Ford Canada recalling 7,600 Mustang Mach-Es over potential power loss

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 7,609 Mustang Mach-E crossovers in Canada following a safety defect that could cause the electric vehicle to lose power.

The automaker is recalling 48,924 in the United States for the same reason.

In addition to the recall, Ford Canada said in an email to Automotive News Canada that dealers can still sell new Mach-E crossovers, they just can’t deliver the vehicles as they arrive.

The automaker, in the statement, said the vehicle's high-voltage battery main contactors could overheat, leading to a malfunction that could cause the vehicle to either not start or immediately lose propulsion power while in motion.

Ford said the affected vehicles were built from May 27, 2020, through May 24, 2022, at its plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico.

A Ford spokesman said the remedy is a software update, and the automaker expects to deploy that update next month. The company said owners will have the option to either complete the update over-the-air or take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer.

Ford said there are no open investigations with U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration south of the border. The automaker didn't say whether there are any investigations open in Canada. Cable news network CNBC first reported the U.S. recall earlier Tuesday. Ford Canada confirmed the recall north of the broder to Automotive News Canada on Wednesday.

The recall is the biggest for the high-profile electric crossovers to-date.

Ford recalled 38,000 Mach-Es in North America and Europe last September for improperly bonded windshields and sunroofs that could fall off.

In March 2021 it recalled a small amount with defective subframe bolts.

Ford has sold roughly 42,000 Mustang Mach-Es in the United States and 4,358 in Canada since it went on sale in late 2020. Ford in 2021 became the second-best seller of EVs in the United States behind Tesla Inc. on the popularity of the Mach-E, which last year was named Car and Driver's inaugural Electric Vehicle of the Year and has generally received positive reviews.

Greg Layson of Automotive News Canada contributed to this report.