Overheating contactor recall

electriceddy

electriceddy

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Staff member
Just a heads up Mach-E owners, a particularly dangerous situation can occur:

"On affected vehicles, Direct Current (“DC”) fast charging and repeated wide open pedal events can cause the high voltage battery main contactors to overheat. Overheating may lead to arcing and deformation of the electrical contact surfaces, which can result in a contactor that remains open or a contactor that welds closed. An overheated contactor that opens while driving can result in a loss of motive power, which can increase the risk of an accident."

Hopefully your model is not affected, as replacement parts are presently unavailable.

"A complete Dealer Bulletin will be provided to dealers in the 3rd quarter of 2022 when it is anticipated that software and/or parts ordering information and repair instructions will be available to support this safety recall."
Source:
UPDATE: Ford Halts Mustang Mach-E Deliveries: Recall Remedy Expected Next Month (insideevs.com)
 
There is currently a software fix for this recall which warns the driver of a potential contactor problem with overheating (arcing can cause contactors to stay open or weld shut). When this happens, the power to the motors is decreased and the car will still drive but at a lower MPH. You would take the car to the dealer and have the high voltage junction boxes changed to a newer version the can accept higher amperage and does not have the contactor overheating problem. The procedure calls for dropping the battery to get to the high voltage junction boxes and is not a simple thing to do as the battery weighs a lot (over a thousand pounds) and a special lift is required to lower it from the bottom of the car. Many of us are concerned that Ford is not addressing the root cause by replacing the HV Junction boxes and just issuing a software "fix" that merely warns of an impending failure. I have a 2021 Mach E and have never had a problem with my battery at over 12,000 miles though. Mine is a Job 1 car so I expected growing pains as an early adopter. I love the car in every other way however, but this is a pretty serious issue.
 
Thank you for the information, it has made a big impression on me! ⚡ I must inform you that there is a solution to these overheating issues, but for some reason, manufacturers are doing nothing about it. ‍♂️ Isn't it time to consider new technologies instead of just patching old problems?
 
As an update, our California Route 1 (with the extended range battery and in the picture) was subject to this recall last year. It took a few months for the Ford dealership to get the part in and I got a call from Ford letting me know when it was available. The part(s) were replaced last fall (at no charge) and is still running great going on 70,000 miles.
 
I looked at these parts that were failing. They look very weak, it was a clear design error. However, this did not fix the physical problems that led to this recall. This was as a consequence of the electrodynamic recoil force when the current is rapidly increased.
There is simply no current in the car now that will throw off the contacts in the new parts.
 

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