NHTSA Opens Investigation Into Ford Mustang Mach-E Power Loss Recall

Last year, Ford recalled nearly 49,000 electric crossovers because of an issue with the high-voltage main contactors.

Aug 22, 2023 at 5:00am ET

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Ford’s handling of a June 2022 recall that affected nearly 49,000 Mustang Mach-E EVs.

Last year, the blue oval company issued a safety recall for 48,924 electric crossovers sold in the United States because the contactors on the high-voltage battery could overheat after DC fast charging and “repeated wide open pedal events,” which may lead to a loss of power and ultimately increase the risk of an accident.

After the recall, which involved software updates to monitor contactor temperature and reduce battery power, as well as to monitor contactor resistance, Ford issued a technical service bulletin to replace the high-voltage battery junction box on the subject vehicles.

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However, now, more than a year after initially announcing the recall, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened a recall query into 64,727 Mach-E EVs after it received 12 consumer complaints from owners of vehicles that were included in the recall and reportedly had their issues fixed.

According to Reuters, one owner told the NHTSA that two days after receiving the software update, the vehicle suffered a second catastrophic failure of its high-voltage battery junction box. The affected Mach-E was driving from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles and showed a “Service Vehicle Soon” warning. Power was also limited to 30 percent, but the car didn’t stop on the road, allowing the driver and passengers to get to a dealership.

Another Mach-E owner in Florida said that shortly after charging at a DC fast charger, the car’s interior screen displayed a “safely stop now” message, and the EV came to a complete stop within a few seconds in the middle of a highway on-ramp. The car restarted after about three hours and the driver was able to drive it for about three miles before it stopped again.

Ford spokesperson Maria Buczkowski told Automotive News that the automaker is “working with NHTSA to support their investigation.”

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