Mustang Mach-E 12V Software Recall FAQ

[JohnFoxeSheets]

Hi Mustang Mach-E owners. By now many of you have received a notification regarding a recall on your vehicle involving the 12V battery. As there has been several mentions of the 12V battery in recent updates, the team at Ford want to ensure you have the information you need.

Why is there a recall on Mustang Mach-E?

In the event of an unexpected 12V battery failure when the vehicle is turned off, the electronic door latches remain in their last lock/unlock status. If the electronic door latches were locked at the time of 12V battery failure and a driver or front seat passenger exit using the door release handles, the doors will remain locked when they are re-closed. This may result in an unexpected lock-out condition for the driver or a front seat passenger without the ability to immediately re-enter the vehicle.

What is the safety risk?
This may result in an unexpected lock-out condition for the driver or a front seat passenger without the ability to immediately re-enter the vehicle. An occupant who remains inside a locked vehicle and unable to use an inside door release handle may be unable to be rapidly retrieved by a passenger who has exited the vehicle. This could result in a serious injury, especially in hot weather.

Which vehicles are impacted?
All Mustang Mach-E model year vehicles built prior to June 3, 2025.

How will my vehicle be fixed?
This issue must be fixed at your local Ford Dealer via a software update.

When will my vehicle be fixed?
2025 Model Year Vehicles – The software update is available now. You can take your vehicle to your local Ford Dealer to receive the update.
2021 - 2024 Model Year Vehicles – When the update is available, you will receive a letter in the mail with instructions to have it installed at your local Ford Dealer.

Do I have to go to the dealership for the software update?
Yes, currently this software update must be completed by a Ford Dealer. Ford is developing an over-the-air update will be available at a later date.

How long will it take to fix my vehicle?
The update is expected to take less than a day. You can contact your local Ford Dealer to understand their service wait times when the software is available.

Who is paying for this update?
This service is being performed at no charge to the vehicle owner.


Can I get stuck in my vehicle? If the doors are locked and the 12V battery fails, how do I exit the vehicle?

If you are able to operate the interior door handle, you can exit the vehicle.
Front Doors - Pull the door release handle until it stops (note: this means pulling the door release handle further than is usually required to open the door).
Rear Doors – Pull the door release handle twice. If a rear door is used to exit the vehicle, that door will unlock, and the supercapacitor will allow for limited re-entry times using the exterior button.

How do I re-enter the vehicle if the 12V battery fails?
You can re-enter the vehicle by jump-starting or replacing the 12V battery. Reference the customer support article at https://go.ford/MME12V for instructions on how to access and jump-start the battery if it has failed. If a rear door is used to exit the vehicle, that door will unlock, and the stored electricity within the electronic door latch will allow re-entry for a limited time using the exterior button.


Will FordPass app notify me or warn me that my 12V battery is at risk of failing?

FordPass will notify you if the 12V battery may be at risk of failing. A “Vehicle Health - Needs Attention” banner will be displayed with alert details “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic 1.0”. Upon seeing the alert, customers should take their vehicle to a dealership for service.

I received a “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic 1.0” alert in FordPass app. What does this mean?
The “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic” health alert will appear when the vehicle reports degraded 12V conditions that may mean that the battery is at risk of depletion during a key-off event. When seen, you should go to a Ford dealership for 12V battery testing and replacement.

Will my vehicle notify me that the 12V battery failed before I exit my vehicle?
If the vehicle does not have power from the 12V battery, it is unable to provide a notification.

I had my 12V Battery replaced after I was notified but it's still showing in the app, what do I do?
If you had your 12V battery replaced after being alerted by FordPass, the warning may stick around for a couple weeks while the model "relearns" the new battery. The team is already working on refinements to have it relearn faster.


I got an over-the-air update regarding door locks. Does that take care of this recall?

No, this is a general update and unrelated to the recall. The over-the-air update some of you may have received would prevent the separate, future over-the-air update from creating a new concern.


We will continue to share information when available.

I'm very surprised that Ford decided to call this a 12-V Recall. The 12V battery is not being replaced, yet any reasonable person might conclude that it is. I've got to imagine that a lot of dealerships are going to get into heated arguments with customers over this misunderstanding. I get it, you don't want to call it what it is: Recall To Prevent Children and Pets Getting Stuck If The 12V Battery Dies. But how about Door S/W Management Recall or something similar?

Sponsored

 

[GreaseMonkey]

Interesting about the solution being the DC/DC converter staying on for 12 minutes after turning off the vehicle.

How they arrived at 12 minutes is a mystery.
Other makes keep the DC/DC converter on 30 minutes to an hour at times.

Why only 12 minutes?

Because 10 is too short, 15 is too long, and 12.5 is a fraction

 

[GreaseMonkey]

I'm very surprised that Ford decided to call this a 12-V Recall. The 12V battery is not being replaced, yet any reasonable person might conclude that it is. I've got to imagine that a lot of dealerships are going to get into heated arguments with customers over this misunderstanding. I get it, you don't want to call it what it is: Recall To Prevent Children and Pets Getting Stuck If The 12V Battery Dies. But how about Door S/W Management Recall or something similar?

Very goofy indeed

 

[Mach-Lee]

Interesting about the solution being the DC/DC converter staying on for 12 minutes after turning off the vehicle.

How they arrived at 12 minutes is a mystery.
Other makes keep the DC/DC converter on 30 minutes to an hour at times.

Why only 12 minutes?

We'll probably never know, but my guess is 12 minutes was deemed sufficient time without prolonging the overall shutdown process excessively. The screens also stay on for about that long. The normal key-off period before modules start shutting down is about 5-10 minutes. This would be the time with the highest drain on the 12V battery. 12 minutes may be about the longest they can keep the DC/DC on before other modules need to shut down in sequence (like it needs to be done before +15 minutes when more things shut down), and would get the 12V system through the initial 10-minute high drain period.

Ford may also have some type of data that says 99% of people exit in 12 minutes and could have based it on that.

 

[SonicBlue]

Perhaps Brian could add this to the original post, but the recall software update fix will leave the DC/DC converter on for 12 minutes after the vehicle is shut off. This will provide 12V support to the door latch modules during the typical entry/exit period after shutdown, which will prevent the specific lockout issue in case the 12V battery has failed during the drive.

The 12V battery is the appropriate size and specs for an EV, which does not need to crank an engine. Some EVs use much smaller batteries (Rivan uses a battery half our size, and Tesla uses one 1/5th the size). A larger battery would not be a fix. The issue is more so with key-off loads and the management of the 12V battery, which has improved with software, but there will still be a small random failure rate of AGM batteries even if everything is done right. The recall software makes the vehicle more robust in case of a random 12V failure.

I agree the access could be better, but in most cases the battery will only need to be accessed once every 3-5 years for replacement. Sticking 12V batteries in difficult places is hardly unusual in the automotive industry these days; there are a bunch of cars that have the 12V battery under a seat, in the front fender, or in the trunk. If anything, Ford should provide more readily accessible jump points that don't require panel removal, which some owners have rectified themselves by drilling access holes.

The new "Check 12V battery" warning message should also help prevent as many lockouts from occurring—now we have an early warning to replace the battery before it gets to the critical point of failure. Overall I'm satisfied with the changes, and I think the lockout rate will go down significantly so we won't have to worry about it.

Thanks for the info. Seems crazy that Ford can’t push this update OTA if the only change is as stated above. Also disappointing that they’re not doing anything to address the relatively short lifespan of these batteries. Although maybe they have previously pushed out some refinements to the battery management system?

Agree that Ford needs to reconsider accessibility of the battery. At bare minimum cutting out jump points, but it would also be great to have some other means of opening the frunk in the event of a dead battery.

 

[MachE70]

Hi Mustang Mach-E owners. By now many of you have received a notification regarding a recall on your vehicle involving the 12V battery. As there has been several mentions of the 12V battery in recent updates, the team at Ford want to ensure you have the information you need.

Why is there a recall on Mustang Mach-E?

In the event of an unexpected 12V battery failure when the vehicle is turned off, the electronic door latches remain in their last lock/unlock status. If the electronic door latches were locked at the time of 12V battery failure and a driver or front seat passenger exit using the door release handles, the doors will remain locked when they are re-closed. This may result in an unexpected lock-out condition for the driver or a front seat passenger without the ability to immediately re-enter the vehicle.

What is the safety risk?
This may result in an unexpected lock-out condition for the driver or a front seat passenger without the ability to immediately re-enter the vehicle. An occupant who remains inside a locked vehicle and unable to use an inside door release handle may be unable to be rapidly retrieved by a passenger who has exited the vehicle. This could result in a serious injury, especially in hot weather.

Which vehicles are impacted?
All Mustang Mach-E model year vehicles built prior to June 3, 2025.

How will my vehicle be fixed?
This issue must be fixed at your local Ford Dealer via a software update.

When will my vehicle be fixed?
2025 Model Year Vehicles – The software update is available now. You can take your vehicle to your local Ford Dealer to receive the update.
2021 - 2024 Model Year Vehicles – When the update is available, you will receive a letter in the mail with instructions to have it installed at your local Ford Dealer.

Do I have to go to the dealership for the software update?
Yes, currently this software update must be completed by a Ford Dealer. Ford is developing an over-the-air update will be available at a later date.

How long will it take to fix my vehicle?
The update is expected to take less than a day. You can contact your local Ford Dealer to understand their service wait times when the software is available.

Who is paying for this update?
This service is being performed at no charge to the vehicle owner.


Can I get stuck in my vehicle? If the doors are locked and the 12V battery fails, how do I exit the vehicle?

If you are able to operate the interior door handle, you can exit the vehicle.
Front Doors - Pull the door release handle until it stops (note: this means pulling the door release handle further than is usually required to open the door).
Rear Doors – Pull the door release handle twice. If a rear door is used to exit the vehicle, that door will unlock, and the supercapacitor will allow for limited re-entry times using the exterior button.

How do I re-enter the vehicle if the 12V battery fails?
You can re-enter the vehicle by jump-starting or replacing the 12V battery. Reference the customer support article at https://go.ford/MME12V for instructions on how to access and jump-start the battery if it has failed. If a rear door is used to exit the vehicle, that door will unlock, and the stored electricity within the electronic door latch will allow re-entry for a limited time using the exterior button.


Will FordPass app notify me or warn me that my 12V battery is at risk of failing?

FordPass will notify you if the 12V battery may be at risk of failing. A “Vehicle Health - Needs Attention” banner will be displayed with alert details “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic 1.0”. Upon seeing the alert, customers should take their vehicle to a dealership for service.

I received a “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic 1.0” alert in FordPass app. What does this mean?
The “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic” health alert will appear when the vehicle reports degraded 12V conditions that may mean that the battery is at risk of depletion during a key-off event. When seen, you should go to a Ford dealership for 12V battery testing and replacement.

Will my vehicle notify me that the 12V battery failed before I exit my vehicle?
If the vehicle does not have power from the 12V battery, it is unable to provide a notification.

I had my 12V Battery replaced after I was notified but it's still showing in the app, what do I do?
If you had your 12V battery replaced after being alerted by FordPass, the warning may stick around for a couple weeks while the model "relearns" the new battery. The team is already working on refinements to have it relearn faster.


I got an over-the-air update regarding door locks. Does that take care of this recall?

No, this is a general update and unrelated to the recall. The over-the-air update some of you may have received would prevent the separate, future over-the-air update from creating a new concern.


We will continue to share information when available.

Thanks for the explanation. One question: In my online Ford account under Vehicle Health, I now see the following message:

Be aware: Your Mustang Mach-E has an alert.
Last health check update: 06:10 PM on 7/10/2025.
Your vehicle has an high alert. Book an appointment or take it to the Ford dealer immediately.

Is this alert related to the recall? I see no other alerts in my Ford online account, in FordPass, or in the vehicle itself. The car ('22 GT) is performing as normal with no problems. I called the BEV assistance team and the agent couldn't tell me what the alert if for; she just told me to take it to the dealer.

 

[E90alex]

Interesting about the solution being the DC/DC converter staying on for 12 minutes after turning off the vehicle.

How they arrived at 12 minutes is a mystery.
Other makes keep the DC/DC converter on 30 minutes to an hour at times.

Why only 12 minutes?

I read somewhere likely because typically automakers count billable hours by 0.1 and 0.1 hr (6 min) would be too short so they did 0.2 hr

Thanks for the info. Seems crazy that Ford can’t push this update OTA if the only change is as stated above. Also disappointing that they’re not doing anything to address the relatively short lifespan of these batteries. Although maybe they have previously pushed out some refinements to the battery management system?

Agree that Ford needs to reconsider accessibility of the battery. At bare minimum cutting out jump points, but it would also be great to have some other means of opening the frunk in the event of a dead battery.

Maybe they wanted to do a dealer update so they can have them also load test the 12V at the same time and recommend replacement if needed. And also OTA doesn’t want to install if the 12V is not charged enough. And some cars for some reason are way behind or not getting OTAs. ??‍

As far as lifespan, they seem to go out around 3 years. Which is the average life of a lead acid in ICE vehicles too. This can vary depending on climate and usage of course but 3 years is pretty average lead acid life span. It only is such a big deal on the Mach-E because there’s no physical way to access the car if the 12V is dead without an external 12V source. That was a design choice that unfortunately cannot be fixed unless they want to install a physical keyed lock somewhere, which is highly unlikely.

I’ve read stories that the bZ4x and Solterra can eat multiple 12V within a year. So we actually don’t have it that bad. ?

 

[devmach-e]

As far as lifespan, they seem to go out around 3 years. Which is the average life of a lead acid in ICE vehicles too. This can vary depending on climate and usage of course but 3 years is pretty average lead acid life span.

My personal experience is they last 5 to 7 years. Even after running them down because of lack of use during Covid. Put the battery in question on the trickle charger, charged it back up to full and the car in question hasn’t had a problem since.

When I’ve checked the Mach-E’s battery after it has sat for a while, the battery is at ~75% or better. Charging at home or at work brings it up to 96% every time. I don’t doubt the mild climate of the SF Bay Area is a factor, but it can’t explain everything.

 

[TheRock]

I got an over-the-air update regarding door locks. Does that take care of this recall?

No, this is a general update and unrelated to the recall. The over-the-air update some of you may have received would prevent the separate, future over-the-air update from creating a new concern.

I got this update 1.5 week ago but failed to install and never heard of it again. Should I ask my dealer to install the update manually ?

 

[Mike G]

Thanks for the explanation. One question: In my online Ford account under Vehicle Health, I now see the following message:

Be aware: Your Mustang Mach-E has an alert.
Last health check update: 06:10 PM on 7/10/2025.
Your vehicle has an high alert. Book an appointment or take it to the Ford dealer immediately.

Is this alert related to the recall? I see no other alerts in my Ford online account, in FordPass, or in the vehicle itself. The car ('22 GT) is performing as normal with no problems. I called the BEV assistance team and the agent couldn't tell me what the alert if for; she just told me to take it to the dealer.

No, this alert is not related to the recall (whatever it is, it's not that). If you DM me your VIN I'll provide info on whatever your car is worried about...or you can simply call your local Ford service manager and ask them to check the vehicle health history from their desktop PTS console.

 

[Mike G]

I got an over-the-air update regarding door locks. Does that take care of this recall?

No, this is a general update and unrelated to the recall. The over-the-air update some of you may have received would prevent the separate, future over-the-air update from creating a new concern.

I got this update 1.5 week ago but failed to install and never heard of it again. Should I ask my dealer to install the update manually ?

There is a labor code that dealers can use to install updates that the OTA failed to install. Just so you know. But it's likely that the OTA will eventually try again. Might be a couple of weeks though.

 

[vsguru]

Hi Mustang Mach-E owners. By now many of you have received a notification regarding a recall on your vehicle involving the 12V battery. As there has been several mentions of the 12V battery in recent updates, the team at Ford want to ensure you have the information you need.

Why is there a recall on Mustang Mach-E?

In the event of an unexpected 12V battery failure when the vehicle is turned off, the electronic door latches remain in their last lock/unlock status. If the electronic door latches were locked at the time of 12V battery failure and a driver or front seat passenger exit using the door release handles, the doors will remain locked when they are re-closed. This may result in an unexpected lock-out condition for the driver or a front seat passenger without the ability to immediately re-enter the vehicle.

What is the safety risk?
This may result in an unexpected lock-out condition for the driver or a front seat passenger without the ability to immediately re-enter the vehicle. An occupant who remains inside a locked vehicle and unable to use an inside door release handle may be unable to be rapidly retrieved by a passenger who has exited the vehicle. This could result in a serious injury, especially in hot weather.

Which vehicles are impacted?
All Mustang Mach-E model year vehicles built prior to June 3, 2025.

How will my vehicle be fixed?
This issue must be fixed at your local Ford Dealer via a software update.

When will my vehicle be fixed?
2025 Model Year Vehicles – The software update is available now. You can take your vehicle to your local Ford Dealer to receive the update.
2021 - 2024 Model Year Vehicles – When the update is available, you will receive a letter in the mail with instructions to have it installed at your local Ford Dealer.

Do I have to go to the dealership for the software update?
Yes, currently this software update must be completed by a Ford Dealer. Ford is developing an over-the-air update will be available at a later date.

How long will it take to fix my vehicle?
The update is expected to take less than a day. You can contact your local Ford Dealer to understand their service wait times when the software is available.

Who is paying for this update?
This service is being performed at no charge to the vehicle owner.


Can I get stuck in my vehicle? If the doors are locked and the 12V battery fails, how do I exit the vehicle?

If you are able to operate the interior door handle, you can exit the vehicle.
Front Doors - Pull the door release handle until it stops (note: this means pulling the door release handle further than is usually required to open the door).
Rear Doors – Pull the door release handle twice. If a rear door is used to exit the vehicle, that door will unlock, and the supercapacitor will allow for limited re-entry times using the exterior button.

How do I re-enter the vehicle if the 12V battery fails?
You can re-enter the vehicle by jump-starting or replacing the 12V battery. Reference the customer support article at https://go.ford/MME12V for instructions on how to access and jump-start the battery if it has failed. If a rear door is used to exit the vehicle, that door will unlock, and the stored electricity within the electronic door latch will allow re-entry for a limited time using the exterior button.


Will FordPass app notify me or warn me that my 12V battery is at risk of failing?

FordPass will notify you if the 12V battery may be at risk of failing. A “Vehicle Health - Needs Attention” banner will be displayed with alert details “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic 1.0”. Upon seeing the alert, customers should take their vehicle to a dealership for service.

I received a “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic 1.0” alert in FordPass app. What does this mean?
The “12-Volt Battery Advanced Diagnostic” health alert will appear when the vehicle reports degraded 12V conditions that may mean that the battery is at risk of depletion during a key-off event. When seen, you should go to a Ford dealership for 12V battery testing and replacement.

Will my vehicle notify me that the 12V battery failed before I exit my vehicle?
If the vehicle does not have power from the 12V battery, it is unable to provide a notification.

I had my 12V Battery replaced after I was notified but it's still showing in the app, what do I do?
If you had your 12V battery replaced after being alerted by FordPass, the warning may stick around for a couple weeks while the model "relearns" the new battery. The team is already working on refinements to have it relearn faster.


I got an over-the-air update regarding door locks. Does that take care of this recall?

No, this is a general update and unrelated to the recall. The over-the-air update some of you may have received would prevent the separate, future over-the-air update from creating a new concern.


We will continue to share information when available.

When I called my dealer to schedule the update, they told me that the update is not available yet and even quoted a letter they had received stating that the update would be available later this year. Who's right?

 

[Sikkun]

I'm very surprised that Ford decided to call this a 12-V Recall. The 12V battery is not being replaced, yet any reasonable person might conclude that it is. I've got to imagine that a lot of dealerships are going to get into heated arguments with customers over this misunderstanding. I get it, you don't want to call it what it is: Recall To Prevent Children and Pets Getting Stuck If The 12V Battery Dies. But how about Door S/W Management Recall or something similar?

Powertrain control module and secondary on-board diagnostic control module c software update

Is the actual name.

 

[Sikkun]

When I called my dealer to schedule the update, they told me that the update is not available yet and even quoted a letter they had received stating that the update would be available later this year. Who's right?

If you own the 23 listed in your profile both this post and your dealer are right.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

When I called my dealer to schedule the update, they told me that the update is not available yet and even quoted a letter they had received stating that the update would be available later this year. Who's right?

Looks like you have a 2023 MY? It's not available yet. Only for 2025 models.

2021 - 2024 Model Year Vehicles – When the update is available, you will receive a letter in the mail with instructions to have it installed at your local Ford Dealer.

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