My 10 Complaints With The Mach-E 

Yes, you can get a steel roof in the Mach E, my bad there. However its only in the base trim , all others will have the glass roof.

To those who run out to the buy “the first” model of everything, THANKS for taking hit and reporting all the bugs to be fixed in the next models 👍🏾

Overwhelmingly the Ford Mach-E gets high marks from the industry. Kudos to Ford for not just "phoning it in" as they could have but actually taking their time to do it right. I wish them the best of luck.

The Ford securicode door keypad is one of the smartest "little" things. I've had it now on my Taurus SHO and two F-150s and it is so useful. I hope they keep it forever.

I just picked up my Mach-E yesterday. So far, so good. Overall, I am impressed. I appreciate your candor in this video. I think if people are honest, there isn't any car out there that they wouldn't have at least a few gripes about.

Alex, I enjoy your videos because you are impartial and raise important details. Good stuff, and thanks for keeping up.

Why not ask Tesla to be honest about their calculations instead of asking Ford to fudge theirs?

Looking forward to more feedback on your new car, mine is due in about 12 weeks. tinting is on the to-do list now.

Long time viewer/sub. Always appreciate your fact/observations filled reviews

I am having second thoughts about the frunk divider. i initially thought it was a terrible idea, but given the generous space in the rear, i think i will keep mine and use it to store things like my portable air compressor, first aid kit, an extra bottle of wiper fluid and other things that tend to fly all over the place in a trunk or hatch,

Excellent, concise real world feedback. Thank you!

Agreed about the glass roof. I've spent enough time with the glass roof in the Model Y to wish for an opaque metal roof instead. I would gladly give up an inch of headroom in exchange for proper insulation and getting the damn sunlight off my face.

Regarding Apple Car Play problem: I had similar issues on my Explorer Platinum 2020. The dealer easily fixed it by installing an update, so now it works perfectly fine

It would be nice to see a video that compares the prices, sizes, and major specs of all of the 5 door EV's available in America these days.

Could you please do a video/explanation of the buying process and the finance/purchase options and how you structured yours? Thanks.

As a 50 year old juvenile I enjoy the word 'frunk.'

All cars go through teething problems, I hope they listen to the consumers and fix these issues.

For their first bespoke effort, I think it’s great. They will work out the SW kinks

We just bought a late model 2021 Mach E and it came with 2 key fobs. We have had it 20 days and love it.

What you were talking about with Ford and std testing - really like that and I like the very last bit - straight up distance one on one testing.

Please do a review and demo of the Ford copilot 360 like you did with the super cruise.

I agree with most of your complaints as I’ve experienced the same issues. However seeing as how unreliable and unrealistic my Tesla 3’s range is, I’m glad Ford choose a more real world range expectation. Overall I prefer my Mach E over my Tesla 3, and I’m hoping Ford can resolve the minor connectivity issues with PAAK(phone as a key) and the interface with the Sync 4 screen.

he is so informative and easy to understand, thanks!

Good review (honest & detailed). looking forward to the 'Run out of Juice' test - Tesla & mach E

Wow - "Ford should just try to game the system as Tesla" - how about "Tesla should be called out for not putting realistic numbers"

I disagree on following Tesla's way to do their EPA range estimations. The rest of the industry isn't doing that, ask Tesla be more conservative instead.

Marques Brownlee did a pretty good review of this car, the Tesla Model S and an Audi gas car for control. The problem they ran into with the Ford was the charging infrastructure. At one point there were in rural upstate NY and had to drive to Vermont to get the nearest charging station! The Ford continually routed them to chargers that were broken, info that you could find out from the web. So whatever system Ford uses doesn't have up to date info regarding what charges are available (and working).

Another complaint is the surprising lack of an electrically controlled tilt/reach steering wheel. The seats, mirrors and infotainment settings are keyed to particular drivers, but you have to manually wrestle the steering wheel for reach and tilt. My wife hates it.

Alex, this is the best complaining video I’ve ever watched .. I truly appreciate honest and constructive feedback .. Just a few things I know you know this by now .. the Mach E select and GT only comes in solid aluminum roof .. no glass, also I think you should do a temperature test because in my model 3 I feel allot more sun heat from the glass roof them in the Mach E, I may also do a video on this .. but yeah it’s not perfect but it’s better than other glass roof keeping out the sun temps .. As for EPA I think The government needs to change how all that is done completely.. it’s all over the place look at the Taycan omg EPA did a number on them .. Alex great 👍 content! More please..

6:50: I disagree. One of the biggest problems with EV’s and what is putting people away from buying one is the fact that car manufacturers keep announcing range that you can not get on real life driving, What I want is a car manufacture that is true about this numbers so I can make a really informed purchase. So if Ford tells me that range is 250 miles and than, that’s what I get on real life, it makes it a more trustworthy company and, therefore I more willing to give them my money.

Awesome review, Alex

Two comments: 1. The last time I owned a Ford product (1989 Lincoln Continental), it had one of those numbered keypads on the driver's door. The advantage of this was that keys (we had keys then) could be locked inside the car when swimming or jogging, and then we could get back into the car, find the keys, and drive away. Unfortunately, this being a relatively unreliable car, the car would unexplainably forget the keypad entry code from time to time. So I learned not to trust locking my keys inside, just in case the keypad code didn't work when I returned to the car. So much for that being helpful. 2. My Lexus sedan with a panoramic roof has a motorized opaque panel that can be extended inside to insulate against the harsh sun. Why couldn't Ford have supplied such a simple solution in the Mach E?

FWIW the phone as a key (PAAK) has worked flawlessly every time on our Mach-E, but I do think it should work 100% of the time for all buyers if they're only going to give you only 1 fob. Nobody should ever be stuck in a dark empty parking lot at night trying unsuccessfully to start their car cuz it won't recognize the phone. Ford should at least offer a second fob at no cost if you want one. However, the fact that this car lets you enter AND drive it just with passcodes only (no phone or fob needed) is a fantastic backup that means you'll never be stranded. Regarding the roof, I had an I-Pace previously and live in southern california and have never had any issues with sun or being hot inside due to no shade in that or the Mach-E. They insulate the glass pretty well and it's never bothered us in either car even on the sunniest of days. A retractable shade would be nice but just another thing that would add to the MSRP....there are already aftermarket solutions availabile for those that want them. And when comparing to the I-Pace, yes it has much better ground clearance and more head room but it's literally $20k more expensive and wayyyy less reliable with a terrible infotainment by comparison (even the new Pivi Pro stinks compared to SYNC 4a). Our I-Pace was so unreliable Jaguar bought it back after 6 months. I'm very happy to have the Mach-E for $20k less with much better build quality.

With the glass roof that I love I think it would have been nice if they had a power sunshade...BUT what I think they really should have done considering this is the future of Ford is have the "Magic Sky" like in M.B. where glass dims with a touch of a button-I think that would have been perfect even if it was an option.

I agree Alex - I do not want a vehicle with a huge glass roof or one of those panoramic sunroofs. The all glass roofs let in too much light and heat, while the panoramic sunroofs are prone to mechanical failure. The regular sized sunroof on my current car gets used a few times a year at night because I can't stand the amount of light it lets in during the daytime (even on an overcast day).

Another car review channel - that's all we need... But I love that opening vanity tag - very cool. And a shirt to match!! This is a good presentation.

Really enjoy your videos, they have a lot of good information. Reviews from people like yourself helped me to decide to get the Kia Niro EV. On this video I disagree that Ford needs to change how they calculate their range. You said they need to change it to match everyone else and then you said like Tesla. In my opinion Tesla is the odd one out. My Niro EV has en EPA estimated range of 239 miles but real world is actually 270 to 280. They under promised and over delivered. Tesla over promises and under delivers and they are the one that needs to change. Thanks again for all of the videos you do.

When you do that range comparison vs the model Y, make sure go change up which car is leading. The one following will have the aerodynamic advantage, which extends a surprising distance backwards.

I found this very interesting! I currently have a 2017 Ford Escape. I have the no key found happen to me very frequently. Then I have to press the lock button on my fob for it to work. We have changed into a new battery for the key fob many times it still does the same thing. Maybe it’s an issue with the ford pass app issue since I can use that for my car to get in.

Wow I was expecting much worse complaints 😂

As someone who works in new product development (not automotive) I usually wait a bit before buying a new anything. Of course that doesn't help Alex, whose job is to test new things. Interestingly though, the phone app, car play, and infotainment should be able to be fixed via software hopefully.

The best car reviews usually come after the first 2-3 weeks of real life everyday ownership. Otherwise, you're just getting "brochure" review.

Like the home improvement show music while removing the frunk dividers. lol.

It would be good to hear what you like compared to other EV’s too Alex.

Being brutally honest is just the Ford way. I can tell you that after 25 years at engineering in Dearborn. The only thing to do is deal with it as we say in michigan. Best wishes. As for computer glitches, they'll get it right eventually. On that issue you are very correct in bring that attention to all. Blessings.

Any chance you'd get the VW ID.4 to test/compare?

All great points, especially about Ford sandbagging or whatever the range. Can't wait for the Model Y caravan range test.

Regarding the glass roof, that is the chief reason why I booked VW ID.4. It provides an automatic sliding screen.

To this day the keypad is one of the best things ever, no idea why more companies haven't adopted it? Jaguar really is the only one that kind of did something in the same vein with the bracelet thing you wear that opens the car.

There's a dollar cost to the inefficiency of the Mach E. apart from the owner consuming more electricity to move it down the road, Ford have had to pay to put that 100 KWh battery into the car. That is $20,000 just in the battery pack. They are probably making a loss on them.

I already saw one at Montreal, in Quebec of Canada. beautiful car.

Does the dash give you real time Miles per Kw efficiency while driving? What does it average while you're doing 60-70mph on a flat road?

I'm glad to hear solid roof available, hopefully the bugs can get worked out while the tax credits are still available.

My wife's 3 has had the same issue with the phone. It takes a completely random amount of time to unlock. Sometimes instantly, sometimes 20-30 seconds. Like it rolls a dice and decides how long its going to make you wait this time.

1. Phone as key seems to be consistent IF the Ford Pass app is running, not optimal yeah. 2. 2022 resolved the extra key issue, Ford assumed you'd use the phone as key as the extra key, I agree with you about the frunk release. 3. I wish I had those dividers, some models don't have that. 4. Fixed with updates 5. No sunroof in mine, but I agree this should have sunshade. 6. No issues with range and I have the smaller pack. 7. No issues with the tires 8. Ground clearance is the same as the gas Mustang. Wouldn't mind a higher clearance, but im not planning on going off road with mine. Over all, I really love mine.

Our model 3 takes forever to unlock. Most of the time I have to pull my phone out to unlock in the app.

The question is will Ford listen and do something about the issues. What about body panel alignment, paint issues, creaking and wind noise?

Nice to know of these short coming, and that range test you going to do soon, I be looking forward to that video.

If you are planning to drive them caravan style (in serial), than whichever car is in the lead will run out of juice first because it is reducing wind resistance for the car following behind.

This is why i waited... gonna wait a few more years till they get all the issues looked over a fixed and then I’ll be purchasing 🤠

Good old half baked buggy software, looks like ID.4 has its share of bugs too. (see Engineering Explained).

For the sun issue on the glass roof can you place a nano ceramic tint on it or does the preexisting tint cause problems with this?

I will be very interested to see the head on head range test. Finally a true range test.

Yes, I don't care for glass roofs, moon roofs, and low profile sport tires.

A lot of this seems like early software quirks that can and will be ironed out in a few months with updates.

I have had my First Edition now for 2 weeks and have experienced every little FordPass and key problems which were mentioned. One thing that seems to help is ensuring your Bluetooth is connected before approaching the vehicle. But there certainly are gremlins anyway.?Especially when walking away from the vehicle. You cannot assume or trust that the car will lock itself. A new one I experienced yesterday was when I had a rear seat passenger and the middle seat seatbelt warning would not go off until I shut the car off and turned it back on. Am going to try just latching that belt in the future and see if it stays off.

We test drove the Mach E a couple of weeks ago, and liked it. Will probably go with the model Y due to the lack of chargers in our Area. We live in the KC area, and very few super chargers. The reviews on plug share for what we have are mostly poor.

I had all of the software issues you mentioned regarding the phone key, carplay and buggy software but I got an over the air update and all of it has been fixed. I think it's a great car and it has outperformed my expectations. I bought the 300 mi range version and I'm getting at least 340 miles which is great because Tesla's always get less than the advertised amount.

They do offer a regular steel roof if you go with the base model with the base drive train and batteries.

A on A is the gold standard of auto reviews. Why don't auto manufacturers have you review their models before production to eliminate some of those annoying problems?

Your complaint with the trunk divider is just Fords way to legally get around putting a child safety release in that compartment. The NHTSA sets the size of any closed space like a trunk or frunk at 35″ long x 15″ height x 12″ wide or 89 cm x 38 cm x 30 cm. Anything this size or larger can fit a small child, so it needs to have a safety release to allow them to escape. I think the release is still there but it looks like an electric button and not a mechanical latch, not sure why they did that.

Hey, those are not too bad so far.

Upcoming Range test will be much appreciated.

Cant wait for that model y range test!

Great review! Ford lost me at no heat pump for the winters I get here.

If Ford played the game they would get sued again for over estimating the range of their Mach-e & lawyers would cite the C-Max as a precedent.

So would you recommend buying it or wait till Ford has all the kinks worked out?

I have rwd extended range. The range in the winter in NY is about half of epa advertised range which I believe is 305. I was getting 305 in summer. I car feels solid. The ride somewhat firm due to weight of automobile. I phone as a key is finicky as mentioned in video. I enjoy riding the car which has very good acceleration. If you charge at public station you will need to unplug at 80% state of charge because the rate of charge drops off significantly from 80 to 100%. I only charge to 90% for battery maintenance reasons. The interior is comfortable and handling excellent. I love one pedal driving.

I got mine sitting on 20s and its hot woder tires. Still good ride

I own a Mach-e first edition and my major complaint is the software for various features. I have yet to test the smart key with my phone because it's having trouble integrating, says my device (galaxy note20 ultra 5g) isn't compatible. My android auto took a while to connect at first. Once connected it'll automatically connect once km back to my vehicle. There was only one time that got confused with android auto and trying to switch to my satellite radio. I also noticed that the back/forward play button don't work with my SoundCloud app, but does with Napster app. Again, all while connected to android auto. Via Bluetooth, zero problems. As far as everything else including charging my vehicle I have no problems. Although I am still trying to figure out how to tie my payment to my vehicle so when I connect via electrify America it'll automatically detect my car and payment. So overall the software still needs plenty of work.

I have only heard of issues with the tech. Things dropping connection, compatibility issues, software glitches. Hopefully Ford fixes this quickly but it seems rushed as is. The forums haven't offered a solution to these issues yet sadly.

The Apple car play thing is a definitely a problem. Another problem we ran into was that the SiriusXM stopped working in the middle of a drive. We called SiriusXM and they said it wasn’t a problem with them. The next day we get in the car and the Sirius is back. I think the software is just a little touchy right now

A trance music lover i see!

Appreciate your honesty in even doing a video like this Alex. It reinforces my person belief to never buy the first model year of anything, even Toyota...so they can work out the inevitable flaws that only show up with day to day use by the consumer.

Isn't Audi E-tron an EV option on air suspension providing decent ground clearance for mild off-roading besides Jaguar iPace as well?

It really doesn’t matter what the EPA range numbers are, since we have reviewers like you to give us the real world numbers.

Not a lot of complaints, really. Does the key issue you mentioned first happen only with the phone-as-key or does it also happen with the keyfob? Another great vid. Thanks for sharing.

I appreciate that you're the tester here. Never but the first year folks.

Some of these complaints are subjective, and some are just nit picky. When one of your complaints is that it comes with a divider in the front trunk we can tell you were searching for things to include on the list. At least none of these issues is anything I would consider a deal breaker so I appreciate the video for that.

Good video. Regarding complaint 1 -- happens with my Tesla quite a bit so I don't see that as a big deal. I agree that all these car manufacturers should use the same method to calculate range so we can better compare them. Tesla definitely overestimates a little. It's probably about 85-90% of their estimates on average how I drive daily. It's lower on longer trips.

You have to check out CJ Pony Parts new video where they install a cold air intake, long tube headers and exhaust on a Mach E. Totally wakes up the lack luster feeling from the factory.

The EPA needs to release two range #'s for EV's: city and hwy; like they do with ICE vehicles and fuel efficiency.

I'd imagine it wouldn't be hard to negotiate a free extra key when buying one.

Just wanted to know if you are able to review the 2021 Arteon SEL Premium R Line

Same thing happens with my Ford C-Max with it not always recognizing my key. Must be something with the Ford software.

Thx for the "10 ways to knitpick, about The Mach E".... I especially liked the one where you told FORD, they need to use unrealistic EPA figures, since Tesla does, while the rest of industry disagrees... Nice to know i'm not the only who has a different perspective from you on some issues.... But ofc as always is was nicely detailed, even,when the glitches failed to a present themselves... Looking forward to the Model Y comparison, which is where this channel is at its best.... Since it mostly just based test based facts...

They need to get these software problems worked out soon or it’s going to sink the truck.

I think the legislative reason you’re referring to about the frunk divider is that Ford has to either divide the space up or put an emergency release latch on the inside due to its dimensions.

Fellow Mach E AWD 88Kwh owner here and I can confirm the inconsistencies with phone as a key function. Also, Apple car play was glitchy at first set up but now it works fine for some reason. I have no issues with the glass roof at all. It looks great and my kids love it too. As far as range, we got as little as 90 miles on a full charge a couple weeks ago during the deep midwest freeze. Approximate temps were single digit highs and negative lows on average. However, now that temps are back to about 50 to 60 degrees here in KC we are averaging about 230 to 240ish miles of range with aggressive driving. I've even seen the car reach 260 out of the advertised 270 range without really trying to achieve it. Really impressed with the car overall and wish we could buy a second in the grabber blue.

I think the CarPlay issue is an issue when using it wirelessly. I have a wireless CarPlay interface in my Porsche but it rarely actually works wireless. Always works when plugged in however.