Feds Investigate Ford Mach-E Electric Mustang Recall

Federal investigators are probing one of Ford Motor Co.’s recent recalls to determine if the auto manufacturer cut corners.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into Ford’s recall of some 50,000 Mach-E electric Mustang vehicles. Investigators want to know whether Ford should have called back more cars and if the company adequately addressed the safety issue behind the recall.

The company recalled the all-electric cars in June 2022, citing an overheating defect that could cause the electric cars to lose power without warning. 

Ford said it would send a software update to monitor contactor temperature and reduce battery power to prevent damage to the contactor. The company also pledged a software update to monitor contactor resistance to identify an overheated contactor and reduce vehicle power to prevent further damage.

Ford later issued a technical service bulletin to replace the High Voltage Battery Junction Box on recalled vehicles.

That may not have actually fixed the problem in some cars.

“The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened this Recall Query (RQ) after receiving 12 consumer complaints alleging a high voltage battery main contactor failure,” NHTSA said in a document made public in August. All of those cars were recalled and supposedly fixed, according to the agency.

The investigation covers some 64,000 cars, NHTSA said.

Ford and NHTSA are not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the defect, the Detroit Free Press reports. “We are working with NHTSA to support their investigation," a Ford spokeswoman told the news outlet.

Ford Recalls and the Risks Faced by Owners

Ford has a serious safety issue on its hands. Defective and malfunctioning vehicles produced by the automaker are putting everyone on the road at risk.

The company issued more recalls than any other auto manufacturer last year.

Ford announced a total of 67 separate recalls in 2022, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show, far surpassing the 45 recalls by the next closest manufacturer, Volkswagen.

More recently, Ford in July said it was calling back some 15,000 Fusion PHEVs that could lose power and catch fire. That recall covered certain Ford Fusion plug-in hybrid vehicles from model years 2019 and 2020.

The good news is that car owners in California have some important rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.

The California lemon law generally requires carmakers to perform repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also forces manufacturers to buy back vehicles that they are unable or flat-out refuse to fix.

Speak with a Los Angeles Lemon Law Attorney

If you are locked in a dispute with a car manufacturer over a malfunctioning or defective vehicle, a Los Angeles lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help. 

We have successfully assisted car owners across the state. Our offices are conveniently located in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a Los Angeles lemon law attorney at our firm today.