Can't deal with the bouncy ride anymore after two weeks with the Mach-E. What do I do?

[MYOUTH]

Let’s all add one more comment speculating on what else it could be

I drove the premium awd and I would call it maybe a surging back and forth between front drive and rear drive.. I then had a chance to drive a rwd and it was very smooth. Went back and drove the same awd and I turned off one pedal and used whisper mode and this time it felt much smoother. I use the same roads for the test drive

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[dbsb3233]

I drove the premium awd and I would call it maybe a surging back and forth between front drive and rear drive.. I then had a chance to drive a rwd and it was very smooth. Went back and drove the same awd and I turned off one pedal and used whisper mode and this time it felt much smoother. I use the same roads for the test drive

That's an interesting thought.

 

[JimmyL]

I drove the premium awd and I would call it maybe a surging back and forth between front drive and rear drive.. I then had a chance to drive a rwd and it was very smooth. Went back and drove the same awd and I turned off one pedal and used whisper mode and this time it felt much smoother. I use the same roads for the test drive

It sounds like the 2 motor AWD may not have synced together front and back. I will test drive RWD and AWD MMEs next month and see if I get the same driving experience. I expect all driving modes to respond in the same manner . . sync and thrill.

 

[Cnote]

I don't have a truck (I think you're thinking someone else), but I have had them in the past. I agree it's not quite the same as an unloaded truck bounce. That's usually more of a spring bounce. I'd characterize the MME issue (when it happens) as move of a wave. Kinda of like a boat riding on ocean waves. And again, for me, it's only on certain roads that have some wavy sectioning built in. My Escape just flows right thru the same roads without feeling hardly any waviness, while the MME really exaggerates it.

The MME isn't a Corvette, nor is intended for the same customer base. It's far more 4dr crossover, aimed at a crossover customer base that enjoys a little sporty looking style thrown in. And is intended for everyday use, year-round, even in snow and rain. Conditions that most people would leave the vet locked in the garage for half the year with a cover on top.

As someone with a Corvette I'm used to having a bit of a harsher ride. I agree with you that it's very bouncy/wavy, like the shocks/coils aren't really compressing much, just enough to not rattle you over a bump. The vette is a harsher ride but not wavy/bouncy, which seems to bother me less. When I took it to my dealer the service manager said he noticed that the suspension seems much stiffer than regular mustangs (perhaps to try to accommodate the extra weight?) and noticed the same thing on the other mach es they had dealt with.

It's not a deal breaker for me and is very smooth on highways and smoother roads but I will definitely be looking into some aftermarket options around the suspension as time progresses. It's the one thing keeping it from being just about perfect for me.

 

[LagerHead]

So, the shocks should be able to be adjusted then, is that right? I am definitely contacting my dealer when they open tomorrow to discuss, but in the meantime, I am trying to figure out if it is even possible to adjust the suspension or I might even be able to be convinced to shell out some money for some different shocks if there is a way to adjust them. I definitely want this car and have no interest really in getting rid of it. I so badly want it to work out, so if there is something that can be adjusted with the suspension, I am happy to do it, even if it ends up costing me some more money on this already pricy vehicle.

I don't think they used adjustable dampers. If they are packing down they would require either stronger springs or replacement dampers with a higher ratio of compression to rebound damping. Either one could fix the issue. But if it's packing down because the suspension is tight or binding, the problem could go away on it's as it loosens up over the next few weeks. This would occur more quickly on faster, bumpier, twistier roads, anything that gives the suspension a good workout. I would have Ford fix it if you can, I only mention this because, if Ford is aware of the problem, and knows it will go away as everything loosens up, they will likely play dumb and stall.

Your leverage, if the suspension is actually packing down, is that it's a safety issue, at least until it goes away. Because a packed down suspension cannot keep the tires in contact with the road as well as it should as it hits bumps and dips at speed.

My strategy would be to see if your local dealer has a suspension logging tool that can measure and log the ride height of each damper as a tech drives it on one of the highways that is causing the issue. Of course, if they don't have that kind of tool, this strategy isn't going to work. Unless maybe Ford would loan them one.

If Ford denies there is a problem, as dealers are so apt to do with this kind of problem, then you could take it to an independent racing suspension shop (where they actually understand suspensions) and see if they can diagnose the problem (using the logging tool). A competent suspension shop should be able to compare the static ride height with the dynamic one without spending too much time, maybe 2-3 hours including the test-drive and interpretation. If the suspension is packing down then you should make Ford pay for your trouble because, at that point, it's a documented safety issue, not a comfort issue. Of course, first give Ford the chance to discover the problem and fix it.

Even if the problem is identified as suspension packing, that still doesn't identify the actual cause. Ford could have got an inconsistent batch of dampers from their suppliers, they could have installed the wrong ones (either accidently or because they ran out of the proper ones and thought the replacement was suitable), the same could be said of the springs. If suspension packing is caused by a suspension that has too much friction, it could be due to lack of grease during manufacture of a number of different areas (including drive splines), faulty assembly causing binding, faulty suspension joints causing binding, etc. etc. The list is nearly endless - it should be up to Ford to figure it out. So be straight-forward about the problem, tell them it shouldn't bounce like that, with the headlights jolting up and down on a normal freeway that leaves other sporty cars unaffected.

Since the tendency of dealerships, in my experience, is to deny problems that are difficult to document objectively, without special equipment, it's important that you be confident there is a problem. Remain calm but continue to press that you don't see other cars headlight beams that are adjacent to you jumping up and down like that. Mention that it seems like the pitching of the car is a safety issue - I mean, how can the tires maintain good contact with a wet road when the body motion is not controlled better? If you focus on comfort they are more likely to blow you off. If you say you are concerned about the safety of your family should you have to take evasive action on a rainy freeway they may have more incentive to take your claims seriously.

It's important that you not argue with them, simply describe the issue and your concerns and have them investigate. Make sure you get a service invoice that accurately describes the issue and their findings are adequately documented when you pick-up the car. You need a paper trail or it didn't happen.

This probably isn't a difficult problem to fix - it's all about figuring out why it's happening. Be patient and good luck!

 

[LagerHead]

As someone with a Corvette I'm used to having a bit of a harsher ride. I agree with you that it's very bouncy/wavy, like the shocks/coils aren't really compressing much, just enough to not rattle you over a bump. The vette is a harsher ride but not wavy/bouncy, which seems to bother me less. When I took it to my dealer the service manager said he noticed that the suspension seems much stiffer than regular mustangs (perhaps to try to accommodate the extra weight?) and noticed the same thing on the other mach es they had dealt with.

It's not a deal breaker for me and is very smooth on highways and smoother roads but I will definitely be looking into some aftermarket options around the suspension as time progresses. It's the one thing keeping it from being just about perfect for me.

I have a lot of suspension experience, mostly with motorcycles, but the basic principles are exactly the same, if anything a motorcycle requires a more finely tuned suspension. And here's the thing - suspension problems are often very non-intuitive. Any suspension expert will tell you this (and I've had discussions with many).

What this means is sometimes a harsh feeling suspension is made more comfortable with a firmer spring or with more compression damping. This is why so many people are confused by suspensions. You would think a softer spring or less compression damping would automatically give a softer feeling ride. But that is often not the case, it depends upon why the suspension feels harsh to begin with.

The other thing I know from talking to many experts is that the rider or driver of the racing vehicle often reports the firmer suspension feels "better" or "faster" while the lap times show the softer setup is returning lower lap times. This is a different example of the non-intuitive nature of suspensions.

Now Ford should have this all sorted by now, but never under-estimate the ability of a large and experienced organization to mess things up with dumb mistakes made after the real development work was completed. Of course, we don't have enough data to know that's what happened here, but it's sure starting to look that way to my eye (probably not with EVERY Mach-e, just some of them). If this is the case, they will get it sorted out but it might take them 6 months (or heaven forbid, a year). Time will tell.

 

[deadduck]

My accord can be pretty bouncy. It can make corners and bumps a bit too exiting if you take them too fast. Fortunately the adaptive dampers allow it to be set to sport mode which tightens things up. I haven’t driven one of these, yet, but I can’t imagine the Mach E is that bouncy. it’s bad enough in the Accord that even the kbb videos demo it bouncing. But even at its worst it’s not sea sick worthy.

As an aside, finally saw one up close. Dealer had one, already sold so I couldn’t sit in it, but it is a nice looking car. Weirdly both smaller and larger than I expected.

 

[bellyer]

@LagerHead - That is a ton of truly helpful information. Lots of good info in this thread. Thanks to everyone for their input. I really appreciate it. This forum is incredibly valuable for us early adopters. This issue is the only thing preventing me from pretty much complete satisfaction with the car. I haven't had any of the other reported issues and I am always excited for any opportunity to drive it (until I get car sick anyway).

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Let’s all add one more comment speculating on what else it could be

 

[Maric]

Let’s all add one more comment speculating on what else it could be

Adrenochromes confirmed.

 

[jlamarca73]

I didn't take any pics but it looked good. The rims were black gloss. They didn't look too big for the MME. They were a deeper 8 spoke style.

 

[Prashantsukhs]

I don't think they used adjustable dampers. If they are packing down they would require either stronger springs or replacement dampers with a higher ratio of compression to rebound damping. Either one could fix the issue. But if it's packing down because the suspension is tight or binding, the problem could go away on it's as it loosens up over the next few weeks. This would occur more quickly on faster, bumpier, twistier roads, anything that gives the suspension a good workout. I would have Ford fix it if you can, I only mention this because, if Ford is aware of the problem, and knows it will go away as everything loosens up, they will likely play dumb and stall.

Your leverage, if the suspension is actually packing down, is that it's a safety issue, at least until it goes away. Because a packed down suspension cannot keep the tires in contact with the road as well as it should as it hits bumps and dips at speed.

My strategy would be to see if your local dealer has a suspension logging tool that can measure and log the ride height of each damper as a tech drives it on one of the highways that is causing the issue. Of course, if they don't have that kind of tool, this strategy isn't going to work. Unless maybe Ford would loan them one.

If Ford denies there is a problem, as dealers are so apt to do with this kind of problem, then you could take it to an independent racing suspension shop (where they actually understand suspensions) and see if they can diagnose the problem (using the logging tool). A competent suspension shop should be able to compare the static ride height with the dynamic one without spending too much time, maybe 2-3 hours including the test-drive and interpretation. If the suspension is packing down then you should make Ford pay for your trouble because, at that point, it's a documented safety issue, not a comfort issue. Of course, first give Ford the chance to discover the problem and fix it.

Even if the problem is identified as suspension packing, that still doesn't identify the actual cause. Ford could have got an inconsistent batch of dampers from their suppliers, they could have installed the wrong ones (either accidently or because they ran out of the proper ones and thought the replacement was suitable), the same could be said of the springs. If suspension packing is caused by a suspension that has too much friction, it could be due to lack of grease during manufacture of a number of different areas (including drive splines), faulty assembly causing binding, faulty suspension joints causing binding, etc. etc. The list is nearly endless - it should be up to Ford to figure it out. So be straight-forward about the problem, tell them it shouldn't bounce like that, with the headlights jolting up and down on a normal freeway that leaves other sporty cars unaffected.

Since the tendency of dealerships, in my experience, is to deny problems that are difficult to document objectively, without special equipment, it's important that you be confident there is a problem. Remain calm but continue to press that you don't see other cars headlight beams that are adjacent to you jumping up and down like that. Mention that it seems like the pitching of the car is a safety issue - I mean, how can the tires maintain good contact with a wet road when the body motion is not controlled better? If you focus on comfort they are more likely to blow you off. If you say you are concerned about the safety of your family should you have to take evasive action on a rainy freeway they may have more incentive to take your claims seriously.

It's important that you not argue with them, simply describe the issue and your concerns and have them investigate. Make sure you get a service invoice that accurately describes the issue and their findings are adequately documented when you pick-up the car. You need a paper trail or it didn't happen.

This probably isn't a difficult problem to fix - it's all about figuring out why it's happening. Be patient and good luck!

Does it have Air suspension like other premium Ev has? Likely that’s the cause. Due to the weight of the car, they put hard suspension which likely making the ride bouncy.

 

[LagerHead]

Does it have Air suspension like other premium Ev has? Likely that’s the cause. Due to the weight of the car, they put hard suspension which likely making the ride bouncy.

And that would be incorrect. A heavier car should not be bouncier than a lighter car. Suspensions are designed to take into account the weight of the car. Heavier cars have suspensions to ride smoothly with the higher weight.

An empty pickup can be bouncy but it's not because it's heavy - it's bouncy when unladen because it weighs far less than it's maximum weight. There is a large difference between the unladen weight and laden weight of a pickup so the unladen ride can be rough. But an EV doesn't have that problem because it always has the battery pack and a charged pack weighs the same as a depleted pack (unlike a gas car).

The battery weight of an EV causes the laden weight and the unladen weight to differ by a smaller percentage so it's even easier to design the suspension to be as comfortable unladen as it is at it's full GVWR. Of course larger dampers are used to achieve this but there is less compromise required due to the smaller percentage difference in weight from just a driver (unladen) to maximum capacity.

If anything, the higher weight of an EV should give it a smoother ride.

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