Mach-E = Beta Tester

[rhougey]

I am trying to get my Wife to have more patience with her PAAK! We have had the car for less than a week and she already wants to get a 2nd FOB!!

It only took me two days of PAAK issues to disable it, and I purchased two additional FOBs.
I put the original FOB in the safe as a backup, and we use the two news ones.
I don't see any benefit to me with PAAK.
I don't see myself ever trying it again.
Not sure I need the software fix for it.
carandtruckremotes.com

Sponsored

 

[Blinkin]

For me 2 weeks in just under 500 miles, my issue is only the PAAK. Ford is a great company with history and resources in this case 2 key fobs would solve the issue till this is seamless.

Closer to 5k for us, but same. Car has performed at or above expectations. We never really tried PAAK because my wife is the primary driver and she carries the key fob anyway. But using the phone app to manage charge schedules, EA L3 charging, etc....all of that stuff has worked as expected on the first try.

I've said it before but I think the issues reported on the forum are mainly a sampling error. Those of us who have taken delivery with very few issues since are enjoying our cars rather than posting.

 

[timbop]

For me 2 weeks in just under 500 miles, my issue is only the PAAK. Ford is a great company with history and resources in this case 2 key fobs would solve the issue till this is seamless.

I stopped trying paak in February when I got it, and frankly am happy with the FOB. I just need to get a second one and find a dealer who'll program the damn thing.

I don't think this is a Beta car at all. Its just a new model and architecture and hard to nail everything down. I have just over 4,000 miles on the car in 3 weeks, and the car has never broken down or had a major service issue. Sync 4 which is real heart of the software has worked well, couple of crashes, but car kept driving. I think once you abandon PaaK and get your second key fob, it feels like a trully well put together car. I'm confident enough to let my Wife/Daughters drive long distance on it, I wouldn't do that with a Beta car.

The title is an exaggeration; the car itself is not a beta. What was clearly not wrung out was training dealerships. As with all version 1.x software it has its quirks. The only thing giving me pause about a long distance trip is EA chargers being unreliable, but that has nothing to do with the car.

Honestly, if you're going into it with that expectation/attitude, it might not be the right car for you. I should have prefaced my remarks: my car has had only minor quirks from time to time because I just use my fob and that seems to do the trick. PaaK is still beta, but the hardware certainly isn't. The software is simply an early version, and that's just a fact of life that annoyances will crop up.

It only took me two days of PAAK issues to disable it, and I purchased two additional FOBs.
I put the original FOB in the safe as a backup, and we use the two news ones.
I don't see any benefit to me with PAAK.
I don't see myself ever trying it again.
Not sure I need the software fix for it.
carandtruckremotes.com

Yeah, the problem is finding a local dealer that will program it for me...

Closer to 5k for us, but same. Car has performed at or above expectations. We never really tried PAAK because my wife is the primary driver and she carries the key fob anyway. But using the phone app to manage charge schedules, EA L3 charging, etc....all of that stuff has worked as expected on the first try.

I've said it before but I think the issues reported on the forum are mainly a sampling error. Those of us who have taken delivery with very few issues since are enjoying our cars rather than posting.

I've had a mostly similar experience, except that I've experienced a few issues with EA and I've only publicly charged 5 times. The car is a great car and I love driving it. As a pessimist/realist not everyone will have the same experience, and those that don't can't seem to get reliable service. It shouldn't take pleas on social media to get appropriately trained technicians assigned to fix them.

 

[All Hat No Cattle]

There is no such thing as a perfect vehicle.

Yes, we would all like to be able to buy a new vehicle, and never have to take it back to the dealer except for annual service, for at least the duration of the warranty.

But that will not happen for everyone, because people are not perfect. And that applies to all vehicles, even the supposedly most reliable ones.

Case in point, the 2019-2020 Toyota/Lexus. How would you like to have a month old Lexus, and get a recall notice stating that they may have to replace your engine?

It happened, and I think it over rides PAAK problems. At least PAAK problems don't burn up your car. S**t happens, and that is the way of the world.

https://www.consumerreports.org/car...s-recall-replace-engine-avalon-camry-rav4-es/

 

[BadgerGreg]

I also don't feel like I'm a Beta tester...the car has a few quirks, but I've driven it over 5,000 miles without any real issues, other than having to use my password a few times to start the car.

My first service appointment (the PAAK software update) was without incident and it seemed like the dealership's service department knew what they were doing; the whole process took only 30 minutes.

Ford has over 100,000 reservations for the F-150 Lightning, so I fully expect Ford will get their EV service abilities caught up quickly, as they're staking their reputation by putting their two most iconic brands on the line. By the time the F-150 Lightnings roll off the assembly line, you can bet that Ford dealership service departments will be tooled up and trained; the MME was a warm up, and the F-150 will be 'game time'. I'm pretty optimistic that any current MME service woes will be short-lived.

 

[Cobra427]

Interesting thread. One question I would like to ask when I hear of a vehicle system not working properly is, "Who wrote the software?"

It matters, IMHO. Does Ford write the Sync software? Used to be Microsoft, and if that isn't cause for alarm, what is?

Following is a reply I wrote in another forum section, if you will pardon the cut-and-paste.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ah yes, bad software. It's everywhere, isn't it? Wonder why?

As a retired quality engineer having worked for two of the major auto companies, neither of which was Ford, I can state flatly that the majority of customer problems with cars today are software related. Not all, but most.

Thought about this for a while now, and have come to the conclusion that the root cause is the reward system used to compensate system developers. There are differences, and I think it matters.

Hardware developers, both mechanical and electrical, are rewarded for innovation and quality results. If their stuff works, they benefit.

Software developers are rewarded for volume. The more lines of code produced, the more they make. This is the primary reason computer storage (memory) has skyrocketed in recent decades. Quality and efficiency are not major factors, just how many lines did you produce today.

This is the same system now engaged in the development of AI systems, which are touted as the future of all things. Some concern is justified, don't you agree?

Bad software may be the downfall of civilization as we know it.

 

[TruWrecks]

Bad software may be the downfall of civilization as we know it.

So true!

 

[Garbone]

Having about 5k on our car and a second fob since March can say we never use pretty much do not need the second fob except as a backup if we loose the primary. Nice to have but having set up PAAK just to enable a backup start code I can say I have used the backup code more than the second fob or PaaK.

A problem with PAAK that is making me cringe is not everyone likes to get top of the line Cell phones and fiddle with setting them up. I want a junker I can drop in the pool or off the side of my boat and order a replacement from Amazon next day and be back to normal. This includes not setting up another Paak handshake and all that jazz.

I think people who work/play with too much tech and social media get tunnel vision. I go camping, to theme parks, to the beach the phone goes in the glove box with the fob. In that way I see PaaK as a long term mistake, phones and platforms can and will change. Give a simple fob and a backup entry and start code and forget about Paak, if it ends up being that much of a deal killer the aftermarket will solve the issue in a few years.

 

[ReidB]

I'm not sure the MME is the right car for you. Your post reads that you are going in expecting the car and Ford to not meet your needs. The Ford Options program does allow you to hedge your investment, but if you think you are going to need to "dump" it, I'd urge another option to avoid the loss of time and money. I think you deserve better then that!

My dealer Kelly Ford treated me fair. No dealer fees, no mark up when my order arrived, and accepted my X Plan. They unfortunately had not done Ford Options, and told me that the lowest FO APR was in the 5% range and not the 2.25%, as is on the website or posted in multiple threads on this forum. When time comes for maintenance I will try them out. If I have issues, I will take my business to another dealer. When I find a good maintainer, they will be the only one to work on the car.

Ford is in a pickle for sure. They have to coexist with the dealers (and it's broken model) as their current distribution and maintenance model. The MME isn't their only product line.

 

[ReidB]

Have you reached out to the dealers and asked if they have begun to service MMEs? It sounds like you have certain expectations in regards to servicing, which I agree with. Don't compromise on your expectations. If you aren't confident in the system Ford has, my advise is to look somewhere else or hold off. I really wish you the best and a purchase that brings you enjoyment!

 

[phil]

Our job as Mach-E owners is to help Ford pave the way for the future. Our pain and suffering will payoff when the days come that EV ownership is taught in public schools as the normal way to drive. We are along way from that...

If we work with Ford and be patient about the little issues we will help pave the way for future EVs from Ford that are truly unplug and drive...

Everyone else we will drag into the future kicking and screaming.

I'm not looking for a job. I don't want to work with Ford. I won't drag anyone anywhere they don't want to go.

I just want a nice car.

 

[TruWrecks]

I'm not looking for a job. I don't want to work with Ford. I won't drag anyone anywhere they don't want to go.

I just want a nice car.

I can respect that. You can be one of the silent few that deals with what is delivered and doesn't live on the bleeding edge. The Mach-E is bleeding as bright as they get. It time it will get better.

 

[TruWrecks]

Nothing wrong with facts. Tesla broke the mold, if you like them or hate them, they changed the rules of over 100 years of bureaucracy and political back scratching and decided to do it different than everyone else.

I don't like a lot of what Tesla does but I like and respect their innovation and research that has changed EVs in the last 8 years. Without Tesla companies like Ford and Chevrolet would still only be making compliance cars for states that require green vehicles. Both companies have made and killed EV projects, but now that Tesla has significant market share they century old behemoths need to wake up and learn a few things from the new kid on the block.

It can only get better if we all make progress. If that means getting rid of dealer service centers in exchange for a Ford sponsored service center, so be it. Let the dinosaurs die with the coal model. As gas vehicles become fewer so shall they.

 

[RockwallRick]

Go get one. If you can't find a "real" MME fob, check the forums out for a substitute one and get it programmed. While neither my wife nor I have issues with PAAK (at least consistently), having two fobs is worth the peace of mind imo. The car should have come with 2.

We are going to hold off on that for now. She knows how to enter and start the car by code if necessary. I will say that the kick open tailgate works better than the one we had on our CMax. I opened it that way several times over the weekend when loading and unloading luggage!!

 

[mtxpert]

FYI my 2018 Navigator had WAY more glitches than our MME. Steering wheel and rear view mirrors would drift down over 2-3 weeks about 2" in the memory settings. Screen issues, trans shifting glitchiness etc etc etc. So far PAAK is working great and all the features for us. Slowness in the screen was also on the Navigator. Should it be better? Yup, does my Samsung Note 20 Ultra do the same crap? Yup... More tech is cool but also a PITA at times with weird glitches etc. One thing I absolutely love about the MME? The AC is the BEST we've ever had in Phoenix, it is FROSTY and even on our black car only takes a couple of minutes to cool down, even with the glass roof (after installing ceramic tint on windows and windshield).

Sponsored