Dead 12V battery and software updates.

sglewiswl

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A week or so ago on the coldest night so far I left my 2021 on the charger overnight and in the morning when I went to start it I got errors for every system imaginable and it wouldn't start. I goofed around a bit and the 12V battery died. I had to do the manual frunk open and after failed attempts to charge the 12v I replaced it. It still wouldn't start. I had it towed to the dealership.
They finally powered it up today told me it needed a bunch of software updates and want to charge me 5 hours of labor for applying a bunch of updates. That I am aware of the only update it needed was the one from 06/13. Does this sound normal?
I jumped on the Ford site and looked at the health of my car and saw a bunch of service updates being loaded.
I don't think I should have to pay for software updates that stopped my car from starting.
Any thoughts on this?
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Teslaeata

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Well…….things do go wrong with cars and that maintenance, routine or corrective, is required from time to time is a fact of life.

We have to pay for routine and out of warranty corrective maintenance.

However, from what I see of reports from US users compared with my experience in UK is that US users are being stiffed for 10,000 mile service intervals instead of 2-year unlimited mileage intervals and charges for bits of jobs like brake fluid changes into the $hundreds compared with under £100 in UK to name but one is higher in the US.

The unfortunate and difficult reality is that they have you by the nads with no alternative but to pay the going rate for what the dealer-expert will say is required.

Hope you get sorted and are back on the road very soon at not too great a cost. Pls update us on the outcome, I’m sure we’re all very interested to hear.
 

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A week or so ago on the coldest night so far I left my 2021 on the charger overnight and in the morning when I went to start it I got errors for every system imaginable and it wouldn't start. I goofed around a bit and the 12V battery died. I had to do the manual frunk open and after failed attempts to charge the 12v I replaced it. It still wouldn't start. I had it towed to the dealership.
They finally powered it up today told me it needed a bunch of software updates and want to charge me 5 hours of labor for applying a bunch of updates. That I am aware of the only update it needed was the one from 06/13. Does this sound normal?
I jumped on the Ford site and looked at the health of my car and saw a bunch of service updates being loaded.
I don't think I should have to pay for software updates that stopped my car from starting.
Any thoughts on this?
If the car wouldn't move it seems it would be a Powertrain issue(5 yrs,/60,000 miles). How many miles do you have on it?
 
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sglewiswl

sglewiswl

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22k miles. My question here is if there is no bad piece of hardware it seems like a software update issue and how am I responsible for a software update going wrong or not installing correctly and causing the car to stop?
 
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sglewiswl

sglewiswl

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Also if it's a software update gone wrong and I can't opt out, why should I pay? That's like a tech coming to your house, breaking something and then asking you to pay for it. Near as I can tell all they did was plug in a scanner, reset a DTC and watch the updates load. $800 for that.
 


Space_Pony

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22k miles. My question here is if there is no bad piece of hardware it seems like a software update issue and how am I responsible for a software update going wrong or not installing correctly and causing the car to stop?
If the hardware won't move it seems like the hardware is defective.
 

Gimme_my_MME

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When they told you it needed updates did you agree to pay? They shouldn't be doing anything if you didn't agree to it.

When it wouldn't start and you got messages was one of them on the sync screen that an update had failed?
 
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sglewiswl

sglewiswl

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When they told you it needed updates did you agree to pay? They shouldn't be doing anything if you didn't agree to it.

When it wouldn't start and you got messages was one of them on the sync screen that an update had failed?
They called and said it needed a bunch of updates. When it died on me there was no errors or failed updates. If I had seen failed updates, I might have tried to run them and that I am aware there were no mentions of updates needed. I bought the car used and in the 2 months haven seen any updates.
I've noticed elsewhere on this forum OTAs going sideways and I'm curious if there is a way to tell if that most recent was pushed to my car and the 12v died during it.
 
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sglewiswl

sglewiswl

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Most likely it was just the 12v going dead and nothing to do with updates at all
So the 12v going dead can basically brick your car and you need a dealer to clear the codes? I replaced the 12v battery following all the instructions on this site and others and it wouldn't start.
 

Gimme_my_MME

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So the 12v going dead can basically brick your car and you need a dealer to clear the codes? I replaced the 12v battery following all the instructions on this site and others and it wouldn't start.
No that doesn't seem right
 

jamieorth

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I had my 25GT for two weeks only to wake up to a charge error and car wouldn’t start. Had the Safely Stop etc etc etc messages. Also had the battery red indicator but didn’t seem like a 12V issue as doors would open, drunk would open etc. I had it towed back to the dealer and they are also telling me it needs software updates.
Let me tell you as a new owner this doesn’t leave a warm and fuzzy feeling. At least all my stuff is covered. Hope you end up not having to pay. This should be on Ford.
 

shelnian

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Who did you buy the car from? If a dealer, did it come with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty?
 
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sglewiswl

sglewiswl

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I had my 25GT for two weeks only to wake up to a charge error and car wouldn’t start. Had the Safely Stop etc etc etc messages. Also had the battery red indicator but didn’t seem like a 12V issue as doors would open, drunk would open etc. I had it towed back to the dealer and they are also telling me it needs software updates.
Let me tell you as a new owner this doesn’t leave a warm and fuzzy feeling. At least all my stuff is covered. Hope you end up not having to pay. This should be on Ford.
This is the exact same problem I had and Ford CC just told my after the 3year/36k bumper to bumper it is your problem.
 

jamieorth

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What was the eventual resolution and how long did it take? I am struggling to not lose my mind for a new car after two weeks to now not have the car going on a week with no end in sight.
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