Mustang Mach-E’s Are Accelerating Of Their Own Accord

The Mustang Mach-E is a heroic EV effort from Ford, but it’s not without issues. Last year, the SUV was recalled over concerns its windshield and roof might not be bonded to the car, and now there’s another issue. Ford is recalling the Mach-E for a software issue that could cause unintended acceleration.

The problem is not related to a physical component, though there may be a warning light that appears on the dash with the error. Instead, it’s a software error that “may ignore a possible unintended acceleration, unintended deceleration, or unintended vehicle movement on the secondary axle and/or incorrectly detect a lateral hazard on the primary axle.” The software, intended for a later model year, was incorrectly loaded into 2021 Mach-Es.

Interestingly, the issue was not caused by defective production but was rather a result of an over-the-air update. Ford was able to track the issue to the 464 affected vehicles using vehicle service records. The process allows it to trace the powertrain control module to the vehicles affected, and the automaker says all of them come with all-wheel drive.

Luckily for Ford and its owners, the fix will not require a trip to the dealer. The automaker will issue over-the-air updates starting this month, so no expensive fixes or parts are necessary. That said, Ford will reimburse owners for expenses paid before the recall. Three of the Mach-E’s powertrain control module software units will be updated, and owner notification will start later in May. Ford is likely cooking up OTAs for other vehicles as well, including the F-150 Lightning, as its phone-as-a-key system is vulnerable to hacks.

Unintended acceleration is a serious issue, but thankfully it’s limited to a few hundred vehicles. That said, it’s just one of several recall-worthy issues for Ford vehicles in recent months. Earlier this year, the Blue Oval had to recall 281,000 Navigator and Expedition models because of a leaking brake master cylinder. In March, two Escape Hybrids and one Lincoln Corsair Hybrid got a recall for a failing high-voltage battery system.

The Mach-E is still a relatively new vehicle for Ford, having debuted last year, but it’s already a hot seller. Sales declined in March to just under 2,400 units, but Ford moved more than 6,700 of the EVs in the first quarter. That’s in addition to the vehicle’s 2021 sales, which topped 27,000 units and came in second only to the Tesla Model Y.