Ford issues stop-sale of electric Mustang Mach-E crossovers due to potential safety defect

DETROIT – Ford Motor is instructing dealers to temporarily stop selling electric Mustang Mach-E crossovers due to a potential safety defect that could cause the vehicles to become immobile.

Ford, in a notice Monday to its dealers, said potentially affected vehicles include 2021 and 2022 Mach-Es that were built from May 27, 2020, through May 24, 2022, at the automaker’s Cuautitlan plant in Mexico. That’s essentially since the automaker started producing the electric vehicle. It’s unclear whether all of the nearly 100,000 vehicles produced during that time will need to be recalled.

The problem involves a potential overheating of the vehicle’s high voltage battery main contactors, which is an electrically controlled switch for a power circuit. The issue can lead to a malfunction that could cause the vehicle not to start or immediately lose propulsion power while in motion, the notice states.

The recall is notable, as automakers continue to have problems launching new electric vehicles. Ford, in recent years, also has experienced problematic vehicle launches, leading to high recall and warranty costs.

Ford has issued a handful of recalls regarding the Mach-E since its launch, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website. They’ve ranged from a software error causing unintended acceleration in less than 500 vehicles earlier this year to problems with loose subframe bolts and inadequate bonding for thousands of the vehicle’s glass panel roofs.

Ford expects to have a solution for the problem in the third quarter, according to the bulletin. Mustang Mach-E owners will be notified via mail after repair instructions and parts ordering information have been provided to dealers.