FordPass account suspended

[cryptk]

I had an account get banned because my email address had a plus sign in it... They accused me of all kinds of stuff, and eventually they were able to hear from their security team that it was because my email address "matched a pattern known to be used by malicious actors".

It was a Gmail address label... Super common to use. They are simultaneously insane and inept.

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[HuntingPudel]

I had an account get banned because my email address had a plus sign in it... They accused me of all kinds of stuff, and eventually they were able to hear from their security team that it was because my email address "matched a pattern known to be used by malicious actors".

It was a Gmail address label... Super common to use. They are simultaneously insane and inept.

LOL my email address has hyphens in it but my account has never been banned. All of Ford's servers seemed OK with it except for the PaaK authentication server. While PaaK worked, the second row of buttons would not appear in the FP app, so no windows, no frunk, no liftgate. It took months to figure it out, including a tech support session with a FordPass agent wherein after I explained several times to the agent that I did not have my physical key he told me to delete my PaaK in frustration after the last time I reminded him that I didn't have a physical key he told me to "JUST DELETE IT!" I followed his instruction and when he told me to create a new PaaK, I asked him "How? I don't have a key." <CLICK> I had to get an Uber ride home to get my key so I could make a new PaaK that still wouldn't display the second row in FP. Ford Customer Service refused to reimburse mee for that ride. ??

It's amazing to me that two and a half years later Ford's still having problems with perfectly legal email addresses. ?‍?

 

[Thunderanger]

Anyone else have your account suspended for "violation of terms or suspicious activity" and have never used a third party app or entered your Ford credentials or VIN into a app or site other than Ford?

They suspended mine on Tuesday, tried to unblock it on Wednesday and are still seeing "unusual activity". They now think its the VPN that I have used 2x in the past 2-3 months to access my work email. I never have the fordpass app open in the background and close it after every use, so I have a hard time believing its this.

They have put in another request to have it unblocked in 24 hours but we will see as it was supposed to be unbloced today at 10am PST.

I leave for a 2 week trip in the car that I will DCFSing the entire time and require the use of FordPass.

Thoughts or suggestions?

I had an app that tracked my charging and battery health. Can't remember the name for now. But it was an issue and both Ford and the app suggested I unlink the accounts until I heard from the app it was ok, as I recall.

 

[ChehRob]

Dealers thus far do not seem interested in having specialized software technicians. All of the manufacturers need to address this. I suspect the solution could be something like what auto part, oil changing franchises do. I suspect there are skilled people out there who could go to a one week intensive certification course each for the various manufacturers and the auto software. Probably the whole state of Washington would only need half a dozen such people. Such people would need to have a business relationship with each manufacturer they were certified for, access to software, access to specialists at each company.

 

[RickMachE]

Dealers thus far do not seem interested in having specialized software technicians. All of the manufacturers need to address this. I suspect the solution could be something like what auto part, oil changing franchises do. I suspect there are skilled people out there who could go to a one week intensive certification course each for the various manufacturers and the auto software. Probably the whole state of Washington would only need half a dozen such people. Such people would need to have a business relationship with each manufacturer they were certified for, access to software, access to specialists at each company.

Makes zero sense. There are 53 Ford dealers, per Google, in Washington State. How would 6 techs across all those independent dealerships make any sense to the dealers (i.e. on their dime?).

A software EXPERT at a dealership might make sense IF that person also had other duties, because otherwise they'd be idle a lot.

But the reality is that the interactions of all the updates, across all the modules, is barely understandable by most people. Sure, we have experts here on using FDRS, and they may be very knowledgeable on the updates for the Mach-E, but let them tell you about the updates to the ____ model. The answer will be "I don't own it, I never updated it, but I can tell you what FDRS tells me to do".

 

[rugedraw]

But the reality is that the interactions of all the updates, across all the modules, is barely understandable by most people. Sure, we have experts here on using FDRS, and they may be very knowledgeable on the updates for the Mach-E, but let them tell you about the updates to the ____ model. The answer will be "I don't own it, I never updated it, but I can tell you what FDRS tells me to do".

I spend time on the F150, Lightning, Bronco and new Mustang forum as well as this one. It's the same crap. I've done updates on all of the above and more. The EV's have modules that ICE vehicles don't and require a more powerful power supply, but that's about it.

I work at a Jaguar/Land Rover store. Same thing updating these things. With JLR, PTS and FDRS are combined into one thing called Topix, but it's the same thing. Power supply needed, APIM and certain modules are updated with a USB, and we can only bill JLR for updates when they address an issue or are part of a recall.

My dealer also sells Audi, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Porsche, McLaren, Aston Martin, Ferrari and we just got a Lamborghini franchise. I've spoken to techs from all brands about this kinda stuff. Same procedure; different named software and tool. This is what the VCI for VW/Audi looks like. For the most part, it's all the same. Guided routines where you click a button and the program does the work for you.

 

[ChehRob]

It does make sense if you think about it. The occasions of the sort of failures the OP gave are rare, and require a highly trained person to solve. Are you really proposing that all 53 Ford dealerships have a person who likely wants a $150,000+ per year? I doubt if my dealership has more than a dozen or two cases like this per year.

In a sense, every such case like the OP presented is a failure on the part of Ford software. The hard cases point to where software needs improvements. And those half dozen experts will get really good about catching those failure points. Also Ford can then put out an advisory to its dealerships so its normally trained technicians can fix things.

 

[Snakebitten]

I don't know if I agree 100% either way. I believe that since the release of the 2021 Ford vehicles, it is going to be someday inevitable that a Ford dealership should have 1 service bay that looks different than all the other service bays.
It would have large monitors and windows pc's with a clean floor and a fella with clean fingernails, rather than roll around SnapOn toolboxes and a bunch of shop rags laying around.

In fact, I think the only reason it hasn't already been established as a necessity is the after sale funding for the services performed in that service bay is still in flux. Literally, Who Pays(?) isn't yet established.
So we, the consumer, are caught in a quandary that is described on these forums in words like "you need to take your car in and describe an issue that is related to a TSB/CSP and that allows the dealership to fund the software updates".

Basically gaming the current system!

At some point the vast majority of vehicles WILL be these current software-defined-vehicles. It will be common that the necessary procedure to complete the work order and get the car back in the hands of the customer will not require a single wrench in the hands of a mechanic.

The world has never been more unpredictable. So I risk pure folly in attempting to do so. But it's irresistible to try. Lol

 

[RickMachE]

It does make sense if you think about it. The occasions of the sort of failures the OP gave are rare, and require a highly trained person to solve. Are you really proposing that all 53 Ford dealerships have a person who likely wants a $150,000+ per year? I doubt if my dealership has more than a dozen or two cases like this per year.

In a sense, every such case like the OP presented is a failure on the part of Ford software. The hard cases point to where software needs improvements. And those half dozen experts will get really good about catching those failure points. Also Ford can then put out an advisory to its dealerships so its normally trained technicians can fix things.

Don't agree.

Ford already has internal experts that work with dealerships, call field engineers.

 

[ChehRob]

So why haven't they fixed this guy's Ford Pass problem? I suspect we agree, this should not be a customer problem (possibly that VPN or some such conflict, and needs to be removed). It should not be a dealership problem - they neither wrote nor have the authority to change Ford software. It is a Ford problem. And Ford's goal should be that the software is largely invisible to be driver.

And actually, for most of us that has been true. I liked my 2019 RAV4 and all of its kludgy ADAS. The MME is so much easier to use, and has more features. My only disagreement with what Snakebitten wrote is that I don't think dealerships will have to do much more than changeout bad parts. The software technician will have enough support from Ford to tell the mechanic what and how to do it. Ideally like that RAV4 - hasn't seen a technician or mechanic going on 6 years (a friend now has it).

 

[LeanneL]

Go I go access back to Ford Pass of last night at about 10. I will be curious to see if this happens again as nobody was really able to tell me what caused it. I have tried to create a 2nd login, but when I go to fordpass to accept the other account request, there is no button to accept!

 

[rreddy3]

Go I go access back to Ford Pass of last night at about 10. I will be curious to see if this happens again as nobody was really able to tell me what caused it. I have tried to create a 2nd login, but when I go to fordpass to accept the other account request, there is no button to accept!

If I'm reading your post correctly, sounds like you got access back last night. I hope that's the case, and if it is, that Ford Pass remains fully functional for you on your upcoming trip.

 

[LeanneL]

If I'm reading your post correctly, sounds like you got access back last night. I hope that's the case, and if it is, that Ford Pass remains fully functional for you on your upcoming trip.

I did! And fingers crossed that whatever caused the suspension, does not happen again!

 

[RickMachE]

Go I go access back to Ford Pass of last night at about 10. I will be curious to see if this happens again as nobody was really able to tell me what caused it. I have tried to create a 2nd login, but when I go to fordpass to accept the other account request, there is no button to accept!

Make sure you follow these steps:

1) Create new account.
2) Go into that account and attempt to add VIN.
3) Go to VEHICLE and you will see a request to add the person.
4) Then go into Energy, in original FordPass, and give person ability (scroll down) to share charging.

 

[LeanneL]

Make sure you follow these steps:

1) Create new account.
2) Go into that account and attempt to add VIN.
3) Go to VEHICLE and you will see a request to add the person.
4) Then go into Energy, in original FordPass, and give person ability (scroll down) to share charging.

Thanks!
It's the in vehicle part I missed. I saw a notification in Ford Pass that they were requesting access, but did not check in vehicle. I will re-try later.

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