A number of Ford Mustang Mach-E owners are reporting problems with the electric SUV’s 12-volt battery.
As noted by The Verge, the traditional 12-volt battery of the Mustang Mach-E relies on the larger lithium-ion battery pack power of the SUV to remain charged. However, a number of owners claim that the 12-volt battery stops receiving juice from the battery pack when the vehicle is plugged in. This is particularly annoying for owners who live in cold areas as Ford recommends keeping the Mustang Mach-E plugged in so the EV can be warmed up before driving.
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In a technical service bulletin issued with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford confirms that the 12-volt battery may discharge when the Mach-E is plugged in. Ford states this could be “due to parameters in the powertrain control module (PCM).”
Owners told The Verge that if the 12-volt battery is discharged, the vehicle cannot be started.
Ford suggests that the issue only affects vehicles built on or before February 3, revealing that only a dozen or so Mach-Es may experience the problem.
“We are aware that a small number of Mustang Mach-E owners have had their 12V battery reach a low voltage condition,” the automaker confirmed in a statement. “We proactively worked with early owners experiencing this issue to identify the root cause and a fix. In the rare instances where this still occurs, customers can now contact their local EV-certified Ford dealer to have the matter resolved.”
Ford says the problem can be resolved once dealers reprogram the PCM and update the software. The automaker hopes to also offer an over-the-air update that fixes the issue later in the year.
