Automotive News: All electric Mustang Mach-E EVs recalled

Nearly every Ford Mustang Mach-E is being recalled and all units sitting on dealer lots are now under a stop-sale order. The reason: occupants may become trapped according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

A fix is coming soon. Ford is working on a software update, which is expected to roll out in Q3, or over the next few weeks. Until then, the stop-sale will remain in place.

On Wednesday, the NHTSA posted a recall issued by Ford for 197,432 Mustang Mach-E electric cars. Ford also issued a stop-sale due to the issue. This means dealers can’t sell a Mustang Mach-E, but Ford isn’t telling owners to stop driving their vehicles.

But the issue affects far more than the vehicles listed by the NHTSA’s recall report. About 120,000 Mustang Mach-Es sold in global markets are also affected by the recall and stop-sale order. In total, that means over 300,000 Mustang Mach-Es have an issue spanning model years 2021 through 2025. The specific part in question was put into production on 2/24/2020 and taken out of production on 6/3/2025.

The issue stems from the EV’s 12-volt battery. If the 12-volt battery becomes discharged below 8.4 volts the electronic door release system will retain its locked or unlocked status at the time of discharge when the vehicle is turned off.

While there have been no injuries to date due to this problem, the concern is that a person who has gotten out of the car and shut the door, may not be able to quickly retrieve an occupant who remains inside the vehicle who is unable to use an inside handle to open the door, such as a small child, a handicapped person or even a pet. That could result in that occupant being seriously injured, especially in hot weather.

Ford has struggled with quality issues in recent years, and it has led the industry in total recalls three of the past four years. According to Automotive News, Ford again leads the industry this year with 76 recalls so far.