Disappointed with my MME after 1 year

[Snakebitten]

So do I, but I get the frustration with Walkaway lock not working all the time since the primary purpose would seem to be trusting the car to always lock itself so we don't have to.

But if it fails 1/20 times, it defeats that purpose. It means we still have to lock or confirm it every time. Doesn't really save us anything then.

It's basically just relegated to being a backup system in the rare case we forget to lock it. Which is all I use it for, a "just in case I forget" backup.

I see it the other way around. FordPass is the backup for any occasional failure of walkaway locking. It's not like I have to return to the car to lock it

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[SonicBlue]

Auto “walkaway” door lock- this works most of the time but maybe 1 time out of 20 it doesn’t. For example, I park in the same spot at work each day and I usually hear the lock/chirp when I’m almost out of the parking lot, but every now and then, it hasn’t chirped by the time I get to the door of the building. I have to walk partway back to the car to lock the doors with the remote. I have “lock/chirp” anxiety.

One out of 20 fail rate isn’t bad at all. Sometimes things that rely on Bluetooth proximity fail. I doubt you’ll find significantly better performance elsewhere.

Rain-sensitive wipers- often the wipers will be wiping when the windshield appears to be completely dry. Other times, it’s actively raining and they don’t wipe. I have the auto wiping set correctly on the stalk, and sometimes it works properly, but about half the time it doesn’t.

Have you ever had rain sensing wipers before? This is common behavior for tons of cars across makes and models. Tesla has the same issue. Either live with it, or turn the rain sensing wipers off.

Speed-sensitive volume- this doesn’t work at all. The volume doesn’t turn down when I come to a stop and it doesn’t get louder as I drive. Sometimes I’ll be driving at a steady speed and the volume will suddenly increase, then maybe a minute later it’ll return to the original volume. It happens on different radio stations and Spotify, so it’s not the station causing the problem.

Dunno about this one. Don’t use it.

Qi charger- doesn’t work. It recognizes when my phone is set on it (Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra) and it will begin to charge, but after about 5 minutes it stops because it’s overheating the phone.

Very common issue across many makes and models. There are mods to the charging mat that fix this.

Suspension- this car has the worst suspension of all the cars I’ve had in my life. I feel every bump and crack in the road.

This is a “Mustang” “sport-tuned” thing. Sorry. I don’t like it either. If you want a cushier ride, there are better options for you.

Pressing any seat memory button brings up an alert on the dash about the lane-keeping system (??). Bizarre. The alert also often appears when I get in the car and the seat moves forward into driving position.

That’s a weird one! Take to dealer if you can replicate it. You may need a software refresh.

Day/Night lighting on dash- it often gets confused. Sometimes at night, when it’s dark, the dash lights up brightly as if it thinks it’s daytime. Sometimes the dash lighting is correct for the time of day but the nav screen is wrong, sometimes vice-versa.

You sure you have the latest software? This bug was fixed long ago. I think you need to visit a dealer for a software refresh.

Maybe 1 out of every 20-25 times I get in and start it up, the Bluetooth won’t connect to my phone. I have to stop, put it in park, shut if off and (this is the key), open the door. Then I close the door and start up again and it will connect.

Another issue that is very common across many makes and models. Maybe there’s something else out there that is more reliable. Maybe. Or maybe you’re just signing up for new and different issues.

When the doors are unlocked and I open the back hatch by pressing the button on the underside of the hatch handle, the hatch opens fully. But when the doors are locked, it opens only a few inches and I have to press it again to fully open. This is annoying.

Dunno. That might be “normal” behavior, but you might check with dealer.

 

[Side Show Bob]

I see a lot of love on these boards for the MME, but I don’t think I’ve seen many posts like mine. I don’t know if I just got a clunker or if my experience is the rare outlier, but I’m really disappointed with my MME. There’s actually a lot I like about it but the things I dislike are making me regret getting it, because they’re all things that I’ve had in other cars that worked as they should, all the time. With the MME, there are issues with the tech but they’re intermittent, so it’s not as if I can bring it to the dealer and get them fixed.

I leased the car in December 2023 so I’ve had it one year, two left in the lease term. I am kind of looking forward to the end of the term so I can unload it and move on to something more reliable. I update over WiFi when it’s sitting in my driveway and the software is up to date, so I don’t think that’s the issue. Here are some of the problems I’m experiencing, and I’d be curious to know if anyone else also has these issues.

• Auto “walkaway” door lock- this works most of the time but maybe 1 time out of 20 it doesn’t. For example, I park in the same spot at work each day and I usually hear the lock/chirp when I’m almost out of the parking lot, but every now and then, it hasn’t chirped by the time I get to the door of the building. I have to walk partway back to the car to lock the doors with the remote. I have “lock/chirp” anxiety.
• Rain-sensitive wipers- often the wipers will be wiping when the windshield appears to be completely dry. Other times, it’s actively raining and they don’t wipe. I have the auto wiping set correctly on the stalk, and sometimes it works properly, but about half the time it doesn’t.
• Speed-sensitive volume- this doesn’t work at all. The volume doesn’t turn down when I come to a stop and it doesn’t get louder as I drive. Sometimes I’ll be driving at a steady speed and the volume will suddenly increase, then maybe a minute later it’ll return to the original volume. It happens on different radio stations and Spotify, so it’s not the station causing the problem.
• Qi charger- doesn’t work. It recognizes when my phone is set on it (Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra) and it will begin to charge, but after about 5 minutes it stops because it’s overheating the phone.
• Suspension- this car has the worst suspension of all the cars I’ve had in my life. I feel every bump and crack in the road.
• Pressing any seat memory button brings up an alert on the dash about the lane-keeping system (??). Bizarre. The alert also often appears when I get in the car and the seat moves forward into driving position.
• Day/Night lighting on dash- it often gets confused. Sometimes at night, when it’s dark, the dash lights up brightly as if it thinks it’s daytime. Sometimes the dash lighting is correct for the time of day but the nav screen is wrong, sometimes vice-versa.
• Maybe 1 out of every 20-25 times I get in and start it up, the Bluetooth won’t connect to my phone. I have to stop, put it in park, shut if off and (this is the key), open the door. Then I close the door and start up again and it will connect.
• When the doors are unlocked and I open the back hatch by pressing the button on the underside of the hatch handle, the hatch opens fully. But when the doors are locked, it opens only a few inches and I have to press it again to fully open. This is annoying.

Any one or two of these things would be so minor that I wouldn’t even mention them, but there are enough that I just feel like I shouldn’t have to put up with all the glitchiness for what this car is and what it cost. I really expected a more refined vehicle and am regretting not going with one of the other cars I was considering.

Sorry for whining, I'm just envious of everyone who doesn't seem to have these issues, as I really wanted to love this car. Counting the days until my lease ends.

Something I learned. If you have your car connected to your phone you have to unlock your phone when you approach or get into the car.

 

[Sawdusty]

Incidentally I did test drive the car a couple times before leasing, so apparently I didn't notice the stiff ride and that's on me. I guess I just figure a car that is approaching "luxury" class, especially considering the price, warrants a more comfortable ride. So it's not a glitch like most of my other complaints, yet still a disappointment.

And some of the other issues I noted (walkaway locks, speed sensitive volume, Bluetooth connectivity...) were all on my 2015 Chevy, and they all worked 100% of the time. So to learn that the 8 year old car I sold to get the MME had more advanced tech (in that it always worked) than the MME is, again, pretty disappointing. And Qi charging is not brain surgery- I have them in my house and they work as they should, all the time.

 

[Snakebitten]

2015 Chevy

You didn't mention model.

So a bit snarky sounding I know, but if the Chevy operated perfectly "100% of the time", why would you not continue to purchase their product?

And I doubt seriously anything Chevy (or Ford) built in 2015 even comes close to the amount of technology, electronics, lines of software code,.......

 

[HuntingPudel]

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<SNIP>
Rally is better yet. We all should buy one.

The Rally’s I test drive left me with “meh.” The GT Magneride is already too soft. The Rally’s is softer. I will stick with the GT and stiffer aftermarket suspension.

 

[HuntingPudel]

That's what I've heard, but unfortunately they didn't put that in the First Editions like I have. AFAIK it's still just the GT Performance edition, unless that's changed. Which is kinda weird to be putting the smoother suspension capability in the fastest trim (GT). Seems like the ones more likely to want a smoother ride are mainstream drivers with Select/Premium trims, not the ones that drive like race car drivers and are more suited to the GT.

Just seems like it's backwards. The default should be a smooth suspension, with the GT Performance having the option to stiffen the suspension for race car driving.

The better ride in Magneride is a side-effect of the suspension being able to adapt itself multiple times per jiffy (jiffy is a time measurement = 0.01s) to changing suspension dynamics. It’s all in an effort to try to keep the tires planted on the ground. While it can offer a softer ride, it can also stiffen up pretty well (it’s still too soft for me but I am used to a car with metal on Delrin on metal suspension bearings with baseball bat-sized anti-sway bars).

 

[dbsb3233]

I see it the other way around. FordPass is the backup for any occasional failure of walkaway locking. It's not like I have to return to the car to lock it

The problem is not knowing that it didn't lock. If you have to remember to confirm it every time (since it fails 1/20), might as well just remember to hit the button on the way out every time. It doesn't really really save anything if it's not automatically dependable 99.9% of the time so you don't have to do anything.

 

[dbsb3233]

The better ride in Magneride is a side-effect of the suspension being able to adapt itself multiple times per jiffy (jiffy is a time measurement = 0.01s) to changing suspension dynamics. It’s all in an effort to try to keep the tires planted on the ground. While it can offer a softer ride, it can also stiffen up pretty well (it’s still too soft for me but I am used to a car with metal on Delrin on metal suspension bearings with baseball bat-sized anti-sway bars).

And that's great. I just meant that it would make more sense to tune the base suspension (Select/Premium) to what the vehicle really is in every functional way - a crossover SUV. But still offer Magneride on the GT for those that are more likely to drive it like a race car.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

The Rally’s I test drive left me with “meh.” The GT Magneride is already too soft. The Rally’s is softer. I will stick with the GT and stiffer aftermarket suspension.

I'm not the slightest bit dissatisfied with the 21's Premium ride. No one is ever in our back seat and I like the mustang-like ride. I simply want a Rally is all. If justifying it on the grounds of "improving" the ride is what it takes ....

 

[Snakebitten]

The problem is not knowing that it didn't lock. If you have to remember to confirm it every time (since it fails 1/20), might as well just remember to hit the button on the way out every time. It doesn't really really save anything if it's not automatically dependable 99.9% of the time so you don't have to do anything.

So you do not get the smartphone notification that walkaway lock took place? I hear and feel the notification shortly after I have walked away.

This was just a few minutes ago after I got home from the office:

 

[Rt1AWD]

• Auto “walkaway” door lock- this works most of the time but maybe 1 time out of 20 it doesn’t. For example, I park in the same spot at work each day and I usually hear the lock/chirp when I’m almost out of the parking lot, but every now and then, it hasn’t chirped by the time I get to the door of the building. I have to walk partway back to the car to lock the doors with the remote. I have “lock/chirp” anxiety.

I hear a sound on my phone when it locks. If I don't hear it I just lock it using the phone app

 

[dbsb3233]

So you do not get the smartphone notification that walkaway lock took place? I hear and feel the notification shortly after I have walked away.

This was just a few minutes ago after I got home from the office:

Ironically, I just got a new phone last week and I'm getting those notifications again (and many others) that I had turned off years ago on the old phone. There were too many FP notifications back then. But I'll leave them on for a while to see if it's a more reasonable number now.

But it's still the same issue. While the notification is nice, it's still requires a step to remember to make sure it didn't NOT happen. It's the opposite of what we need -- something that alerts us we forget and that it DIDN'T lock. Again, the main purpose of Walkaway Lock is to not have to do anything at all. If we have to remember to always confirm that it locked, that's still a required step we can't forget to do. And if there's gonna be a required step to not forget every time, might as well just make it hitting the lock button on the way out.

 

[Dysan911]

The problem is not knowing that it didn't lock. If you have to remember to confirm it every time (since it fails 1/20), might as well just remember to hit the button on the way out every time. It doesn't really really save anything if it's not automatically dependable 99.9% of the time so you don't have to do anything.

In the Notification section of the Ford Pass App you can turn on

Ironically, I just got a new phone last week and I'm getting those notifications again (and many others) that I had turned off years ago on the old phone. There were too many FP notifications back then. But I'll leave them on for a while to see if it's a more reasonable number now.

But it's still the same issue. While the notification is nice, it's still requires a step to remember to make sure it didn't NOT happen. It's the opposite of what we need -- something that alerts us we forget and that it DIDN'T lock. Again, the main purpose of Walkaway Lock is to not have to do anything at all. If we have to remember to always confirm that it locked, that's still a required step we can't forget to do. And if there's gonna be a required step to not forget every time, might as well just make it hitting the lock button on the way out.

My former model 3 would alert me via the app if my doors were left unlocked or a window was down unless I was at my home or a favorite location. I recall a member here who works on the Ford Pass app and explained the reason we can't look at our app and see a door lock status is the modules Ford uses on the Mach-e don't have that capability to be polled and return a status of Locked/Unlocked. The F150 Lightenings do, but not the Mach-e.

 

[Newtype311]

I got mine in Q4 of '23 as well and I had a lot of the same issues initially, in addition to my cameras freezing and the center console crashing 1 in 5 times on startup. Like you said, a lot of it didn't happen all the time so you end up letting things drag on, but like others have said, you gotta take it into the shop.

The sentiment that "it doesn't happen all the time so the mechanic won't see it if it's not happening" is largely no longer true with a car like this. We're talking software more often than not and that's a different paradigm. There are logs for crashes, they can see your module firmware versions, there's a lot more data that exists ambiently that doesn't require them to hear a weird sound at the right time in order to act.

I needed 19 modules updated with 1-4 updates missing on each when I went in. Over the Air Updates only patch certain things, if its past a certain size, they won't update. But other things will update and that can cause version mismatches as modules drift further and further out of sync. Going in and getting everything flashed at the dealership is the answer, especially because it's free and covered right now. The cost is just your time unfortunately.

A few other issues are just the dystopia of cars now.

Bluetooth and Connectivity: My 2016 BMW 328i, 2019 Ram PowerWagon, 2023 Pathfinder, and 2024 Kia EV9 have all had Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity issues, and most of those cars had to be connected by USB (and still didn't work half the time). With the EV9, I actually have to "forget" the connection on my phone and reconnect completely at least once a week (and I just got up to date with firmware on that one). But to my earlier point, I haven't had this issue with my MME since I got my software updates at the dealership, it used to happen 4-5 times a week.

Wireless Charging: I have a Pixel 8 Pro and it overheats in both my MME and my EV9. It seems like it overheats in anything but a slow charging Qi like I have on my couch.

Lastly, something to keep in mind is that Ford has an EV-specific customer service department. their job is to make sure you're getting taken care of when you go to the dealer. If there is a part delay at a dealer, they can escalate orders or negotiate with other dealerships to get what you need faster. It's not perfect, but others mention having their cars sit for up to a month or longer and that's when I would really start to engage with them. Just something to keep in mind.

--

I really hope you take it in and get those updates and that things start to resolve for you. If you look at my past posts, I had some similar issues and spent a lot of the last year feeling a similar way to you. But almost all of that has resolved and its really become a great car, but it took work on my part to get there (which is unfortunate). I hope the same happens for you and you can find some enjoyment for the next 2 years.

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