New Lawsuit Might Force Ford To Change Mustang Mach-E Door Handles

[miguelmix]

And the aerodynamics? OMG


New Lawsuit Might Force Ford To Change Mustang Mach-E Door Handles | Carscoops


For those of you who haven’t encountered the Mach-E in person (or haven’t been fortunate enough to get locked out of one), here’s the deal: The electric crossover doesn’t feature the usual door handles or even a traditional keyhole. Instead, it relies on electric latches that open only when the key fob is nearby and, critically, when the battery has enough charge to pop the doors.

A Dead Mach-E Isn’t Just a Problem; It’s a Headache



Now, if your electric Ford’s battery is dead, you’re in trouble. The only way to get into a dead Mustang Mach-E is by accessing the battery and charging it enough so that the doors function again.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue that while the Mach-E is “designed to open electrically at the touch of a button,” unlike most cars with electronic door handles, it “does not have a fail-safe physical key that can be used should the battery fail; there’s no hidden physical slot to insert one.” As a result, they claim, this “feature” is actually a defect in need of correction.

To be fair to the plaintiffs, the stories surrounding this issue do make the design seem more like an afterthought than a well-planned feature. In just the last two months, we’ve reported on at least two separate instances of owners getting locked out unexpectedly. In one case, a child was effectively trapped in the car with no fast way to open the door.

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[silverelan]

this is clearly a problem. Hopefully there's an easy way to address this for current MMEs and going forward.

 

[Shepherd]

The solution is not to go backwards in technology. I'm in the anti-key crowd. I've had electronic locks at home going way back. Ford could solve this and the entire low voltage battery problem with better battery management/monitoring so the owner will know when it's time to replace it. Then it's on the owner not to neglect regular maintenance.

 

[silverelan]

The solution is not to go backwards in technology. I'm in the anti-key crowd. I've had electronic locks at home going way back. Ford could solve this and the entire low voltage battery problem with better battery management/monitoring so the owner will know when it's time to replace it. Then it's on the owner not to neglect regular maintenance.

Doors should be able to be opened regardless of the battery's state. It shouldn't take a secret decoder ring and multiple Forum bookmarks to get your trapped kid out of the car.

 

[generaltso]

The solution is not to go backwards in technology. I'm in the anti-key crowd. I've had electronic locks at home going way back. Ford could solve this and the entire low voltage battery problem with better battery management/monitoring so the owner will know when it's time to replace it. Then it's on the owner not to neglect regular maintenance.

Your home doesn’t have a backup method of entry?

 

[phil]

Well, if anyone can figure this out, it's a bunch of lawyers.

 

[markboris]

Doors should be able to be opened regardless of the battery's state. It shouldn't take a secret decoder ring and multiple Forum bookmarks to get your trapped kid out of the car.

The issue is not that the doors won't open if the battery is dead because they do. You can open any door no matter if the battery is dead or disconnected. When working on my car and other Mach-E's I have the battery disconnected quite a bit and the doors can always be opened because there is a capacitor in the door latch that allows them to. The issue is if the doors are LOCKED, you cannot UNLOCK them if the battery is dead. Just waned to make that clear.

 

[exit74chris]

It's a software solution: notify via the app if the battery is going bad. However , if ignored, when the voltage drops below "X", unlock the doors and notify via the app. Better to fail open than closed.

The last thing is want us some yahoo drilling out a bunch in the body to mount a key someplace.

 

[n2585722]

If they were to add a manual unlatch with a key I would believe the best place would be the back hatch. Then you could get in and lower the back seat if needed and open the door you want to get open.

 

[charl-E]

And the aerodynamics? OMG


New Lawsuit Might Force Ford To Change Mustang Mach-E Door Handles | Carscoops


For those of you who haven’t encountered the Mach-E in person (or haven’t been fortunate enough to get locked out of one), here’s the deal: The electric crossover doesn’t feature the usual door handles or even a traditional keyhole. Instead, it relies on electric latches that open only when the key fob is nearby and, critically, when the battery has enough charge to pop the doors.

A Dead Mach-E Isn’t Just a Problem; It’s a Headache



Now, if your electric Ford’s battery is dead, you’re in trouble. The only way to get into a dead Mustang Mach-E is by accessing the battery and charging it enough so that the doors function again.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue that while the Mach-E is “designed to open electrically at the touch of a button,” unlike most cars with electronic door handles, it “does not have a fail-safe physical key that can be used should the battery fail; there’s no hidden physical slot to insert one.” As a result, they claim, this “feature” is actually a defect in need of correction.

To be fair to the plaintiffs, the stories surrounding this issue do make the design seem more like an afterthought than a well-planned feature. In just the last two months, we’ve reported on at least two separate instances of owners getting locked out unexpectedly. In one case, a child was effectively trapped in the car with no fast way to open the door.

Kids have been accidentally locked in cars decades before this in cars that have keys. My ex-husband did it twice both times at the gas station. He locked the door with kids and keys inside. The first time we had to call the fire department, and they used a slim Jim to open the door. They got the car door opened, but messed up the lock, and rubber at the window. It also took them a long time, so they were considering having to break the window. The 2nd time some junky noticed our problem, and offered to open the door for $20. We gave her the $20 and she had it opened in less than 2 seconds without any damage to the car.
I agree with the others that have mentioned a key or some other way of opening the hatchback would keep the doors looking clean.

 

[onepunch]

I would assume there is a relatively simple fix for this. The car could have an additional capacitor or small backup battery so that in the event of a sudden total main battery failure, the doors automatically unlock themselves. Similar to how the entry gates in most neighborhoods open when there is a power failure

 

[exit74chris]

I would assume there is a relatively simple fix for this. The car could have an additional capacitor or small backup battery so that in the event of a sudden total main battery failure, the doors automatically unlock themselves. Similar to how the entry gates in most neighborhoods open when there is a power failure

That's similar to just having software do it, rather than just adding parts.

Either way it should be easy to rectify.

 

[Tammy Lisa]

The issue is not that the doors won't open if the battery is dead because they do. You can open any door no matter if the battery is dead or disconnected. When working on my car and other Mach-E's I have the battery disconnected quite a bit and the doors can always be opened because there is a capacitor in the door latch that allows them to. The issue is if the doors are LOCKED, you cannot UNLOCK them if the battery is dead. Just waned to make that clear.

Is there a way to set the car to not automatically lock doors? I just bought 2023 Select Mach E and am figuring things out. I want to make sure the doors aren’t locked when driving, so in the event of the battery being accidentally damaged we can get out.

 

[Ford_orr]

I've been saying for a while, install a small lithium powerbank style backup battery within the door panel of the driver-side that kicks in when no power is detected from the 12v battery by the door actuator when an opening attempt is made. This battery is always kept fully charged by the 12v. The draw on opening/locking the door shouldn't be much so this backup battery should last for hours. But even if it only worked ONCE, that's all you would need to get into the car.

 

[Maquis]

Is there a way to set the car to not automatically lock doors? I just bought 2023 Select Mach E and am figuring things out. I want to make sure the doors aren’t locked when driving, so in the event of the battery being accidentally damaged we can get out.

The doors will open mechanically from the inside, even if locked.
Your concern is unfounded.

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