The failsafe for the electronic locks requires removing panels and jump-starting the 12-volt battery
- A Ford Mustang Mach-E owner had to break a window to free his child when the locks refused to open
- The locks are electronic, and there’s no slot for a key
- Overriding the locks requires removing panels and jump-starting the 12-volt battery
“Malcolm” said he called both AAA and Ford’s roadside assistance, but neither service was able to open the doors, and ultimately, he broke the window to rescue his son. He added that, “Once inside, nothing worked either. The start button did nothing.”
But while the Mach-E is all-electric, it isn’t the big traction battery that feeds power to the eLatch. Instead, it’s the car’s 12-volt battery — yes, the same type that’s in gasoline cars, and that every EV has (and which will eventually require replacement just as a gas vehicle’s battery does). The 12-volt battery’s functions include initially starting up the EV system’s modules and computers, as well as running some of the peripherals — in this case, those eLatch buttons.
First you remove a small panel on the front of the car, exposing electrical terminals. You jump those with the cables to pop open the front trunk, or “frunk.” Once you’re inside, you remove more panels to access the 12-volt battery’s terminals, and then you jump-start that, just as you do when your gasoline vehicle’s battery refuses to start. After all that, the 12-volt battery should provide enough juice to pop the locks, but “Malcolm” said that even though the Ford roadside assistant followed all those steps, the doors still wouldn’t open and the Mach-E wouldn’t start.
The car was towed to the dealership where it was purchased, and where the owner said he’d bought an extended warranty. He was hoping Ford would pay for the broken window under the circumstances, but was told that “no warranty or program would cover the car and the failure was due to the 12V battery,” he wrote. He also said that, “The car gave us no indication of the battery failing ahead of time and my wife had just pulled the car over from driving for an extended period right before this happened.”
Although the dealership originally turned down his claim, “Malcolm” got in touch with higher-ups at the automaker, who told him Ford will cover all of the expenses related to the issue, along with the cost of his rental vehicle.
He also pointed out, and we’d say he’s right, that, “This is an extremely dangerous oversight.” He added that even if he’d known to access the frunk and then jump the battery – it is in the owner’s manual, but unfortunately not everyone reads those – he still needed another battery to do so, or he’d have to wait for a roadside technician. Last we heard, he’d reported the issue to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); and he’s also considering trading in the Mach-E for a vehicle with actual door handles.
One tip we have for all parents, regardless of the vehicle you’re driving: When you get out, leave your door open just a bit until you know you can open the child’s door. While it’s rare, it is possible for locks or handles to fail, and you don’t want children – or pets – left inside.
This “open the frunk and jump the battery” goes above and beyond, as far as we’re concerned, but it’s certainly not the only time we’ve heard about problems with finicky electronic locks.
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