Fire and electrical damage at Electrify America charger.

[Militant1]

2021 mach e GTPE. So just short of a month ago I plugged into a 150kw Electrify America charger and a minute or so later flames shoot out of the charge port. Fused and melted the charger to my car and melted all the charge side wiring harnesses. Bricked the car. 5 hour tow ride home ruined weekend getaway. Ford says they won't pay or warranty as the charger is at fault. Electrify America won't say anything. I'm having to use an insurance claim to fix the damages. Seems wrong on several levels. Any thoughts or advice from this forum participants? I have dash cam video of the incident so they can't say I did something wrong. The fire department the manufacturer and the Electrify America techs were all on scene. I was stuck there for hours as they rebuilt the chargers on that site and gave me "hints" as to what failed by quietly talking about the deferred maintenance the chargers exhibited.

Still shot of Flames...the video contains a large amount of file size.....and explicit language.

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[RickMachE]

Your insurance company should pay the full repair costs. It's their job to then "go after" any party they think may be responsible, whether that be Electrify America, or Ford. You should have already relayed to them anything you heard anyone say. Keep in mind that EA's techs are 3rd parties, not EA employees.

 

[DevSecOps]

I'm sure you'll get lots of people giving you 10 different opinions, but I'm just here for the video and pictures ...

C'mon, you can't say flames shooting out and not provide us with the goods!

Please

 

[Militant1]

Still shot of Flames...the video contains a large amount of file size.....and explicit language.

 

[kodiakng]

dang, nightmare fuel. huge sympathy for your situation.

agree with @RickMachE - this is what your insurance company does best.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Still shot of Flames...the video contains a large amount of file size.....and explicit language.

This has happened to a couple other Mach-E owners and they faced similar frustrations with finger pointing. This is unfortunate. Neither the charge point operator nor Ford wanted to take responsibility. I'm inclined to believe it was a defective cable, so most likely EA's fault. You may want to read these:

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/dcfc-melted-welded-to-mach-e-charge-port-during-charging-session-updated-with-photos-.23743/

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43065558/ev-charging-station-broken-what-happens-next/

https://www.vox.com/climate/23589785/ev-dc-fast-charging-station-battery-electric-tesla-rivian

 

[scoopman]

video or it didn't happen

 

[Logal727]

Does the same blame game happen someone gets a bad batch of gasoline?

 

[Mach-Lee]

Does the same blame game happen someone gets a bad batch of gasoline?

No, because gas stations are legally responsible to cover damage caused by bad gas in most states. You bring them your mechanic bill and they have to reimburse you.

Similar laws need to exist for charge station operators.

 

[jpiazza67]

I have a 2021 and the car history is that it was a Ford buyback car. Ford sent engineers to the dealer to work on and oversee an analysis of all the electrical systems. One of the many items that were replaced was faulty wiring connecting the charging port. They were not right from the factory and one day it failed, it melted the port and connections.

 

[DadzBoyz]

First, I agree with previous responses that the insurance company should pay. Just make sure that they do not mark you at fault. You do not want them raising your rates for a claim that was not your fault.
Once the repair is done, and they know the final costs, the insurance company (their lawyers) will go after Electrify America and Ford to recover expenses (+). They'll probably come up with a number like this:

Repair Cost + Internal Overhead + Legal Costs & Fees + 20% = Settlement Amount​

They'll send a demand letter, with that number, to Electrify America and Ford. If they receive that total or more from either company or a combination of the two, they'll be happy.

Again, just make sure you are not determined to be at fault and this will not impact your premiums.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

First, I agree with previous responses that the insurance company should pay. Just make sure that they do not mark you at fault. You do not want them raising your rates for a claim that was not your fault.
Once the repair is done, and they know the final costs, the insurance company (their lawyers) will go after Electrify America and Ford to recover expenses (+). They'll probably come up with a number like this:

Repair Cost + Internal Overhead + Legal Costs & Fees + 20% = Settlement Amount​

They'll send a demand letter, with that number, to Electrify America and Ford. If they receive that total or more from either company or a combination of the two, they'll be happy.

Again, just make sure you are not determined to be at fault and this will not impact your premiums.

I agree, but I'll add that if your insurance company tries in any way to suggest that the OP is at fault for this, get a new insurance company (once the dust settles). There is no F-ing way that this is the OP's fault.

Best of luck to @Militant1!

 

[thumperr]

The other piece to this, if the gas is bad there is more than a car with the issue. Like if they put diesel in a gas pump, you end up with a line of cars with a problem. Makes it easier to blame a specific station.

in this case only one customer is impacted by the fire. So there is no clear was it x or y as the cause…

No, because gas stations are legally responsible to cover damage caused by bad gas in most states. You bring them your mechanic bill and they have to reimburse you.

Similar laws need to exist for charge station operators.

 

[Militant1]

Well after all of this, I can tell you to watch out for a damp areas at the base of the charger. The internal coolant is leaking out. I was in San Diego early in morning and thought it was condensation but later learned the chargers at this location had internal leaks.

 

[AKgrampy]

I have not yet DCFC’d but one thing I have learned is to inspect the cable and connector before plugging in. I am not saying that is what happened in this case but poor electrical connections get hot fast. Hopefully things go smoothly with your insurance company.

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