Stuck Frunk repair experience

[ARK]

This is from the owners manual. So it should not be slammed because of the double release mechanism

Lower the frunk and apply light pressure
as it drops.

I've never been able to close my frunk without throwing it down when it is a foot or two away from closing. Gently closing simply doesn't work, it's much harder to get it to lock than say closing a car door.

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[scoopman]

I've never been able to close my frunk without throwing it down when it is a foot or two away from closing. Gently closing simply doesn't work, it's much harder to get it to lock than say closing a car door.

Basically that's what I did...

 

[HuntingPudel]

Regarding the MMW frunk latch mechanism, it’s definitely not as beefy as the hood mechanisms for my other cars. It probably weighs half of what those weigh. Not sure that’s a fair comparison given they are ‘60s and ‘70s GM units and the MME has a 21st Century Ford design. The MME latch isn’t all that different size-wise from my 1989 4Runner’s latch. Of course, that’s a To-Yo-Yo. ??

 

[Mach-Lee]

.... or the third unscheduled major warranty repair for my car in 13,000 miles. Yay Ford quality product.

I noticed all of a sudden that my frunk latch would only unlatch the first portion, and then wouldn't unlock itself fully. This left the hood in a state where it was partially open, but it was not able to be opened or closed. I found that, after a while, it will catch and close or open normally. I think the malfuction was cold-temperature related but I wasn't sure.

I brought the car to my dealer, Sunnyvale Ford, on three separate times, before they were able to have who they considered the right tech take a look at the car without my leaving it for days beofre they would be able to look at it. The plan was going to be for them to take a look at it, then order the parts, and let me keep my car in the meanwhile while they were ordered.

That's not what happened.

The tech popped the hood, and yep, it was stuck as I described. The tech then proceeded (despite my describing to the service advisor that the frunk eventually closes) to use a hacksaw to cut the striker on the hood to open it. The dealer then ordered a new striker (to replace the one they destroyed), the latch, as well as the frunk actuator mechanism.

The genius tech then put the plastic frunk parts from my car sitting all over my back seats, leaving at least one scratch in my pleather. As if I was driving a white fleet Ford F-150 and didn't care about my car. Thanks guys!

They put a rush on the parts, but they probably won't see the parts until Monday, and my car is now undrivable until they replace it -- exactly what I didn't want and wasn't planning for this morning. Remember, Sunnyvale Ford is basically the best Ford dealer service I've found.

So I'm going to be rocking a crapbox Mazda from enterprise rental car for the whole President's Day weekend, and thinking all weekend about how I've never owned a car that I've liked so much while driving it, but which has had such poor quality in the product in the first 13,000 miles.

I can understand the whole battery pack electronics blah blah stuff maybe, as that's sorta new to Ford, but not being able to have a hood latch mechanism work properly? I've owned many cars from other manufacturers, and every time I have to deal with a Ford dealer -- which has been so many more times than any of my other cars -- it makes me just that much less enthused about this car.

Okay, I'm done venting. Hopefully someone from Ford browsing this forum will just think a little more what the hidden consequences are of putting out a crappy quality product -- PEOPLE LIKE ME WILL BE THINKING VERY HARD BEFORE BUYING ANOTHER ONE.

Anyhow, please enjoy this video -- streamed nearly live by me sitting at home -- of them cutting open my hood without checking with me first.

It looks like they unbolted the striker from the hood to me, are you sure they cut it? Unbolting it is probably what I would try too.

 

[Logal727]

This sucks, but I'm gonna be honest, I haven't had a car that hasn't had some sort of annoying issue with hardware like this. My brand new Odyssey had the sliding door stop working which is bad if you've got kids in the back, Toyota had weird issues as did Hyundai. It all comes down to how dealer network fixes it. I dread going into any dealer service department.

 

[scoopman]

It looks like they unbolted the striker from the hood to me, are you sure they cut it? Unbolting it is probably what I would try too.

Service advisor told me they physically cut it and that's why the car was undrivable ??‍ I'll probe some more if I don't see parts showing up at the dealer on Monday. @Mach-Lee you have any way of knowing whether that striker is a part that is used on other Ford models (and therefore might be more easily obtained)? I think I can get the thing closed if the striker was back on.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Service advisor told me they physically cut it and that's why the car was undrivable ??‍ I'll probe some more if I don't see parts showing up at the dealer on Monday. @Mach-Lee you have any way of knowing whether that striker is a part that is used on other Ford models (and therefore might be more easily obtained)? I think I can get the thing closed if the striker was back on.

They could just bolt it back on. It looks intact from what I could see in the video. He might be telling tales, or another part of the latch was damaged or had to be cut.

Part number is LJ8Z-16K689-A and it's unique to the Mach-E.

 

[scoopman]

They could just bolt it back on. It looks intact from what I could see in the video. He might be telling tales, or another part of the latch was damaged or had to be cut.

Part number is LJ8Z-16K689-A and it's unique to the Mach-E.

Thanks -- I'm going to get into this with them on Monday. They probably just don't care at all about me, and want my car sitting there for whenever the part shows up and they have the time to put it on.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Thanks -- I'm going to get into this with them on Monday. They probably just don't care at all about me, and want my car sitting there for whenever the part shows up and they have the time to put it on.

I watched the video again, when he first opens the hood he's looking for the two bolts he just unscrewed with his ratchet. He's got one sitting to the left of the latch, but the other bolt is missing so he's looking in the frunk and under the car for where it fell. If they lost the second bolt they can't put the hood striker back on and let you drive it until they get a replacement bolt. The may have found it later after they took out the frunk tub through.

 

[HGxxx]

Basically that's what I did...

I also find that I have to slam the frunk ( from like 1 foot above ) to close it, may be I will try the gentle method again and see

 

[Howard]

@scoopman: I am able to bring my hood down and gently push down to engage the initial latch; and then put my hands about a foot apart in the center of the hood and firmly push down and the second latch fully engages. I have owned my 2022 since last July and have successfully used this method every time I have closed the frunk. Also using this method on my 2023 MME. I open the frunk at least 3 times a week. Hate to hear you had another issue with your MME.

 

[HuntingPudel]

I also find that I have to slam the frunk ( from like 1 foot above ) to close it, may be I will try the gentle method again and see

I use the basketball dribble method: Close the hood most of the way then flick it down with the wrist. I try to flick as gently as I can. I am still watching mine and hoping this doesn’t happen to me. ??

 

[spicy_taco]

You can adjust the frunk support things by turning them. That made my frunk much easier to close. When i first my car i couldn't close the frunk without slamming it. I turned the suppprts to not extend so high and now i can press on the hood with my hands to latch it without feeling like I'm permanently denting it

 

[scoopman]

You can adjust the frunk support things by turning them. That made my frunk much easier to close. When i first my car i couldn't close the frunk without slamming it. I turned the suppprts to not extend so high and now i can press on the hood with my hands to latch it without feeling like I'm permanently denting it

More good tips for when (if?) they get my #$%#$% car back to me, probably with a more robust, beefy frunk latch and actuator installed.

From the PDF of the manual, it just says to "Lower the front luggage compartment hood and apply closing force as it drops" -- no indication in the manual I have that I needed to treat closing a hood so gently.

 

[scoopman]

Today's update:

Dealer has the striker and the latch, but not the actuator. They tell me the actuator must also be replaced if you replace the latch, they're single-use parts.

They think the actuator might be on the FedEx truck today (and not backordered), but that will mean my car will be done at earliest tomorrow -- we're now up to 19 days out of service for lemon-law-qualifying warranty repairs with 18 months.

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