UK Customers

[Tony.T]

The ‘comprehensive response’ was down to the fact that Mike was just one of 50+ people who sent a ‘joint letter’
to Ford addressed personally to Lisa Brankin.

There was very little else she could do. ??

A kick up the Arse (Ass for our US friends) does wonders at times!

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[Deleted member 4170]

*LONG POST ALERT*

So I have a confession … I’ve been cheating on you all and seeing other people (ie the Facebook Mach-E group AND the WhatsApp group) I can’t help myself - I’m a complete man Mach-E whore.

Anyway - today on the FB group a very nice man called Mike Stark got a response from Ford about a whole load of issues that we discuss on a regular basis and are the basis of a lot of our ownership grumbles.

I’ve been given permission from Mike to post the email he got from Ford here for you guys to see. The answers are good - but they may not make you happy….

“
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us about your Ford Mustang Mach-E. It is clear from your letter the enthusiasm and passion you have for this car – an enthusiasm and passion that is shared by the entire team.

We are sincerely sorry that you are not completely satisfied with your experience to date and hope the information we have shared below can help to address the status of the issues you’ve raised – each one is slightly different, and we have responded separately.

Electric Opening of Front Luggage Compartment via SYNC 4A, FordPass & Key Fob

• The software update containing the activation of the Front Trunk e-Latch is currently planned for deployment in Europe from mid-July onwards.

• This is planned to be delivered via Ford Power-Up 2.8.3 and should provide the functionality to unlock the front trunk within SYNC 4A without the need to use the lever in the front passenger footwell.

Next Steps
• For the FordPass functionality, we're seeking confirmation that the front trunk can be successfully opened without Phone As A Key on your vehicle.

• For the front trunk button on the key fob, please see the guidance below.


Introduction of Mustang Branded, 5 Button Key

• In the UK market the insurance group rating is regulated by the Association of British Insurers’ research group: Thatcham Research. Thatcham strongly recommend the use of motion sensing keys in the UK to mitigate the risk of “relay attack” thefts of vehicles. For Ford’s competitors in the UK market, this has been a known and significant security flaw in recent history.

• If we were to introduce the Mustang-branded key fob without the motion sensing technology within the UK, Thatcham would increase our group ratings by 2 points. For Mustang Mach-E, with its insurance group rating in the range of 33E to 40E (excluding GT), this would result in a significant rise in premium costs for all customers. Currently we do not plan to do this.

• The introduction of the Mustang branded key fob with motion sensing is timed for 24MY globally (October 2023). I would like to be able to do this sooner but as yet don’t have a firm plan to do that.

Next Step
• We recognise how important an issue this is to you and we have escalated the situation to the global Mustang Mach-E program management team to investigate the feasibility of accelerating the timeframe for introducing the new key.


Automatic Walkaway Locking (WAL)

• In the UK market, Thatcham also strongly recommend that the vehicle is double locked as the default locking setting. This disables the internal door release to mitigate the risk of non-authorised personnel breaking windows to open the doors from the inside.

• However, we also have a requirement that any automatic / passive locking process must not accidently trap passengers in the vehicle – should the driver walk away with the keys. (E.g. quick stop at the local shop scenario.

• To meet both requirements we would need to disable double locking for Walkaway Locking and add an audible reminder that the vehicle is less secure. This would take the form of a horn chirp, which would need to be loud enough to override background noise at a distance. We were not able to integrate this at launch as part of the Whole Vehicle Type Approval.

• If we were to enable this feature, without audible warning, Thatcham would increase our group ratings by the same 2 points, with the same significant rise in premium costs for all customers.

• We are working with our development team to identify if it is possible to add the horn chirp. This is being investigated but I don’t have firm timings to support an introduction.

Next Step
• We have put forward a proposal to our Product Development team that we believe could secure approval from Thatcham.

• The feasibility of this proposal is currently being investigated and we're awaiting the outcome to be confirmed that it can be offered to UK customers retrospectively.


Vehicle tracker integrated into SYNC 4A

• We welcome the proposal here and we have discussed it with our Security and Connectivity teams but the integration of a vehicle tracker using the SYNC 4A system is not something that can be offered on 21MY or 22.25MY vehicles.

• We recognise there are lots of enhancements that you will be thinking of through your daily use of Mustang Mach-E. This is why our Connectivity team have recently set up the FordPass Community to give you an opportunity to suggest ideas for future software updates. You can register to engage with the Community at the following link: https://fpcommunity.ford.com/

• For reference, SecuriAlert is a FordPass feature that is free to all connected vehicle customers. While it is not recognised by insurers and does not offer vehicle tracking capability, it does provide peace of mind and assurance.You can send a notification to your smartphone if it identifies any vehicle activity, including attempts to open doors or gain access with a key.

You can activate SecuriAlert when you are away from your vehicle. The feature is quickly and easily switched on or off – “armed” or “disarmed” – using the FordPass app.

Here’s a video link with an overview of the technology:


Charge Curve

• The enhancement to the DC high-power charging speed between 80-90% state of charge is initially being delivered as part of the 21P22 software update.

• UK vehicles affected by the Windscreen & Panoramic Roof Service Actions are receiving this update as part of the repair work being carried out by our dealer network.

• If your vehicle isn’t part of the windscreen and panoramic roof service action, the update is planned to be deployed to EU vehicles over-the-air from the end of March 2022 onwards, as part of Ford Power-Up 2.3.0.


Insurance

• We have discussed this at length with our Insurance and Security teams.

• We have consulted Thatcham and the Association of British Insurers. Based on the volume of UK vehicles that we have now delivered, we have seen a very small number of customers who have unfortunately been refused insurance and we are trying to ascertain the reasoning behind this decision for those customers, given the competitive insurance group ratings that Mustang Mach-E has achieved.

• We have reached out to our FordInsure team. Their insurance products are underwritten by Admiral and they have advised they do not require a vehicle tracker for Mustang Mach-E.

• We have also spoken with the Aviva Vehicle Insurance team to gain a better understanding of their current position based on the customer feedback that we have seen. They have confirmed they are underwriting Mustang Mach-E and we agreed to retain an open dialogue moving forwards.

Next Step
• We will continue to work with the Association of British Insurers and Thatcham to ensure that Mustang Mach-E remains competitive in the marketplace in relation to the all-electric competition without compromising vehicle security.

Where our vehicle strategy is centred around electrifying our business, our focus for the last 2+ years has been on training our dealer partners to meet the needs of the rapidly growing EV demand, ensuring they can confidently and successfully service and repair EV products. A significant proportion of our dealer partners have technicians trained to the required Institute of Motor Industry certification levels to confidently work on EV products.

Where product failures have occurred after launch or after vehicle delivery, our technically trained team work closely with our dealer partners as a priority to determine and implement a repair within the workshop. Whilst some delays are longer than we would anticipate, these are unavoidable due to the extensive work required to replicate a unique fault and determine and confidently deploy the correct repair procedure. It is not a reflection of lack of training or lack of desire to provide a satisfactory aftersales experience. Every effort is made to keep this timeframe to an absolute minimum, but in some instances, factors out of our dealer partners’ control impact the leads times of repair.

We appreciate the feedback you’ve given us and recognise that we don’t always get things right the first time but will continue to work hard to deliver a satisfactory experience and outcome for all of our loyal customers.

Faz Hussain
Executive Office, Ford Executive Office
Ford of Britain and Ireland
”

WhatsApp group? Sounds useful is it a private group?

 

[Wonky_Donkey]

WhatsApp group? Sounds useful is it a private group?

Open to all …

https://chat.whatsapp.com/CCWGbca87Sf26jQDN6eolw

 

[Andeh]

Nothing surprising in that response, and I'm happy with it. Roll on the June update!

 

[coolshades]

Open to all …

https://chat.whatsapp.com/CCWGbca87Sf26jQDN6eolw

Wonky, is there a UK FB group or is it the same Mach E Nation one? That seems to be very US centric

 

[coolshades]

On PAAK, I am curious how the other manufacturers navigate this. Do they let the cars go into the higher premium category?

 

[Wonky_Donkey]

Wonky, is there a UK FB group or is it the same Mach E Nation one? That seems to be very US centric

Just search for “Mach-E UK” in FB Groups and you should find it.

The group header looks like this….

 

[coolshades]

Cool, will join it.

 

[Wonky_Donkey]

Well here’s an email I wasn’t expecting to get anytime soon ?

It had been bouncing around “Sent to Plant” for some time, and all of a sudden it was built on Thursday 17th Feb. Lets see if this 2022 Pony can escape Mexico or if she gets stabled for a chip hold!

She was built with Sync version 4.0.21297 which is the equivalent of Power-Up 2.4.1 which is interesting.

The shipping times are tad optimistic too ?

 

[portlandg]

Well here’s an email I wasn’t expecting to get anytime soon ?

It had been bouncing around “Sent to Plant” for some time, and all of a sudden it was built on Thursday 17th Feb. Lets see if this 2022 Pony can escape Mexico or if she gets stabled for a chip hold!

She was built with Sync version 4.0.21297 which is the equivalent of Power-Up 2.4.1 which is interesting.

The shipping times are tad optimistic too ?

Closer to 12 than 8 I would imagine. At least it's built. Fingers crossed it doesn't get held up like our current ones did.

 

[SteveUk]

Brings back great memories of a year ago when we were tracking our cars.

 

[Wonky_Donkey]

Closer to 12 than 8 I would imagine. At least it's built. Fingers crossed it doesn't get held up like our current ones did.

Popped into dealership today as I was in the area and had a nice chat with one of the sales team I’ve not met before. We had a little peek on VISTA and my car has escaped the factory. ?

Marked as Gate Released on 17th Feb (same day as built), and is now showing as VITR (Vehicle in transit). This Pony is definitely in a hurry!

Sales guy was a bit perplexed as he has a couple of MY2021 UK orders from August 2021 that got moved over to being MY2022 orders. They are the same model as mine and yet they still are marked as being part built and on chip hold at the plant.

I told him it’s because I’m special ?

 

[Sapphocat]

Popped into dealership today as I was in the area and had a nice chat with one of the sales team I’ve not met before. We had a little peek on VISTA and my car has escaped the factory. ?

Marked as Gate Released on 17th Feb (same day as built), and is now showing as VITR (Vehicle in transit). This Pony is definitely in a hurry!

Sales guy was a bit perplexed as he has a couple of MY2021 UK orders from August 2021 that got moved over to being MY2022 orders. They are the same model as mine and yet they still are marked as being part built and on chip hold at the plant.

I told him it’s because I’m special ?

 

[Sapphocat]

Just joined had same email on Saturday for my ordered RWD ext Mach E with Tech package

 

[Wonky_Donkey]

Just joined had same email on Saturday for my ordered RWD ext Mach E with Tech package

Congrats on your purchase!

We’ve found they tend to batch build the UK models - so looks like we’re gonna be sharing a boat ride to Antwerp together

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