Disappointed with my MME after 1 year

[ChasingCoral]

I see a lot of love on these boards for the MME, but I don’t think I’ve seen many posts like mine.

Are you reading the same posts I'm reading? There are gripes all over this place.

I update over WiFi when it’s sitting in my driveway and the software is up to date, so I don’t think that’s the issue.

Are you sure? How well do you understand the software update system? There are multiple of threads and lots of complaints about the update system. Just because your update page says your are up to date does not mean you have the latest software.

OK, let's look at these one by one:

• Auto “walkaway” door lock- this works most of the time but maybe 1 time out of 20 it doesn’t. For example, I park in the same spot at work each day and I usually hear the lock/chirp when I’m almost out of the parking lot, but every now and then, it hasn’t chirped by the time I get to the door of the building. I have to walk partway back to the car to lock the doors with the remote. I have “lock/chirp” anxiety.

1 failure out of 20 sounds about par for the course for many folks. See the myriad threads complaining about the walkaway lock issues. These issues are often as much an issue of the phone you use. Try searching thread titles for walkaway and focus on what other S22 owners have seen.

• Rain-sensitive wipers- often the wipers will be wiping when the windshield appears to be completely dry. Other times, it’s actively raining and they don’t wipe. I have the auto wiping set correctly on the stalk, and sometimes it works properly, but about half the time it doesn’t.

Others have complained about this and it is a frequent complain on many modern cars. Some are far worse than your Mach E. It is an optical system, so if there is dirt or pollen in front of the camera the wipers will try to clear it, even on dry days. Most folks are fairly happy about them working when it is raining but there are complaint threads from those that aren't. Try searching thread titles for wipers

• Speed-sensitive volume- this doesn’t work at all. The volume doesn’t turn down when I come to a stop and it doesn’t get louder as I drive. Sometimes I’ll be driving at a steady speed and the volume will suddenly increase, then maybe a minute later it’ll return to the original volume. It happens on different radio stations and Spotify, so it’s not the station causing the problem.

I don't think you'll find anyone here who thinks this system works great.

• Qi charger- doesn’t work. It recognizes when my phone is set on it (Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra) and it will begin to charge, but after about 5 minutes it stops because it’s overheating the phone.

Ditto. Lots of threads on how poorly this works. There are also multiple threads with recommended solutions.

• Suspension- this car has the worst suspension of all the cars I’ve had in my life. I feel every bump and crack in the road.

This is intentional. If you are looking for a smooth ride, you don't buy a Mustang. When the Mach E was first being tested pre-production the engineers had to stiffen the suspension and tune the drive system as the original "didn't feel like a Mustang". If you want the smoothest riding Mach E, get a Rally. Did you test drive a Mach E before leasing one?

• Pressing any seat memory button brings up an alert on the dash about the lane-keeping system (??). Bizarre. The alert also often appears when I get in the car and the seat moves forward into driving position.
• Day/Night lighting on dash- it often gets confused. Sometimes at night, when it’s dark, the dash lights up brightly as if it thinks it’s daytime. Sometimes the dash lighting is correct for the time of day but the nav screen is wrong, sometimes vice-versa.

OK, these are strange ones. They sound like potential warranty repair issues. I recommend you start new threads on each of these complete with photos or videos. It's kind of hard for us to diagnose "an alert on the dash about the lane-keeping system" without seeing the alert.

You do realize the dark/light screens are light dependent not clock-based right? Drive into a tunnel and the screen will switch to dark. Maybe there's an issue with your light sensor?

• Maybe 1 out of every 20-25 times I get in and start it up, the Bluetooth won’t connect to my phone. I have to stop, put it in park, shut if off and (this is the key), open the door. Then I close the door and start up again and it will connect.

See the answer to the Walkaway lock concern. Lots of folks have Bluetooth connectivity issues. Actually I don't recall anyone saying it works flawlessly. Many other car makers have even worse issues. Look for threads with Bluetooth in the title and focus on S22 answers. Again, very phone dependent.

• When the doors are unlocked and I open the back hatch by pressing the button on the underside of the hatch handle, the hatch opens fully. But when the doors are locked, it opens only a few inches and I have to press it again to fully open. This is annoying.

This may be a bug or may be something you set accidentally. Follow the instructions in the manual for clearing a maximum height setting you may have accidentally programmed by using the left button instead of the rubber-covered one in the center of the hatch. If that doesn't work, try doing a 12v reset or pulling the appropriate fuse to do a reset. Look for liftgate threads.

You may be much happier with the car if you look around for solutions or explanations on each issue rather than stewing on them all for a year. However, there are others like you hear and we have had multiple threads with owners' lists of complaints or recommendations for Ford.

Your concerns are all valid. However, no car is perfect. The more tech features the car has, the more of these issues will come up.

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[HuntingPudel]

Don't understand about not trusting the walkaway.
<SNIP>

As a child of a long-time Grand Master Locksmith who was a hyper-paranoid about locks and security, I always hit the lock button. It’s habit and takes zero additional time. Most of the time I have to double-check that my doors are locked because it’s such an ingrained habit that I don’t know that I hit the button. Personally, I don’t understand the fascination with a feature like walk-away lock. ?‍?

The wireless charger not working well with most modern phones is pretty wide spread amongst many brands. My 2021’s worked great when I had an iPhone X but when I got a 13 Pro and now a 16 Pro it sucked because of the camera bumps. Same issue with several Qi charging plates. Smaller diameter charging plates and MagSafe plates worked fine. ?‍?

 

[superdave80]

I love driving my MachE. I hate operating my MachE. I've just learned not to use most of the useless bells and whistles that Ford can't design properly. I would be way, way happier if I could:

-Remove the stupid front camera that is the source of every error message that pops up from time to time on my screen (with annoying chime). This despite the fact that I don't use the camera for anything.
-Put in real door handles.
-Put in manual knobs/buttons for climate control.

Notice that all of these things are how cars USE to be built. But Ford fell into the 'It's an iPhone on wheels!' paradigm that Elon pushed into Teslas.

 

[dbsb3233]

I agree with some of those. My #1 disappointment is the stiff suspension on city roads. It's fine on the highway but city streets with dips and ruts and bumps are harsh. Worse than our previous Escape and our current Bronco Sport. Really disappointed they made this suspension so damn stiff for a family crossover. It's not a sports car.

Rain-sensing wipers can be annoying at times, although that seems to be the case on many cars. Hard to find that sweet spot in the dial where it sweeps with just light rain. Often seems to be too little or too much. And it's inconsistent.

Walkaway lock I only recently turned back on. And I only have it on as a backup in case I forget to lock manually when getting out. (Remember too that you can lock it via FordPass if you don't wanna walk back to the car.)

The audio volume speed adjustment is a non-issue to me because this car is so quiet. I really don't need the volume to go up when moving.

The charging pad is also a non-issue to me because I use Android Auto 100% of the time, and the phone doesn't charge fast enough via Qi to keep up with AA. So I just plug in every time I get in if it's a long drive.

Overall we still love the car though, because it does so many things well. Every car is gonna have some negatives. Most of these aren't bad, except for the stiff suspension that we have to live with on every drive.

 

[jksu]

All valid complaints/concerns. I probably would bail if I had all those glitches.

I had one of the first 2021 Job 1 Premium STD here in LA. Loved it until I got rear-ended a few weeks ago. But it wasn't perfect (ride, inconsistent phone-as-key, etc). Just replaced it with a 2023 GT PE. But I went through the process of "do I really want another Mach-E with so many more options out now?" because there are some things that aren't perfect about it... but no car is "perfect."

Ultimately I decided it had the best balance of size, utility, performance, looks, etc, that I wanted.

I did consider replacing it with a Kia EV6 GT-Line trim, Hyundai Ioniq5, Honda Prologue, BMW i4 RWD... BMW was closest given the much nicer interior and refined sporty/sophisticated ride. B But I'd give up the 2nd row and rear trunk space...and honestly I'm not a BMW guy...

I see a lot of love on these boards for the MME, but I don’t think I’ve seen many posts like mine. I don’t know if I just got a clunker or if my experience is the rare outlier, but I’m really disappointed with my MME. There’s actually a lot I like about it but the things I dislike are making me regret getting it, because they’re all things that I’ve had in other cars that worked as they should, all the time. With the MME, there are issues with the tech but they’re intermittent, so it’s not as if I can bring it to the dealer and get them fixed.

I leased the car in December 2023 so I’ve had it one year, two left in the lease term. I am kind of looking forward to the end of the term so I can unload it and move on to something more reliable. I update over WiFi when it’s sitting in my driveway and the software is up to date, so I don’t think that’s the issue. Here are some of the problems I’m experiencing, and I’d be curious to know if anyone else also has these issues.

• Auto “walkaway” door lock- this works most of the time but maybe 1 time out of 20 it doesn’t. For example, I park in the same spot at work each day and I usually hear the lock/chirp when I’m almost out of the parking lot, but every now and then, it hasn’t chirped by the time I get to the door of the building. I have to walk partway back to the car to lock the doors with the remote. I have “lock/chirp” anxiety.

I turned off the chirp/honk because it's annoying. I just use the phone to confirm a lock now.

• Rain-sensitive wipers- often the wipers will be wiping when the windshield appears to be completely dry. Other times, it’s actively raining and they don’t wipe. I have the auto wiping set correctly on the stalk, and sometimes it works properly, but about half the time it doesn’t.

Mine works great, the rare random swipe going under a bridge. Perhaps have your sensor checked?

• Speed-sensitive volume- this doesn’t work at all. The volume doesn’t turn down when I come to a stop and it doesn’t get louder as I drive. Sometimes I’ll be driving at a steady speed and the volume will suddenly increase, then maybe a minute later it’ll return to the original volume. It happens on different radio stations and Spotify, so it’s not the station causing the problem.

Mine doesn't increase quite high enough (more noticeable in the GT PE that doesn't have the acoustic glass front windows), but it definitely doesn't suddenly increase. There is a setting in the menus to control level of sensitivity. Maybe just turn it to off if it's responding too irratically.

• Qi charger- doesn’t work. It recognizes when my phone is set on it (Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra) and it will begin to charge, but after about 5 minutes it stops because it’s overheating the phone.

Definitely a weakness. I used a 3rd party car mount/charger when I couldn't reliably get a charge but it can overheat as well. Over the holidays I bit the bullet and got the TSWraps that has the magsafe ring that locks the phone in place and so far so good. But agree, it'd be nice for it to work 100% of the time but I do think it's a combo of the lack of magnets, phone sizes/cases, thickness of the rubber mat, etc.

Ultimately a cable will work best.

• Suspension- this car has the worst suspension of all the cars I’ve had in my life. I feel every bump and crack in the road.

The Premium RWD I had was stiff-legged and bouncy but tolerable -- improved with Eibach progressive springs. The GT PE with the Magneride is much better, love it in fact. But it is still a sports suspension. Still that was the main weakness of the Premium that the Magneride has overcome. If you want a more luxury ride, though, you'll need to consider one of the other makes (ie. Audi)... it's both the limitations of the platform Ford chose to use (with limited suspension travel) and the "Mustang" ride.

• Pressing any seat memory button brings up an alert on the dash about the lane-keeping system (??). Bizarre. The alert also often appears when I get in the car and the seat moves forward into driving position.

Definitely have dealer look at this. Sounds like a software or button glitch. Mine works as it should, although annoying won't adjust to a preset once I'm driving.

• Day/Night lighting on dash- it often gets confused. Sometimes at night, when it’s dark, the dash lights up brightly as if it thinks it’s daytime. Sometimes the dash lighting is correct for the time of day but the nav screen is wrong, sometimes vice-versa.

Maybe related to same rain sensing sensor? Mine works fine.

• Maybe 1 out of every 20-25 times I get in and start it up, the Bluetooth won’t connect to my phone. I have to stop, put it in park, shut if off and (this is the key), open the door. Then I close the door and start up again and it will connect.

Apple Carplay/bluetooth had connected 100% of the time in my 2023 GT PE, so not sure if it is the implementation or OTA updates. In the 2021 Premium it was around 90% successful, occas I would have to go into the menu to re-start Carplay. Phone-as-key in both is about the same. Works great if your phone is out as you approach, but if it's in the back pocket, it doesn't always work.

• When the doors are unlocked and I open the back hatch by pressing the button on the underside of the hatch handle, the hatch opens fully. But when the doors are locked, it opens only a few inches and I have to press it again to fully open. This is annoying.

Any one or two of these things would be so minor that I wouldn’t even mention them, but there are enough that I just feel like I shouldn’t have to put up with all the glitchiness for what this car is and what it cost. I really expected a more refined vehicle and am regretting not going with one of the other cars I was considering.

Sorry for whining, I'm just envious of everyone who doesn't seem to have these issues, as I really wanted to love this car. Counting the days until my lease ends.

 

[dbsb3233]

You're whining all right. Obviously never owned a Mustang before. That solid ride is intentional. This is not a sedan.

But it's not a sports car either, it is a family crossover SUV.

Let's face it, the only thing "Mustang" about it is the name and some of the styling cues (the long hood, some of the curves, the tri-bar taillights). Purely aesthetics. Which is a nice perk, but that doesn't make it a sports car.

In every functional way, it's a family crossover SUV. 4-dr, cargo area with liftgate, AWD, bigger & taller, more luxurious interior, way more tech and storage and creature comforts. Sure, it's fast too, but that's because it's an EV. Nearly every EV is fast.

Every functional way except one, that is: the suspension. Why they would pick that ONE functional thing to make "sports car" while every other functional aspect is "family crossover SUV" makes no sense to me, and is quite frustrating. It's a huge mismatch from every other functional design of the vehicle.

 

[zvez]

But it's not a sports car either, it is a family crossover SUV.

Let's face it, the only thing "Mustang" about it is the name and some of the styling cues (the long hood, some of the curves, the tri-bar taillights). Purely aesthetics. Which is a nice perk, but that doesn't make it a sports car.

In every functional way, it's a family crossover SUV. 4-dr, cargo area with liftgate, AWD, bigger & taller, more luxurious interior, way more tech and storage and creature comforts. Sure, it's fast too, but that's because it's an EV. Nearly every EV is fast.

Every functional way except one, that is: the suspension. Why they would pick that ONE functional thing to make "sports car" while every other functional aspect is "family crossover SUV" makes no sense to me, and is quite frustrating. It's a huge mismatch from every other functional design of the vehicle.

Magnaride suspension is better.

 

[Scarpia]

But it's not a sports car either, it is a family crossover SUV.

Why would "family" be used as a descriptor? It's a crossover SUV, period. I'll bet plenty of people here have one that they routinely drive without any passengers.

4-dr, cargo area with liftgate, AWD, bigger & taller, more luxurious interior, way more tech and storage and creature comforts. Sure, it's fast too, but that's because it's an EV. Nearly every EV is fast.

Those things could also describe a Lightning. Is it a family crossover SUV? ?

 

[Snakebitten]

Love my quirky GTPE
I have 5 cars and 7 motorcycles to choose from everytime I go to the barn. (I'm old. This is accumulated "wealth". Not Mr. Money at all)

9 months into ownership and I am actually surprised that I grab the Mach-E almost every day. It was an impulse purchase, so I would have never predicted it would steal the seat time with such dominance.

The other day I needed to get a 30 lb propane tank filled in town. By default, that's what my trucks are for. Right?

But when I unhitched the tank from the RV, the Mach-E was sitting there, instead of in the barn 600' away.

I wonder ?

Grabbed the phone and popped the Frunk. I keep a Harbour Freight moving blanket folded and sitting at the bottom. Unfolded it to keep the tank from contacting the plastic sides of the tub.

Fit like a glove.

There was a line at the propane fill station. Nothing but trucks and good Ole rural boys. I DID still have a cowboy hat on and deerskin gloves. But I had to answer lots of questions when I pulled up and popped that hood! ????

Again, I admit the thing has some glitches here and there. But thank goodness for not being OCD. Stuff like that doesn't steal my joy. I feel bad for the folks that suffer that curse.

 

[dbsb3233]

Why would "family" be used as a descriptor? It's a crossover SUV, period. I'll bet plenty of people here have one that they routinely drive without any passengers.

Those things could also describe a Lightning. Is it a family crossover SUV? ?

"Family" is a common description for a roomier car with more seating and cargo space, like 5 people, room for car seat, etc. But sure, that applies to most crossover SUVs in general except for the tiny ones.

The Lightning isn't a crossover SUV, it's a pickup. Although yes, extended cab pickups are increasingly used as family vehicles now.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

It is an optical system, so if there is dirt or pollen in front of the camera the wipers will try to clear it, even on dry days. Most folks are fairly happy about them working when it is raining but there are complaint threads from those that aren't. Try searching thread titles for wipers

Exactly. If I drive into a momentarily shady area I’ll sometimes get the wipers coming on for a swipe. It’s a quirk but not all that serious of an issue. Same with it not coming on during light rain. Use the wiper lever — it still works.

1 failure out of 20 sounds about par for the course for many folks

Yes, it’s perfectly normal. There are other ways to lock your car as well. Door keypad plus 7-8 & 9-0, key fob, FordPass, the quick lock symbol near the door open button below the keypad, and ….

I always hit the lock button. It’s habit and takes zero additional time.

I do the same thing. Pressing the button as you exit works every time. There’s no 1 right way to do things. People should use the one that works for them, this one works for me.

Magnaride suspension is better.

Rally is better yet. We all should buy one.

 

[dbsb3233]

Magnaride suspension is better.

That's what I've heard, but unfortunately they didn't put that in the First Editions like I have. AFAIK it's still just the GT Performance edition, unless that's changed. Which is kinda weird to be putting the smoother suspension capability in the fastest trim (GT). Seems like the ones more likely to want a smoother ride are mainstream drivers with Select/Premium trims, not the ones that drive like race car drivers and are more suited to the GT.

Just seems like it's backwards. The default should be a smooth suspension, with the GT Performance having the option to stiffen the suspension for race car driving.

 

[Sikkun]

For some reason I don't imagine most the people springing for a GTPE are doing it because it's a "family" vehicle.

But hey we can turn this into a "its not a Mustang" thread.

 

[dbsb3233]

I do the same thing. Pressing the button as you exit works every time. There’s no 1 right way to do things. People should use the one that works for you, this one works for me.

So do I, but I get the frustration with Walkaway lock not working all the time since the primary purpose would seem to be trusting the car to always lock itself so we don't have to.

But if it fails 1/20 times, it defeats that purpose. It means we still have to lock or confirm it every time. Doesn't really save us anything then.

It's basically just relegated to being a backup system in the rare case we forget to lock it. Which is all I use it for, a "just in case I forget" backup.

 

[Snakebitten]

Compliant might be a better word for the GTPE Magnaride vs the non-Magnaride?

When I'm hustling down my 2.5 mile long county road, that is long overdue for a new surface, I'm not impressed with how smooooooth the Magnaride ride is. But it is very compliant as it dampens the surface irregularities.

I also have a 20 year old Porsche with an analog suspension. Admittedly, suspension tuning is something the brand hangs its hat on. It is both smoother and more compliant than the Magnaride! Although it only has 50,000 miles on it, it's as "tight" as the GTPE is at 9000.

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