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Ford Recalls Mustang Mach-E's To Fix Subframe Torque Problems

Ford has put a hold on delivery of Mustang Mach-E's to examine a subframe problem. During a quality inspection, engineers found that the subframe bolts were not torqued to spec by a subcontractor. So, techs will be looking at all the subframe bolts on 94 percent of the Mustang Mach-E's on dealer lots. Fewer than 75 Mach-E's in customer hands will be examined, as well. If the bolts are not torqued to spec they will be tightened.

Some months ago, Ford revealed that the new Mustang Mach-E would first be a new brand of Mustang vehicles. The Mustang Mach-E is Ford's first and likely most significant electric vehicle. Indeed, according to observers last week, the Mustang Mach-E will likely take customers from Tesla and its all-electric lineup.
Indeed, senior reporter John Gorham explains why the Mach-e is taking "significant market share" from Tesla. And, senior reporter Jimmy Dinsmore reports that newly delivered Mach-E's may be coming with a bit extra for owners.

Inspection Turns Up Subframe Problem

Now, it seems, however, that there's a problem with this critical Ford vehicle. During recent QC checks, automotive engineers noticed that subframe bolts on sure of the 1,258 Mustang Mach-e vehicles in the U.S. and 90 in Canada haven't been torqued to the right specification.

Ford notes that fewer than 75 of the Mach-E's delivered have been affected by the issue. To be on the safe side, Ford indicated that it would look at the subframe assembly and retorque the bolts to the right specification, if necessary.

Beginning the week of March 22, dealers will take a close look at the subframe bolts and tighten the bolts if necessary. Most of the vehicles awaiting the service have not yet received service as they await delivery to customers. The automaker has indicated that fully 94 percent of the Mustang Mach-E's awaiting service are undelivered. Dealers will notify Mach-E owners of the recall, and the work will begin on March 22.

Ford Has Not Heard Of Related Accident Or Injury Issues

To date, Ford has indicated that it has not heard of any accidents or injuries related to this issue.

Ford's reference number for this recall is 21S09.

Interestingly, breakthrough vehicles like the Mustang Mach-E are many times plagued with issues requiring recalls. For example, earlier this year, when Ford looked at the redesigned Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, the automaker found several quality issues that required hurried recalls and fixes.

Indeed, the SUVs needed several recalls to clean things up. Ford needs to ensure that there are no problems with the Mustang Mach-E because of its importance to Ford's future. The automaker has to make sure that the new 2021 Mustang Mach-E's are as ready to go as possible – right from the starting gate – because the automaker doesn't need the pain of having a critical model out there needing more work.

Ford Has Had Philosophy For Years

Fortunately, Ford is committed to getting to problems and fixing them as quickly as possible. It is a long-standing policy at Ford. For example, when the automaker introduced the Focus/Mazda3 around the year 2000, some issues required recalls. The issues involved wheels and suspension pieces, among other things. Ford held the vehicles back from sale until it had repaired the issues. The Focus was an excellent vehicle for its production run.


Marc Stern
has been an auto writer since 1971. It was a position that filled two boyhood dreams: One that I would write, and two that I write about cars. When I took over as my newspaper's auto editor, I began a 32-year career as an automotive columnist. There isn't much on four wheels that I haven't driven or reviewed. My work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, etc. Today, I am the Ford F150 reporter for Torque News. I write how-to and help columns for online sites such as Fixya.com and others. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Most of Marc's stories are part of Torque News Ford coverage. Check back again and search for Torque News Ford F-150 news for more F-150 truck news coverage.