Stop Safely Now Warning

Hello. I haven't been on this forum since purchase in June 2014. The car has performed flawlessly for the first 21900 miles until last night when I received this warning and had the car die in heavy traffic before I was able pull over safely. I was able to push the car off of the road and it started after I was able to finally shut it down completely. I am now learning about this issue. I took it into my local Ford dealership at 7am (I was going to take it in for its overdue 20k service anyway for a quick tire rotation) and was told that it wouldn't be seen for this issue until 01/06/2016. I told them I'm not driving it until it's fixed (high voltage harness recall that hasn't been addressed yet) and that I'd take it to the forums, internet, Ford, etc. 10 minutes later I was given a cancellation spot at 8am today so they currently have it in their possession and I'm anticipating a call and a loaner car sometime later today while this harness is ordered and installed. My app shows they've driven it a couple of miles... Hmm. I really loved the car until today, but that that type of failure is insane. I placed a complaint with NHTSA and will just wait and see what happens.

Well it finally happened to me. I was bragging about how reliable this car was and my Wife and I were considering buying the vehicle when the 3 year lease is done 9 or 10 months. While driving on Christmas day the yellow wrench came on. We parked the vehicle in the garage overnight and plugged it in to the 240v charging station. In the morning, I tried to start car and the yellow wrench came on followed by the red Stop Safely Now warning. I recorded a video of it on my phone.

Car has about 51,000 kilometers on it. Always garage stored and plugged in, or plugged in when parked outdoors. I've driven this car very nicely and taken car of it. There were no indications of any problems with the vehicle prior to this. There was no apparent range reduction from new, nor any apparent capacity loss. Very surprised to have this happen at this point, especially with nothing apparently wrong with it. It's a 2013.

I supplied the dealership with TSB notice number 15-0031, regarding the potential need to replace the wiring harness.

I had the car picked up by roadside assistance from my house the next day and taken in by flatbed to the dealership. When I tried to start the car that morning when the tow truck arrived, the 12v battery was dead. The car had been plugged in all night.

The dealership tech has now been working on diagnosing the problem for two days and "clearing error codes". The dealership has supplied me with a gas-powered rental car. I got one text while the tech was working on it to say the vehicle experienced a fault while charging. I called in and had them tell the tech about this notification.

I just spoke to the dealership and they said that they're waiting for an authorization from Ford for two new High Voltage batteries for the car. They told me that the error codes present didn't indicate a need for wiring harness replacement. I don't believe the wiring harness has been replaced previously. The car was in for a complete headlight module and headlight wiring replacement and software update shortly after I got the car in October 2013.

I've asked the technician to call me tomorrow to discuss what's exactly wrong with the car, since there were no indications of a bad battery. I would assume in the case of a short circuit or similar fault, the fuses and high voltage disconnects would have protected the batteries from a complete meltdown.

Arrgh. SO DISAPPOINTED!! My sceptical neighbour of course saw the car get towed away and it's supplied him with lots of new ammunition against EVs.

Guess we won't be buying the car after all. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

Hoping dealership experience will be ok. The service advisor did ask me when I brought it in if the vehicle had made a funny noise while starting...(eye roll).

EVfuture said:

My sceptical neighbour of course saw the car get towed away and it's supplied him with lots of new ammunition against EVs.

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Yes, because you never see gas-powered cars being towed anywhere. :roll:

Good luck with your repairs. Let us know how things turn out.

Well, I STILL don't have my car back....unbelievable. Wow Ford is really doing their best to turn me against them. The dealership seems to only have one technician who can work on EVs. First they replaced the battery wiring harness, saying that some part was cracked, and that in that condition it might let in water. They said it looked like no water had gotten in, however. Not sure how this happened. Must have left the factory that way. This car was babied. Then they tell me that their diagnostics indicate that the batteries need to be replaced. They told me that they were going to send the batteries back to Michigan to have them "rebuilt". Last I heard from the dealership, the batteries were waiting at the Canada/U.S. border to clear customs on their way INTO the U.S. I don't have any faith that the car will be back to me in a month.

Meanwhile, I'm still paying my lease on it, driving the junky rental they are supplying me, have paid hundreds of dollars in gas, which I wouldn't have otherwise paid, and missing my Sirius radio I'm paying for, but not able to use because my bare bones rental doesn't have it. I've put 2000km on the rental so far, and am wondering why I am paying for the extra mileage on the lease of the focus while it's not driveable. I paid for 25,000 km per year on the lease, over and above the usual 20,000km allowance. Then I found out that the technician had gone on 2 weeks holidays and that no one else had touched the car, so as not to mess up the original technician's work...???

When I told the dealership that I want to be reimbursed by Ford for my gasoline expenses, the service advisor asked (with attitude) "Why should we? Is it using more gas than your car would have?" :evil:

When I explained (again) that it was an electric car, she suggested that Ford might be able to give me "a discount on maintenance on the car, like on oil changes" :evil:

After I explained that the only maintenance it needs is wiper blades, she suggested that maybe they could give me a credit at the accessories department. Why? It's a lease.

They are truly out to lunch. It there no product knowledge in this company?

Up to this point, all of my inquiries and requests have been basically ignored.

I called the Ford "Customer Relationship" line and complained about the whole fiasco. They told me that their only obligation was to fix the car under warranty. Yet another demonstration that Ford does not give a **** about its customers. They did say that they've "elevated my case" and that a customer service manager would be calling me in 2-3 days. Hmm. That was 2-3 days ago. Still nothing....

The only thing I got from customer service was a feeble "sorry about that" from a high talker with no drive to take ownership of my situation, no care, no professionalism. Very rare qualities these days I know.

This has all added up to a COLLOSAL headache and a major let down by Ford. Quality is Job 1 huh? Yeah right. After all of these years, Ford still does not know how to treat customers!

Read my prior posts to see how these fools have changed my attitude toward them and their defective product. This thread on SSN is up to 61 pages. When, if ever will they find out what is wrong with their product, FIX IT, and stand behind it. Slimy sheisters.

Can you tell I'm angry? Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm considering going to a lawyer.

EVfuture said:

Can you tell I'm angry? Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm considering going to a lawyer.

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This should be your next move. The days out of service should be sufficient in most states to get you a buyback from Ford.

The saga continues. I still don't have my car back. It was promised to me for last friday. After the Ford "Customer Relationship" department never called me back as promised, I had a meeting with the dealership sales and service managers. They promised to 'light a fire" under Ford to get this made right, as they explained that it was Ford calling the shots and directing the repairs.

The batteries have arrived from the U.S. back at the dealership. When I called on Friday after the dealership never called, I was told that a filter for the battery cooling system was on order from Michigan. They told me they were waiting for it to arrive. Why wasn't this ordered when the batteries were sent away? I don't know. That would have been logical. After the dealership gave me the Friday pickup date, the "Customer Relationship" department then called me back to give me an update. They told me they will look into the car's status and get back to me. They never even bothered to call the dealership, obviously, so I updated them that the batteries were in and that I was to get the car back on Friday. Useless.

Now I just heard today, the following Tuesday, from the dealership. They told me I should have the car back by tomorrow. They said today, the car is going in to an autoglass company to have the back of the front seats re-upholstered because they were damaged when the batteries were removed. The car will also be going in today to have the brake rotors re-machined, because "there's been a build up of rust on them". Translation: The car that I garaged stored every night and babied has been "effed up" royally, damaged and left outside for two months (probably with a mountain of snow on it). Anyone want to buy a (mostly) gently used Focus Electric? I don't.

Lawyer time.

The two month mark of the car being at the dealership was February 28th.....

Oh, and the Ford "Customer Relationship" center kept repeating over and over to me after I told them I want compensation for gas, not having my Sirius radio, my two lease payments made during this fiasco (so far) and the extra lease mileage I pay for every month, that they are only required to repair the vehicle and that any compensation will be at Ford's discretion as a courtesy, and to not get my hopes up. WHAT?! Nice.

Got it back after 66 days in the shop. We will see if Ford actually provides any compensation. Hopefully the car makes it the last 6 months of the lease without any problems. I'll have to see if the range is what it used to be. Max range with all accessories off in temperatures at or just above freezing is showing only 96km. Technician says the car has to learn how I drive again in order to give more accurate range estimates.

EVfuture said:

Lawyer time.

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Did you complete a Lemon Law claim? That's what I would have done.

As I read 611 posts on this topic, I can't believe there isn't a class action lawsuit on this by now. I have to say, I'm so disappointed in Ford's handling in this matter and of my Ford Focus Electric. This is my first time owning an electric car, and it took some getting used to the short 60 mile-ish range. I've had a few close calls nearly running out of juice because I couldn't find a charger.

I've also been to the dealer twice now due to recall letters related to the "Stop Safely Now" warning. In the latest visit, I had to have my car towed to the dealer because the small 12V alternator battery died draining slowly overnight due to a software glitch. The radio stayed on all night and there was no way to turn it off. Apparently, you need the 12V battery to start the car even though it has a completely charged 400lb Lithium battery in the trunk.

So after the software "Stop Safely Now" issue was fixed by the dealer two months ago, the warning comes on today while I'm in the fast lane of the highway and my car stops cold. I nearly get hit from behind. I had to get out on the highway and push it off to the shoulder across three lanes of traffic.

Here's the video as I sit there and wait for the tow truck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uad8ZpIzF4M

Although I like the driving experience, I'm so done with this buggy lemon. Don't mean to be a hater, but Ford really is asking for a lot of patience.

firewired said:

"Both times happened to me as I was braking- am I correct that this is fairly common in others' events? It being Sunday, I have a message out to the dealer's service dept. I'm hoping they can send a tow to my house tomorrow. "

Mine happened very much like yours. It was when I came to a stop at a busy intersection. As soon as I hit the accelerator the tone went off and nothing happened, and simultaneously the warning lights went off. Like you I had to turn the car on/off multiple times to get it to reset. I called Ford customer service and reported and took it to the only EV certified dealer in my city. They ran it through the computer and apparently no codes were thrown.

I think the scariest story I have seen on the threads is the one person who reported the car going dead and the warning coming up while driving. Also, the fact that there are so few FFEs and so many people are reporting the same problem makes me suspect that the problem is likely pretty widespread.

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Hi!

I own a FFE 2014.

My FFE has been to the workshop 3 times since last February.

Its the "stop safely now" issue.

I live i Norway.. and the FFE has worked just fine for 26500km on the road (16466mi).
its been said that the connectors on the harness between battery and motor, dont like the salting on the winter roads in Norway.
The salt is drying out the plastic material that the connectors are made of and it starts to crack from vibrations when driving.
this allows the salt and water to access the electric connectors inside the battery, and shortcuts the contactors.

My FFE was in the workshop for over 4 weeks. when i got the car back. i was told that the issue now was fixed..
it went well for a week or so.. and a new message came.. "is the car connected to charger?" yes/no. i pressed no.. and the car follows up with "stop safely Now"..

I called the Road Assistance and the towed the FFE to my dealer. they looked at it.. couldn`t find any thing wrong. got the car back.. run well for maybe 2-3 months.. the same problem occurred... same conclusion.
today my FFE is at the workshop.. for the 3-4th time..this year,lost count..

that said.. the problem is in all countrys. where FFE has been sold. no wonder why they stopped the production of the car in Europe.

my FFE has 17584 miles on the road.. or 28300km (metric standard )


now i just want to retur the car and get my money back.

love the car when it works. i love Ford and i have a 2013 Focus titanium+ with the styling an everything.

its really frustrating.

6/1/16, 2013 Focus EV died for 5th time in almost 3 years with SSN.

Roadside assistance said, "We tow to the closest Ford dealer", which was 1/2 mile away.

However, THAT dealer does not service EV's (I had inquired many times over the 3 years of ownership), so I am told that I must pay $110 to have it towed to a Ford dealerships that has qualified EV techs (I'm smack in the middle of New Jersey Metropolitan area...)

I love it when service writer puts "their words" on service/work order that says "Customer states....", especially when I provide photos of SSN message with mileage, etc.

My love affair is over, ended the lease 30 days early, screw being green....Ford should reimburse me for beta testing their product.

Class action lawsuit just beginning to bubble up, predictions 101

guruuno said:

Roadside assistance said, "We tow to the closest Ford dealer", which was 1/2 mile away.

However, THAT dealer does not service EV's (I had inquired many times over the 3 years of ownership), so I am told that I must pay $110 to have it towed to a Ford dealerships that has qualified EV techs (I'm smack in the middle of New Jersey Metropolitan area...)

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Your car should have been fine to drive once it reset itself...

Seeing things like this really makes me concerned.

Granted the interwebs are full of people to vent... but when its on such a limited production vehicle like the FFE (what 250 ish made for the entire run for Canada?) and we see so many of you with the problem across so many borders... and it sounds like they don't make it anymore in Europe?

ouch. Let my adventure begin

jamez said:

and it sounds like they don't make it anymore in Europe?

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The only place I've heard that is here on these forums; googling things such as "Focus Electric Production Europe" doesn't reveal any results indicating they have stopped production, including searching for "Focus Electric Saarlouis" (the plant name) doesn't show any Focus Electric stops either.

I posted a reply, the reply was obviously for some reason removed from this thread for some reason, can the SYSOP/Moderator please advise as to why my reply was not posted?

While I'm aware of several limitations that the FFE has, reliability has been outstanding for me.

I had one SSN early on, since the software update never again.

No repairs of any sort, only maintenance was to replace the tires when they wore out.

Biggest complaint is limited range and further fading of battery over time and miles. But nothing has ever "broke"

michael said:

While I'm aware of several limitations that the FFE has, reliability has been outstanding for me.
I had one SSN early on, since the software update never again.
No repairs of any sort, only maintenance was to replace the tires when they wore out. [...]

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About the same here: 4 years of good driving, no real trouble other than spike in tire.

I would like to know how many (or what percent of) FFE's have been as trouble-free, compared with the others.
Suspect it is not too bad on average ... but that does not help those really bad situations which should never have happened, ever.

My wishes, in next EV: better visibility (less blind spots), a bit more range, more efficient heater, and ... a manufacturer that clearly cares about the car. Should make enough, advertise them, and improve the design in time. Would be good if Ford corporate asked what I thought of the car (as they make so few), and if I have recommendations.

Quite frankly, we were the beta testers.
Yes, numbers produced vs. numbers with problems that resulted in buybacks, etc., would be of value.
Technology gets better with each generation of any type of device, and we all have or had many types of phones, printers, computers, cars, that were just plain junk.
Truly, a buyer beware world.
After all, as a comparison of how consumers are treated, look at the Pinto, the Chevy ignition key problems, the VW diesel-gate, and many, many more examples.
So we eagerly adopted the new technology and we helped the industry improve and learn by being an early adopter.
However, SSN is a serious, life threatening event, intersections, driving, pulling onto an on-ramp, when a car just dies, and you are at risk, you are seriously at the crossroads of death.
Ford will dearly pay for these SSN's, and the stories will be etched into the history books about it....we were pioneers, who risked our lives to potentially be killed by a product that may have been allowed to be marketed too soon.
The news is filled every day with examples of shoddy products, baby cribs, car seats, toothpaste, Ikea furniture, food, medicine, this is no different. If I was killed from a failure caused by SSN, sure it would be news and depending on how it was spun by the media, it could go un-noticed or blow up to be a major story....and my life would be worth a few piddly dollars from a settlement after years and years of bickering....that's life.
Moral of the story, interrogate your dealer, do your homework, triple check the facts. Buying anything is a buyer beware scenario.
Very stupid example here, but turn on Judge Judy someday, listen to the ridiculous stories (yeah, I know it's TV), but she's spot on, it's our duty to ask questions and insist on getting what we pay for.