1) Recall & Serious Software Glitch - Doors Locking / Trapping Passengers
Ford Mustang Mach-E
This is one of the biggest documented software-related problems, not just a forum rumor:
- Ford issued a major recall for ~197,000 Mustang Mach-E vehicles (2021–2025) because of a software design issue linked to the 12-volt electrical system.
- If the 12 V battery voltage drops too low, the electronic door latches may stay locked, meaning:
✔ You may be locked out of the car
✔ Someone inside (e.g., children or pets in the rear seats) might not be able to unlock the doors from inside - Because Mach-E doesn’t have traditional keyholes, this is a real safety risk and Ford halted sales of new Mach-Es until the update was available. Headlight
- “Ford Halts Sales … faulty software could lock you out or in.” (headlight.news)
- Hungarian AutoPro article about the stop-sale due to safety software bug.
- AP news on the recall covering nearly 200,000 vehicles. AP News
This is not a simple bug owners need a dealership software update to fix it.
2) Persistent Infotainment / SYNC Software Bugs (Forums)
Mach-E owners have reported numerous software glitches around the infotainment system and various car systems that don’t always get fixed by updates:
- Many users report the infotainment screen being slow, freezing, or unresponsive. macheforum.com
- Problems turning off the radio, Bluetooth bugs, weird behavior after software updates.
- Automatic functions like seat “easy entry/exit” stop working with no resolution from dealers.
- Sync / FordPass communication issues after updates have been a repeating theme.
These aren’t isolated cases these threads contain multiple owners describing similar repeated problems.
3) Updates Failing to Install or Causing New Problems
Many Mach-E owners report software updates failing, looping, or causing new issues, forcing repeated dealer visits:
- A common Mach-E software update message repeatedly fails to install, often with generic errors. Owners report trying multiple times without success.
- Some report that charging behavior appears broken after a software update e.g., weird battery % readings and app not showing charging status. Reddit
- Some updates are only applied when the owner physically takes the car to the dealer.
- “Update scheduled at night, but fails to install with no clear reason.
- “After update, battery reading dropped weirdly and app couldn’t track charging.” Reddit
These aren’t fully solved by Ford in many cases owners still report repeated failures.
4) Community & Social Media Complaints
Across forums and Reddit, there are hundreds of anecdotal reports of software issues:
- Reddit thread questioning if Mach-E really has that many issues, especially with software, phone keys, and updates. Reddit
- Facebook owner groups include reports of vehicles being in the shop multiple times for the same software-related issues like repeated health checks and update recalls. Facebook
In Summary - Software Problems That Often Require Dealer Intervention
Known widespread/unresolved or repeatedly reported issues:
✔ Electronic door latches software causing lock-in/lock-out risk required recall update. Headlight.news
✔ Infotainment (SYNC) glitches, lag, freezing, weird behaviors still reported widely online. macheforum.com
✔ Software update failures and update-related bugs many owners still experience problems post-update.
✔ FordPass / phone key / update OTA issues reported in multiple threads. Reddit
Many of these issues don’t have fully reliable fixes yet — owners often must:
- Visit the dealer repeatedly
- Wait for Ford to roll out new Power-Up updates
- Reset the system or hard-reset to attempt temporary relief
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