2022 Mach-E Parking Distance Sensor Issue

[azwaj11]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share an issue I’ve been experiencing with the parking distance sensor system on my 2022 Mach-E. I’m curious if others have run into the same thing.

Here’s what happens:

1. When I park in my garage, the system correctly detects the wall and gives continuous beeping.
2. After a few seconds of continuous detection while I am getting into the garage, it suddenly assumes the sensor is blocked (like with dirt, ice, or debris).
3. At that point, the system stops warning me altogether — even though the garage wall is still right in front of the car.
4. I’ve been told this is “normal behavior,” but I don’t think it’s correct.

Here is a video for the issue:


Why this matters:

• The system should be able to tell the difference between:
  • a sensor being truly blocked (dirt, snow, ice, etc.)
  • a legitimate object that stays close (like a garage wall, another car, or even a pedestrian).
• In the case of a legitimate object, the alerts should continue for as long as the object is there.
• Right now, once it decides the sensor is “blocked,” the warnings shut off completely. That could reduce safety, since you lose important proximity alerts in tight spaces.

I believe this is a software logic issue that could (and should) be addressed in an update.


Has anyone else noticed this behavior with their Mach-E? Do you think Ford will consider revising the software to handle this better?

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[E90alex]

How you you expect it to be able to discern whether the sensor is blocked or if there is a legitimate object in front of it? The sensors can only tell if there’s something in front of it or not. It can’t tell what the object is or isn’t.

And why would you be in a situation where you are not moving for a minute while the sensors are going off? A minute is a pretty long time to be parking a car.

 

[tbrumleve]

What about a proximity sensor makes you believe it “should be able to tell a difference”?

This is how all three of the cars I’ve owned with sensors worked. Proximity sensors aren’t lidar or camera sensors. They can’t tell the difference between a wall in your garage or an obstruction. They can tell distance to the object, not decern what it is.

It’s a balance between wanting to give solid safety warnings and not annoying the driver needlessly.

The system has warned you and turned on the cameras. You can see where the obstruction is. If it continually beeps for over a minute, that would get super annoying. You should be fully in control and able to park within a few seconds.

 

[azwaj11]

How you you expect it to be able to discern whether the sensor is blocked or if there is a legitimate object in front of it? The sensors can only tell if there’s something in front of it or not. It can’t tell what the object is or isn’t.

And why would you be in a situation where you are not moving for a minute while the sensors are going off? A minute is a pretty long time to be parking a car.

I changed the original post, it's not a minute, it's just a few seconds to get into the garage. I am not expecting the sensor to know what is in front of it, but I am hoping it will keep beeping, not thinking something is obstructing it, like dirt or ice. This is a fundamental principle that is easy to fix at Ford. I never had this issue with the regular cars I drove before.

Here is a post describing my issue. I think I need to take it to the dealer to replace the sensors.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/parking-sensor-issues.8388/

 

[ChrisO]

I watched the video and my previous 2024 and my current 2025 don’t behave that way.

I get within inches of a box, with the indicators turns all red, and it does that continuously for several seconds until I turn off the car. I have never seen that message.

 

[RickMachE]

I have seen that message, and nothing is wrong. My Lightning beeping is much more insistent, but with a 360 degree camera none of it matters to me.

Sensors throw error codes when they malfunction. Dealer is unlikely to replace anything.

Use the Feedback app in vehicle to report it to Ford if you want.

 

[Rowwan]

Mine is MY2023, and definately does not behave like this. Mine keeps beeping until I switch out off ( approx 20 cm from a wall)

 

[socalh2oskier]

Happens every time I park in the garage with our '22 GT. It is because we park only a couple of inches from the side so we can fit two cars in the garage. Nothing wrong with the car or software as far as I am concerned.

 

[ChrisO]

Happens every time I park in the garage with our '22 GT. It is because we park only a couple of inches from the side so we can fit two cars in the garage. Nothing wrong with the car or software as far as I am concerned.

That might be the difference. Whereas I park very close at the front, there is room to open the doors on both sides of the car (not by much, but it is certainly not a couple of inches). The only time the side is within a couple of inches is when first entering the garage where the wall sticks out (garage door is about 2 feet from the side wall).

 

[azwaj11]

Happens every time I park in the garage with our '22 GT. It is because we park only a couple of inches from the side so we can fit two cars in the garage. Nothing wrong with the car or software as far as I am concerned.

It is a software issue because it thinks the sensors are blocked. The error for the blockage sensor should only happen if there is a direct object obstructing it, such as ice. This happened to me once when ice accumulated over the front sensors, and I completely understood the error the car was throwing.
I have a similar situation to yours, where I fit two cars in the same garage, and I have to squeeze both vehicles inside. The other car I have is a 2022 Ford Escape Titanium, which has sensors around it, and this issue has never happened to it. So, why does the better car (Mach-E) show such wrong behavior, and they are both from the same manufacturer? Wiered.

 

[ChrisO]

I got curious enough to create a fake wall. Note I have a 2025.

This is how close I got (I pulled down the "wall" in the process):

Different test:

You will notice that it shows the sensor "black". At no time did I get that warning message.

 

[azwaj11]

I got curious enough to create a fake wall. Note I have a 2025.

This is how close I got (I pulled down the "wall" in the process):

Different test:

You will notice that it shows the sensor "black". At no time did I get that warning message.

Nice that you are trying. If you do it that way, it will not issue a warning. You have to make ONLY one sensor detect the obstacle for a few seconds, and you can watch my video and check which sensor is working. Try a few times until you get it right. In my garage, the setup makes it happen almost 95% of the time when I get in.

 

[ChrisO]

Yeah now that you pointed that out, that looks tricky to reproduce. I think that you have to be moving for it to happen. You are going to have to have a uniform surface so that that return signal stays the same.

I do find it interesting that others have reported snow triggers the message, but the card on my sensor didn’t.

 

[AtomicInternet]

I have this alert popup when I start the car, and when I stop in traffic. Surprisingly I think it even shows which exact sensor has the problem (see photo). I'm assuming it's faulty since that sensor is never blocked when the alert goes off. I'm hoping if the sensor was just disconnected and I could reconnect it, then I'd get a different alert. So much for no trips to the dealer during my entire lease.

 

[CarGuy11]

Same warning but mine went bad.

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