Stolen....

[aleaf]

I was having my Mach E shipped across the country and somehow it was stolen from the transport company's truck. Transport company seems to have left the key fob accessible, and the thief stole it with that. The thief master reset the car so I have no access to it at all from my phone. Luckily the police have found the car, but now it's sitting in an impound lot waiting to be picked up.

Problem is, the police didn't recover the key so now I'm stuck trying to figure out how to get into the car so I can get it towed to be appraised for damage. Ford customer service has been entirely unhelpful, and the dealer says that they can't access the factory door code to get into the car. Pretty pissed off that Ford didn't just give me two keys when I bought the car, which would have made this an easily fixable problem. Making this whole thing worse is that I'm not even in the state that the car is in anymore. Any ideas for how I can access the car?

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[connoisseurr]

Ford CAN get you the factory door code. The Service Department can get access to it. Call another dealership.

 

[KlueBat]

The door code is stored in the BCM and can be accessed with the factory service software or with FORScan. I'm not sure if Ford dealers have access to the door code via any method that does not require access to the vehicle.

You'll probably need a locksmith or tow operator to non-destructly access the car and have it towed to an authorized Ford Dealer. Your insruance should be able to make you whole on these costs, but it would be worth it IMHO to call you agent first and see how they suggest handling this situation.

 

[Motomax]

They most likely leave the keys in the vehicles.
The door can be open in the same manner as any other car. Dealership or locksmith can reprogram a new key. Vehicle can be towed with Dollies.
EVs are that special, most tricks that work on regular cars work on this one.

 

[Jon]

Ford CAN get you the factory door code. The Service Department can get access to it. Call another dealership.

This is true. I bought a 2019 Escape and it didn't have the card with the factory door code. Dealer got it for me. I have no idea what they did but my salesman called back within an hour with the code.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

@Ford Motor Company . You might want to step in and lend a hand here.

 

[s7davis]

I hope the OP already filed a claim with the transport company so their insurance can help out. Remember while vehicle is in transport, on transport trailer it is the transport companies responsibility to ensure the safety of the vehicle. As we all know the transport companies always leave the keys in the vehicles when in transport. But if have not done so file a claim against the company so their insurance can help cover cost or even a new vehicle if damage is extent or the tow truck drivers damaged the battery rails.

 

[GABAR]

I was having my Mach E shipped across the country and somehow it was stolen from the transport company's truck. Transport company seems to have left the key fob accessible, and the thief stole it with that. The thief master reset the car so I have no access to it at all from my phone. Luckily the police have found the car, but now it's sitting in an impound lot waiting to be picked up.

Problem is, the police didn't recover the key so now I'm stuck trying to figure out how to get into the car so I can get it towed to be appraised for damage. Ford customer service has been entirely unhelpful, and the dealer says that they can't access the factory door code to get into the car. Pretty pissed off that Ford didn't just give me two keys when I bought the car, which would have made this an easily fixable problem. Making this whole thing worse is that I'm not even in the state that the car is in anymore. Any ideas for how I can access the car?

Ummmm, do you have auto insurance on the vehicle?

Seems to me that this is something they should be handling to do whatever it takes and they’ll pass the entire bill over to the shipping company.

Very simple to me.

 

[aleaf]

Ummmm, do you have auto insurance on the vehicle?

Seems to me that this is something they should be handling to do whatever it takes and they’ll pass the entire bill over to the shipping company.

Very simple to me.

The car is fully insured but unfortunately the insurance company wants me to handle getting the car out of impound and then they'll do the rest

 

[aleaf]

I hope the OP already filed a claim with the transport company so their insurance can help out. Remember while vehicle is in transport, on transport trailer it is the transport companies responsibility to ensure the safety of the vehicle. As we all know the transport companies always leave the keys in the vehicles when in transport. But if have not done so file a claim against the company so their insurance can help cover cost or even a new vehicle if damage is extent or the tow truck drivers damaged the battery rails.

Oh yeah, you bet I've filed a claim with the transport company, and luckily my insurance covers theft. Would regular towing usually damage the battery? Not sure how it was towed to the impound originally but I'm guessing it wasn't exactly EV friendly

 

[OON7]

I can't believe your bad luck, I seriously hope everything is okay and you are quickly made whole. To answer your tow question, sadly, yes there is extreme risk that significant damage could have occurred while towing the vehicle. I really really hope that is not the case.

Unfortunately based on you saying there was no access to the vehicle it is very likely the car has been damaged by the tow unless they were able to get tow dollies under the tires to roll it and were smart enough to use a flatbed with proper tow points.

Oh yeah, you bet I've filed a claim with the transport company, and luckily my insurance covers theft. Would regular towing usually damage the battery? Not sure how it was towed to the impound originally but I'm guessing it wasn't exactly EV friendly

 

[810to310]

Same thing happened to my friend that has/had a BMW i3….they think the transport company driver was in cahoots with the thieves….unfortunately they found her car, but it was completely trashed inside. I’d make sure the insurance company is always in the loop on every conversation/email so that they can’t deny you if they are needed.

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

Sorry to hear that. That seems like a slimy industry the few times I've had to have a car shipped. What company did you use?

 

[Knuckles39]

I believe the car is still the dealers problem up u til you take delivery of it from the transport company. At least that was what I was told when I had mine shipped

 

[RMoore]

I believe the car is still the dealers problem up u til you take delivery of it from the transport company. At least that was what I was told when I had mine shipped

It’s already his car. He’s the one shipping it.

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