Pre Collision Assist Not Available

[chris]

Hi ,

I have been lurking in this forum for a while, but now I need some input - I have tried searching, but can't find anything quite like this issue.

I took delivery of my Mach-E on August 2, within 30 minutes after leaving the lot, the car started showing an error message: Pre Collision Assist Not Available. As soon as the message is shown, cruise control is disabled and stays disabled until next power cycle. Spoke to the dealer, who told med to try to restart the car. Multiple restarts later, the error message kept showing up each time within minutes after power on.

Due to my dealer being very hard to communicate with, it took two weeks until the dealer would look at the car, but after one week at the dealer, I got a call saying the car was fixed. I could see in FordPass that the car had been driven some distance without any error messaged, but once I got to the dealer I didn't even make it out of the dealer's parking spot before I once again got the error same Collision Assist Not Available error message. Returned the key to the dealer and got back in the same sad Ford Mondeo gasoline loaner that the dealer provided while my car was in the shop...

Almost two more weeks passed until I finally got a call that the car was fixed (again). I can tell by the data in FordPass that the dealer have driven the car approx. 200 km without any error messages and thus, I started to get my hope up. Went back to the dealer yesterday. Straight away, after powering up (without even having shifted into Drive) the Pre Collision Assist Not Available message was shown in the display. I turned the car off, got out, locked the car before trying again (I really wanted to get my car back and did not want to discard the possibility that this was a one time thing...). Upon next start, no error message was shown and as I arrived after business hours, I decided to make a test drive before deciding whether to drop the keys to the loaner in the key deposit box and drive my car home, or leave the Mach-e for a third time to the shop. Drove approx. 10 km at different speeds, stopping, starting etc. without any error messages. Felt happy that my car finally seemed to be working and decided to move my bags and leave the key to the loaner in the key deposit box.

Moments after closing the key deposit box I'm back in the Mach-e to start my drive home; deja-vu! Before even leaving the dealer parking lot, the car is once again showing Pre Collision Assist Not Available. Try to restart the car multiple times on the 50 km drive home, but the error message keeps coming back within minutes after starting the car. At one point the BLIS-system also started behaving weird, with both mirrors showing constant warning light, even though there was no other car in the fastlane and the passenger side was travelling next to an empty ditch.

Once home, I power off and let the car sit in the driveway for 1,5 hours before trying again - before I have driven the car out of my own driveway it shows Pre Collision Assist Not Available.

Power off and let the car sit overnight. This morning, I drive 4 km to my local grocery store without any error message, but once I returned to the car, it shows Pre Collision Assist Not Available before leaving the parking lot.

The dealer have not told me what they have done and they are extremely uncommunicative. Ford has no own representation in Sweden and the Swedish agent is even harder to communicate with (no answers at all). I have measured the current on the low voltage battery myself last night to see if that could be a possible explanation as the error seems very intermittent and therefore hard to replicate, understand and fix, but the current seems good (12,5-12,8 V in accessory mode, 14+ V once completely started).

Apart from the Pre Collision Assist Not Availble error message, the car is not showing any other error messages. It seems to have a hard time remembering some settings from time to time, for example the clock kept reversing to AM/PM though I saved my preference of showing 24 hour at three different times last night...

If anyone has had similar experiences and know the solution or at least have any ideas on what might be the issue, I would gladly relay the information to my dealer (even though the dealer this far hasn't listened to one thing I've told them)... For the time being, it seems likely that I'll have to drive the car to the dealer for a third time - if they still are unable to fix the issue I will walk away from this car and demand that they take it back. I really like the Mach-e, but I am struggling very hard to like my Mach-e and I feel extremely disappointed with both dealer and manufacturer as there is no communication... As the purpose of my purchase was to use the car for weekly commutes of approx. 600 km (300 km each way), not having cruise control is a major issue for me and it simply is not fit for the way that I use the car...

I also feel a bit sad for @Ford Motor Company as a company as the way their agent in Sweden is handling this matter is reflecting very bad on them and their cars - even though I understand that Ford as a company is not at fault due to my dealer and the Swedish agent is handling my matter in a poor manner, I still feel obligated to be honest about my experience when asked by friends, family, co-workers and customers (interest is very high regarding my thoughts on the Mach-e as it as a brand new BEV here in Sweden and I am one of the early adopters) and the truth is that at this time, I would very strongly advise against bying a Mach-e if based in Sweden - not because the car is bad, but because the experience with the Swedish Ford agent and their dealers is horrible if you're unlucky enough to have an issue... If you don't have an issue, you'll have a great experience and a great car - but knowing what I know now, I would not purchase another Ford in Sweden...

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[ProximusAl]

Ford issued a TSB that covers what you are describing.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...tance-feature-concerns-and-or-ipma-dtcs.8177/

It requires the IPMA module on the car to be updated by the dealer.

 

[chris]

Ford issued a TSB that covers what you are describing.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...tance-feature-concerns-and-or-ipma-dtcs.8177/

It requires the IPMA module on the car to be updated by the dealer.

As the dealer is reluctant to tell me what has been done, I am unable to tell whether this has been done or not, but I would assume that a TSB issued in late July would have been acted upon by the shop since they have had my car for the past three weeks... But athey must at least have done something as they have been able to drive the car for more than 200 km without any error messages showing up in FordPass - I'm not able to drive it anywhere without getting this error...

 

[ProximusAl]

As the dealer is reluctant to tell me what has been done, I am unable to tell whether this has been done or not, but I would assume that a TSB issued in late July would have been acted upon by the shop since they have had my car for the past three weeks... But athey must at least have done something as they have been able to drive the car for more than 200 km without any error messages showing up in FordPass - I'm not able to drive it anywhere without getting this error...

Unfortunately, you wont be able to tell if the TSB has been done by the dealer or not.

The only way to tell would be to see if the IPMA module has indeed been upgraded by using GFDRS or Forscan or similar tools.

I wouldn't assume that a dealer would apply these updates. Most of them, certainly in the UK, are hesitant to only upgrade when absolutely necessary, and by the sounds of your dealer, questionable if they even know how!!

 

[chris]

Unfortunately, you wont be able to tell if the TSB has been done by the dealer or not.

The only way to tell would be to see if the IPMA module has indeed been upgraded by using GFDRS or Forscan or similar tools.

I wouldn't assume that a dealer would apply these updates. Most of them, certainly in the UK, are hesitant to only upgrade when absolutely necessary, and by the sounds of your dealer, questionable if they even know how!!

As I do not have a working communication with the dealer, is there any possibility to see if the IPMA module has been updated online, i.e. is there anyone on this forum that has access to a service where they can see if an update has been done, provided they have my VIN?

 

[ProximusAl]

As I do not have a working communication with the dealer, is there any possibility to see if the IPMA module has been updated online, i.e. is there anyone on this forum that has access to a service where they can see if an update has been done, provided they have my VIN?

You used to be able to use a service called Ford ETIS, which would show you available software levels, but that does not work with the Mach-E. It DOES however show you the PTI information relating to your vehicle. As far as I can see though, IPMA is not listed. You can see an example of mine here.

 

[chris]

So, I have been spending the evening (Swedish time) trying to follow quite a lot of different ideas and tips given in a Facebook thread regarding this same issue; toggling settings on and off, disabling wireless connection, even made a factory reset and left my phone in the house and went for a drive without it. Tried all of this and more, but no success.

However, I do think I have been able to replicate a situation where the error message doesn’t show up:

By accident, I connected my iPhone via cable (as I hade made the factory reset and didn’t care to set up wireless CarPlay since the car is going back in the shop). No error message.

Next time I started the car I didn’t plug in the phone. Error message within the first hundred meters. Powered off, opened door, powered on and immediately connected phone with cable. Drove for 10+kms without error. Powered off, opened door, started car without plugging in phone. Error within 3 kms.

I kept repeating a few times, but I were never able to drive the car more than a few minutes (less than 5 kms, in most cases way less than 1 km) before getting the Pre Collision Assist Not Available error without the phone plugged in. However, when plugging in the phone within seconds of starting the car, I was able to drive 40+ kms straight without any error.

I don’t know if this makes any sense? Is there any logical explanation as to why connection the phone through cable would make a difference?

 

[chris]

Update: Car is back in shop.

Reprogramming of the IPMA in accordance with TSB 21-2249 does not seem to have been performed (at least there is no mention of the TSB 21-2249 or update of the IPMA in the note from the shop in Ford online system as I was able to find avery helpful US-based Ford mechanic through Facebook who helped me receive information on what has actually been done, since my dealer is non communcative).

Told the shop that there is a TSB and even attached the TSB in an e-mail. Got a brief reply where the dealer said thank you, we will have this in mind once we look at your car.

Just received a call. The TSB was not mentioned and the person calling was not the mechanic and thus, had no idea what had been done. The shop will replace the front radar sensor, ETA for the part is 1-2 weeks and then they need to actually perform the work.

Not looking forward at spending another two weeks in a gasoline Mondeo which is costing me more than ten times as much per km as the Mach-e, whilst still paying the full monthly cost for the Mach-e which has been non-functional since delivery five and a half weeks ago. Meanwhile, Ford Sweden is completely non-responsive and attempts to contact Ford US on Facebook in order to ensure that the shop gets sufficient support to fix my car (which I seriously doubt that they are able to do as this is the third time the car goes back in their shop for the same error) have only been met with the response that they can't assist as I am based in Sweden and I need to speak to Ford Sweden (who isn't responding). Attempts that have been made to reach @Ford Motor Company through Twitter hasn't been replied at all.

Based on what I see here, I don't doubt that Ford is taking care of their customers in the US, but in Sweden you seem to be on your own. I counted on having issues with the car, but I also counted on getting support. Not having anyone even reply to your messages after paying 700 000 + SEK for a brand new car that isn't working is an absurd situation. Almost starting to hope that the shop will fail this third time so I get to walk away and buy from another auto maker where I will be treated as a valued customer, not met with complete and utter silence - and it hurts to admit those feelings as I really love the car, I just hate Ford's way of (not) handling this situation.

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