2025 Upgraders: Do You Miss The Dial Shifter?

[markboris]

When the 12V battery dies the doors unlock. The only thing you can do is open and close those doors. Everything else is basically dead.

Has not been the case in several incidents reported here and elsewhere.

In fact there is an entire thread about using rope to be able to manually open the door after your 12v dies because people were having batteries die last summer and could not open their doors.

Ok, let's get this straight. When the 12V battery is dead or if you were to even remove it from the car, ALL the doors are able to be opened from the inside or outside. Always. Not only that, you can continue opening them at least 20 times. There is a small capacitor in the door latch that allows this. Where people are getting confused here is the car being locked. If the car is locked, then none of the doors can be opened from the outside. They can always be opened from the inside whether the car is locked or not with a dead battery.

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[AtomicInternet]

Here's the "overloaded" stalk everyone is talking about. While I wish they left the rear wiper control as a switch on the end, I understand how using the turn signal could accidently activate the switch. This way it's at least assured you intend to use it since you have to turn the dial.

I also leave my wipers and brights on AUTO since the MachE is pretty good at brights and rain detection, so for me this will almost exclusively be used for signals and the occasional rear wipe.

That said, I can see people accidently turning on their wipers for "flash to pass" or brights since you're pushing it forward (or backward). I'm curious if anyone knows of vehicles that put wiper controls somewhere other than the stalk, except for Tesla which I assume is on the screen.

 

[ZombieJester]

I've had mine for a couple of days. It's fine. I like the extra little storage for my phone where the dial was.

 

[Sikkun]

If the car is locked, then none of the doors can be opened from the outside.

Great so now we are on the same page, thanks.

And the car has historically not auto unlocked when the car battery dies. Leading to the situation of people being unable to get into their car when the battery is dead.

Which is exactly what I said.

 

[Sikkun]

There are supposed to be supercapacitors that allow the doors to be opened a few times, assuming the vehicle is unlocked. Also, if you’re inside the vehicle, you can open the doors using the interior door handles (I believe you pull twice).

Capacitor doesnt unlock the door.

Hence the “unimaginable emergency situation”.

 

[GoosePond08]

I thought the drive shift dial was a terrible placement from day 1 of my original Mach E and took up valuable space.

No regrets and I absolutely love the new location and functionality. No going back!

 

[E90alex]

Yes, I know it doesn’t actually engage the physical brakes. But you do have to keep moving your foot to the brake pedal.

By your logic, we wouldn’t need 1PD since you could “achieve the same result with the brake pedal.”

Where are you getting the idea that it’s not an intentional feature?

They easily could have not included it.

Because they re-used an existing gear shift dial that has the L button instead of making a new one.

The Lightning has a different shifter than the ICE F150 and it doesn’t have an “L” mode.

And you are correct that 1PD is technically not necessary since it has blended braking. It’s just that people have come to expect it with an EV (thanks to Tesla).

 

[E90alex]

There are supposed to be supercapacitors that allow the doors to be opened a few times, assuming the vehicle is unlocked. Also, if you’re inside the vehicle, you can open the doors using the interior door handles (I believe you pull twice).

The main issue people have is there’s no mechanical way to unlock and open the door externally if the battery is dead.

But this is the exact same way Tesla doors work and people haven’t filed a class action suit against them ??‍

I would prefer to have some sort of mechanical backup key hole, but it is what it is. It doesn’t have to be convenient either, just SOME way to access the car without needing an external 12V source. Eg the Lyriq has electronic door latches but has a physical backup keyhole to pop the trunk hatch.

 

[superdave80]

In an emergency situation you break the windows.

Yes, but with a door handle you just... open the door. Which is better and results in 100% less broken windows?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

It would be hilarious if people complained, given the complaints about the knob. No matter what a car company does, some portion complain.

I've already complained about the shift lever on the 2025s, and I don't even have one nor have plans to upgrade. I consider it my obligation to complain about minutiae that have no practical bearing on anything. You're welcome.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I'm extremely excited for my 2025 and the stalk shifter. I had no big issue with the rotary dial, but really excited to have the stalk instead, it's just the most logical place to put a shifter as you don't have to remove your hands from the wheel when doing a multi point turn or when backing in.

Ok, serious time for a moment @Charge_Rob (Yes, I know it's way out of character). If a driver is worried about removing their hands from the wheel while doing a Y-turn, they probably shouldn't be doing the Y-turn at that exact time. The shift lever will have its own set of issues and problems not found with the dial. Probably not fewer problems, and probably not more, just different. The purpose in making this change, as near as I can tell, was to free up the space for the dust collector/cellphone/misc storage area found on the new model year. And perhaps to save Ford some money by using a more common part. There's nothing wrong with those decisions.

I prefer the dial shifter, but this isn't a deal breaker and probably not even an annoyance (at least until I have an extended test drive and find myself shifting into reverse instead of signalling a left turn ). Now the frunk is another matter. That would give me pause — seriously. But I do realize I'm an outlier when it comes to the frunk.

 

[Jimrpa]

Here's the "overloaded" stalk everyone is talking about. While I wish they left the rear wiper control as a switch on the end, I understand how using the turn signal could accidently activate the switch. This way it's at least assured you intend to use it since you have to turn the dial.

I also leave my wipers and brights on AUTO since the MachE is pretty good at brights and rain detection, so for me this will almost exclusively be used for signals and the occasional rear wipe.

That said, I can see people accidently turning on their wipers for "flash to pass" or brights since you're pushing it forward (or backward). I'm curious if anyone knows of vehicles that put wiper controls somewhere other than the stalk, except for Tesla which I assume is on the screen.

My Mom’s 1976 LTD Brougham had the wiper controls as a lever on the dash. The headlamps were also on the dash as a push-pull knob. No way you could confuse those ? then, of course there was the obligatory column mounted shifter which people seem nostalgic for, and a small stalk behind the turn signal stalk for the tilt steering wheel adjustment.

 

[Jimrpa]

Ok, serious time for a moment @Charge_Rob (Yes, I know it's way out of character). If a driver is worried about removing their hands from the wheel while doing a Y-turn, they probably shouldn't be doing the Y-turn at that exact time. The shift lever will have its own set of issues and problems not found with the dial. Probably not fewer problems, and probably not more, just different. The purpose in making this change, as near as I can tell, was to free up the space for the dust collector/cellphone/misc storage area found on the new model year. And perhaps to save Ford some money by using a more common part. There's nothing wrong with those decisions.

I prefer the dial shifter, but this isn't a deal breaker and probably not even an annoyance (at least until I have an extended test drive and find myself shifting into reverse instead of signalling a left turn ). Now the frunk is another matter. That would give me pause — seriously. But I do realize I'm an outlier when it comes to the frunk.

I’ll wager I’m to the right of you on that curve ?

 

[Jimrpa]

Yes, but with a door handle you just... open the door. Which is better and results in 100% less broken windows?

Um, unless the car is locked (electric locks, remember). Then you’ll be pulling on that handle all day long until some kind stranger offers you a brick ?

Remember, the conditions under which you have a dying baby trapped in the safety hazard that is the Mustang Mach-E are:
1. Child is left alone in the car unattended
2. All car windows are completely closed
3. 12V battery is allowed to drain
4. Car is locked (either deliberately or via “walk-away lock”).

On a personal note, I would argue that meeting condition 1 above warrants at least a brief conversation with the local child protective services people. Of course, I don’t have children, so what do I know? ?‍

 

[ChrisO]

Yes, but with a door handle you just... open the door. Which is better and results in 100% less broken windows?

So, everyone else has to give up a nice feature and Ford has to redesign the car for this very rare situation, which is something that MIGHT cause one person to spend a bit of money?

But more to the point I was making the people that want this changed are calling it a safety issue so that they can get their way. I see no safety issue here. Yes, in the very rare case someone might have to pay for a window.

I would consider the shift dial more of a "safety issue", but even there you are talking about all the undisciplined kid can do it shift the car into neutral. To that I say it is a real shame that we have to deal with the idiot parents and kids in this world.

Let's face it, if you let all the people design your car by what they don't like, then every car becomes as featureless hunk of metal. There are always going to be few people that don't like any given feature.

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