviewed the service manual battery damage guidelines, you need a new battery case, not a new battery. One cell module got bent, so that one will have to be replaced. The rest of existing modules can be transferred over.

Tell them to take the $38k battery off the quote (why would they put a whole new battery on there at the same time as a case?) add a cooling plate, and reduce the labor down to about 15 hours (~$2500) and then it will be realistic. So the quote should be about $15k.

But if they're willing to total it, up to you. The person that made that quote was not very knowledgeable about battery repair.

I used your analysis and sent a message to my insurance people and to the service manager at Capitol Ford. Told the service manager to redo his quote before the USAA rep showed up at the dealership. We'll see what happens. Note, I didn't mention anyone's names or handles.

 

[Dzrhino]

Thanks to everyone here, especially Mach-Lee for the revised quote. USAA pounded the dealer and they agreed to the $15K estimate and are ordering parts today. See the new quote attached!

Really made my day, I love my Mach-E and didn't want to try to replace it. The rental Mazda CX-5 really made me appreciate all of the Blue Oval features on the Mach-E. I have asked the dealership to make sure I am updated to all of the new firmware and BO 1.3 as part of the repair.

Mach-Lee, I know you are local to me. I owe you lunch or dinner at least.

 

[Just Lurking]

Thanks to everyone here, especially Mach-Lee for the revised quote. USAA pounded the dealer and they agreed to the $15K estimate and are ordering parts today. See the new quote attached!

Really made my day, I love my Mach-E and didn't want to try to replace it. The rental Mazda CX-5 really made me appreciate all of the Blue Oval features on the Mach-E. I have asked the dealership to make sure I am updated to all of the new firmware and BO 1.3 as part of the repair.

Mach-Lee, I know you are local to me. I owe you lunch or dinner at least.

That's great, but you're still going to be out your deductible plus you're going to have a collision claim on your insurance, right? If I was certain I'd never hit anything I'd be furious.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Thanks to everyone here, especially Mach-Lee for the revised quote. USAA pounded the dealer and they agreed to the $15K estimate and are ordering parts today. See the new quote attached!

Really made my day, I love my Mach-E and didn't want to try to replace it. The rental Mazda CX-5 really made me appreciate all of the Blue Oval features on the Mach-E. I have asked the dealership to make sure I am updated to all of the new firmware and BO 1.3 as part of the repair.

Mach-Lee, I know you are local to me. I owe you lunch or dinner at least.

Glad they came to their senses. So the quote went from $58k to $15k. This is why our insurance rates are so high...

 

[Ghost Ryder]

Thanks to everyone here, especially Mach-Lee for the revised quote. USAA pounded the dealer and they agreed to the $15K estimate and are ordering parts today. See the new quote attached!

Really made my day, I love my Mach-E and didn't want to try to replace it. The rental Mazda CX-5 really made me appreciate all of the Blue Oval features on the Mach-E. I have asked the dealership to make sure I am updated to all of the new firmware and BO 1.3 as part of the repair.

Mach-Lee, I know you are local to me. I owe you lunch or dinner at least.

They think it's going to take 30 hours (guessing 150$/hr shop rate) to fix the battery? That's crazy.

And Mach-Lee, May suggest the Republic Chophouse? I hear the Cowboy steak with a side of lobster tail is exquisite. Don't forget to chase it down with glass of Dame Gaffeliere

https://republicchophouse.com/

 

[Dzrhino]

They think it's going to take 30 hours (guessing 150$/hr shop rate) to fix the battery? That's crazy.

And Mach-Lee, May suggest the Republic Chophouse? I hear the Cowboy steak with a side of lobster tail is exquisite. Don't forget to chase it down with glass of Dame Gaffeliere

https://republicchophouse.com/

That's a little far from San Jose, California.

 

[Ghost Ryder]

That's a little far from San Jose, California.

Thought he was in Wisconsin.
there's plenty of places I can recommend in San Jose.

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