Purchasing and Programming another FOB

[dbsb3233]

I do think it was a monetary decision and a poor one at that. If you don't like "cheaping out" then fine, pick another phrase; I'm sorry. And I DID spend the $92 on a second FOB and bought one just like many of us HAD to do because we wanted two of them. To me this wasn't some sort of "wish list" item we would like to have included, it should have been a standard included item with the car just like it is with all the other cars we own. I don't think including a second FOB had any measurable impact on the price point of our cars either (I'd love to see the wholesale cost of a FOB because retail prices vary so much). Just my $0.02 and we're all entitled to our own opinions.

PS - I do agree with you about Ford pulling the trigger too soon.

It's not a high cost item, that's true. But it's also not the only item/feature that people complain about not being included. Everyone cares about the one item they care about, but others care about other items. Ford has to make decisions about all of them, and collectively those costs add up, and drive up the price.

Ford could have just stuck with 2 fobs and not spent money on the development of PAAK too. But then people who like PAAK would have been complaining "It's a high tech car! They should have included PAAK!". So I can see the balance Ford was trying to get to by including PAAK and one fob. It makes sense, but the real problem is PAAK not quite being perfected yet (like much of the other software in this car, and in FordPass).

Although I am surprised how many people PAAK seems to be working fine for. That other thread seems to have over 50% of the people saying they're using PAAK and leaving the fob at home. So maybe we're being a bit too quick to discard PAAK here (myself included). Turns out the fob hasn't been 100% dependable either. There's some quirks with the car where it takes 3-4 attempts to get it to open with with fob proximity. It's possible that was happening with PAAK too and thus it really wasn't PAAK's fault per se (if the fob was failing too).

Anyway, I think we're all in agreement that there's been nagging problems, and Ford needs to get these things fixed soon. Once that happens, one fob + PAAK is a reasonable offering, IMO.

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[Illinibird]

It's not a high cost item, that's true. But it's also not the only item/feature that people complain about not being included. Everyone cares about the one item they care about, but others care about other items. Ford has to make decisions about all of them, and collectively those costs add up, and drive up the price.

Ford could have just stuck with 2 fobs and not spent money on the development of PAAK too. But then people who like PAAK would have been complaining "It's a high tech car! They should have included PAAK!". So I can see the balance Ford was trying to get to by including PAAK and one fob. It makes sense, but the real problem is PAAK not quite being perfected yet (like much of the other software in this car, and in FordPass).

Although I am surprised how many people PAAK seems to be working fine for. That other thread seems to have over 50% of the people saying they're using PAAK and leaving the fob at home. So maybe we're being a bit too quick to discard PAAK here (myself included). Turns out the fob hasn't been 100% dependable either. There's some quirks with the car where it takes 3-4 attempts to get it to open with with fob proximity. It's possible that was happening with PAAK too and thus it really wasn't PAAK's fault per se (if the fob was failing too).

Anyway, I think we're all in agreement that there's been nagging problems, and Ford needs to get these things fixed soon. Once that happens, one fob + PAAK is a reasonable offering, IMO.

I agree with a lot of what you are saying and disagree with some too but we've wasted enough time and energy and we'll have to agree to disagree. I have to say that on the two FOBs I own the proximity feature works 100% on my 2015 Acura MDX and my 2016 Ford Fusion so I don't know what the problem is with the Mach E.

One FOB + PaaK a reasonable offering for 2021 with all the nagging problems? Maybe on the 2022 or 2023 IMHO.

 

[dbsb3233]

I agree with a lot of what you are saying and disagree with some too but we've wasted enough time and energy and we'll have to agree to disagree. I have to say that on the two FOBs I own the proximity feature works 100% on my 2015 Acura MDX and my 2016 Ford Fusion so I don't know what the problem is with the Mach E.

One FOB + PaaK a reasonable offering for 2021 with all the nagging problems? Maybe on the 2022 or 2023 IMHO.

Same with my 2013 Escape. Never had a fob fail to open the doors or liftgate (unless the fob battery died, of course). But it has on my MME multiple times. Going liftgate open to door open has failed repeatedly unless I step out of proximity range and reenter in between. And just approaching the car in the morning with fob only (no PAAK) takes 3-4 door button pushes maybe 25% of the time.

I'm finding more and more it's a general problem with the car, not just PAAK.

 

[Illinibird]

Same with my 2013 Escape. Never had a fob fail to open the doors or liftgate (unless the fob battery died, of course). But it has on my MME multiple times. Going liftgate open to door open has failed repeatedly unless I step out of proximity range and reenter in between. And just approaching the car in the morning with fob only (no PAAK) takes 3-4 door button pushes maybe 25% of the time.

I'm finding more and more it's a general problem with the car, not just PAAK.

That's VERY troubling to hear. I never thought a programmed FOB would fail like that.You're the first person I've heard of that has a problem like that. The PaaK yes, but the FOB - wow! Ford had better concentrate on those issues pronto. I can just hear my wife now if that happens to our Mach E when we get it! She's not wild about getting rid of our Fusion Hybrid (she loves that car) but I'm very insistent on trying a BEV.

 

[Rob FFE]

It's not a high cost item, that's true. But it's also not the only item/feature that people complain about not being included. Everyone cares about the one item they care about, but others care about other items. Ford has to make decisions about all of them, and collectively those costs add up, and drive up the price.

Ford could have just stuck with 2 fobs and not spent money on the development of PAAK too. But then people who like PAAK would have been complaining "It's a high tech car! They should have included PAAK!". So I can see the balance Ford was trying to get to by including PAAK and one fob. It makes sense, but the real problem is PAAK not quite being perfected yet (like much of the other software in this car, and in FordPass).

Although I am surprised how many people PAAK seems to be working fine for. That other thread seems to have over 50% of the people saying they're using PAAK and leaving the fob at home. So maybe we're being a bit too quick to discard PAAK here (myself included). Turns out the fob hasn't been 100% dependable either. There's some quirks with the car where it takes 3-4 attempts to get it to open with with fob proximity. It's possible that was happening with PAAK too and thus it really wasn't PAAK's fault per se (if the fob was failing too).

Anyway, I think we're all in agreement that there's been nagging problems, and Ford needs to get these things fixed soon. Once that happens, one fob + PAAK is a reasonable offering, IMO.

I have also noticed some times that the fob didn't immediately unlock the car or required removing it from my pocket. In these instances I had my phone (set up as Paak) with me. I've since disabled my Paak and so far haven't experienced any more problems with the fob. My experience doesn't prove that this is a fix but I'll continue to monitor. I'm the primary driver of this car and I actually prefer to use the fob and have my wife's phone set as a Paak.

I've also noticed inconsistent behavior with Walk Away Lock, so disabled it and don't miss it. If I really want my car locked I need to get the assurance from two presses of the fob button and the horn chirp to satisfy my OCD.

 

[macchiaz-o]

To me this wasn't some sort of "wish list" item we would like to have included, it should have been a standard included item with the car just like it is with all the other cars we own.

Understood.

Speaking for myself, I've left my only key fob in a junk drawer and I'm getting around town with very few issues. The backup password has made this a successful transition for me, alleviating any anxiety about being able to drive without a recognized physical key.

 

[bluestang35]

I just got my 2nd key fob (bought from Cars & Truck Remotes) programmed at The Ford Store in Morgan Hill. The quote was $100 but I used 20K FordPass Rewards Points instead. Fob works like the original. I got to test drive their demo Mach-E AWD ER Premium while waiting for the programming to be done. As others have stated in this forum, the AWD is noticeably more powerful than my RWD ER Premium. The Ford Store in Morgan Hill seems to be a very friendly and customer-oriented dealership. I may try them if I buy another Ford.

That's what I did when i received my 2nd Fob from Cars & remotes. Took it to the dealer to program and used my Ford Pass rewards. Instead of paying $79 It was FREE. I thought everbody who bought the car got their 43k in Ford pass rewards to use on this stuff.

 

[dbsb3233]

That's VERY troubling to hear. I never thought a programmed FOB would fail like that.You're the first person I've heard of that has a problem like that. The PaaK yes, but the FOB - wow! Ford had better concentrate on those issues pronto. I can just hear my wife now if that happens to our Mach E when we get it! She's not wild about getting rid of our Fusion Hybrid (she loves that car) but I'm very insistent on trying a BEV.

It always eventually unlocks, but there's just those inconsistent times when it's either slow to wake up, or has a weird pattern to it (like the liftgate-then-door). Another of the long list of bugs that fall into the "annoying but not debilitating" category. Early adopter perils.

 

[dbsb3233]

I have also noticed some times that the fob didn't immediately unlock the car or required removing it from my pocket. In these instances I had my phone (set up as Paak) with me. I've since disabled my Paak and so far haven't experienced any more problems with the fob. My experience doesn't prove that this is a fix but I'll continue to monitor. I'm the primary driver of this car and I actually prefer to use the fob and have my wife's phone set as a Paak.

I've also noticed inconsistent behavior with Walk Away Lock, so disabled it and don't miss it. If I really want my car locked I need to get the assurance from two presses of the fob button and the horn chirp to satisfy my OCD.

I did the exact same thing at first... thought the inconsistent unlocking was probably a PAAK problem. I figured even if I had the fob with me (which I always do), that PAAK may have been stepping on it (I'm not sure which one takes precedence if both are in range). So I completely disabled PAAK. Had it off for 3 weeks now. But I still experience some of the same inconsistencies using the fob alone. Not too often, but mostly when the car hasn't been doing anything for hours (like first attempt in the morning). Once I've "woken it up", it usually works fine.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I do think Ford probably pulled the trigger on not including a 2nd fob a little too soon. Would have been more prudent to wait a model year or two until PAAK was more proven, IMO.

But I also cringe when I hear terms like "demand" and "cheaped out". Want a 2nd fob? Fine, buy one like many of us are doing. Just like many of us are buying floor mats, and other accessories.

Every extra cost in a product raises the price. Sure, Ford could have included a 2nd fob... and a heat pump... and seat tilt... and an even bigger battery... and a roof shade... and a hundred other extras that would have added $thousands to the price. But they didn't, because they were trying to keep it within a target price point for potential buyers. That's not "cheaping out", it's making decisions on what to include (and not include) in the overall product to keep it within a price point.

I entirely agree Tim. I bought a second FOB for the car (I don't have yet) because it's more convenient for when my wife would like to drive it, not because of PAAK being flakey. I'm also well-entrenched from decades of driving in using FOBs and even keys, so PAAK is new and will take time to get used to it. When PAAK and the door codes work 100% of the time, even in cellular deserts, then I'll start leaving it behind. Not a major deal for me until then.

Demand is a strong word for something that's already functional. Order your key now or through one of the sites that sell OEM keys.

First World Issues.

 

[Illinibird]

That's what I did when i received my 2nd Fob from Cars & remotes. Took it to the dealer to program and used my Ford Pass rewards. Instead of paying $79 It was FREE. I thought everbody who bought the car got their 43k in Ford pass rewards to use on this stuff.

I’m doing the same thing if I ever get my car.

 

[dbsb3233]

That's what I did when i received my 2nd Fob from Cars & remotes. Took it to the dealer to program and used my Ford Pass rewards. Instead of paying $79 It was FREE. I thought everbody who bought the car got their 43k in Ford pass rewards to use on this stuff.

The Mach-E only gets 22k points ($110 value). The other 19k that other cars get go to offsetting the 250 kWh of free DCFC we get.

 

[dbsb3233]

I’m doing the same thing if I ever get my car.

I used my 22k points ($110) toward purchase of the $175 floor mats. Which are really good, BTW. They fit perfectly, nicely rubberized, and have a deep lip all around to hold water in.

https://accessories.ford.com/kit-floor-contour-mat-12833.html

 

[bluestang35]

The Mach-E only gets 22k points ($110 value). The other 19k that other cars get go to offsetting the 250 kWh of free DCFC we get.

Yeah,I just looked that up on Ford site, The extra points i have must have been from my wife's Escape hybrid purchase last year ( traded for the Mache). One point is worth about a half cent.

 

[Illinibird]

I used my 22k points ($110) toward purchase of the $175 floor mats. Which are really good, BTW. They fit perfectly, nicely rubberized, and have a deep lip all around to hold water in.

https://accessories.ford.com/kit-floor-contour-mat-12833.html

So far I have used mine on: wheel locks, first aid kit, road hazard kit, bumper protection appliqué and a different case (much nicer) for the Ford Mobile Charger. I have the Ford Rewards VISA and we run EVERYTHING through the card so I average 10,000 points a month + or -. Right now I have 75,000 points. We‘re non-revolvers and pay the entire balance each month so we just keep racking up points. I’ll use them when my car comes in too to reduce cost.

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