Stop Safely Now Warning

[pciccone]

Jasper,

Please add your Focus VIN to this thread. The next person who buys this car is going to have some history to read about.

Good luck!

If he is doing this under the Lemon Law, federal law requires Ford to destroy the car.

 

[user 3729]

Jasper,

Please add your Focus VIN to this thread. The next person who buys this car is going to have some history to read about.

Good luck!

If he is doing this under the Lemon Law, federal law requires Ford to destroy the car.

He said it's a buyback. This way Ford gets to sell the car to another unsuspecting customer.

 

[AlaninCA]

I leased my 2013 Focus Electric about 9 months ago in January, and have had at least 8 incidents with Stop Safely Now shutdowns in 6000 miles. It's now been to the local dealer 3 separate times for address this, most recently took it back in 2 weeks ago, where it still is as they try to figure it out with Ford's EV tech support team back in Detroit. Total time it's spent at the dealer for repair is now nearly a month.

After reading about Jasper's success in getting Ford to do a buy back / exchange, that may be the next step for me to take. It's really kind of sad as I really love the car and the way it drives ( when it does! )

The Ford dealer has been decent enough to give me a loaner non-electric Focus, but I'm getting kind of sick of putting gas in it every few days. It only gets a very mediocre 25 mpg.

 

[hcsharp]

We have just had our 2nd SSN error on the same card (we have two). The first time it was in for repair for 17 days, and they found "nothing wrong". They had decided to replace the main electrical harness. This past Friday it happened again. They took the car today and we have filed the official paperwork with Ford and the GA state attorneys office under the lemon law, as the final repair attempt. Ford has a case open, and we are suppose to hear back from the Ford regional manager in the next day on our plan.

Both incidents have been very close calls for my wife. Both cases were situations where should could have been killed (and I do mean this) when the car cuts power, locks the wheels, and looses steering ability. There was no warning for the SSN, and no chance to react. Both experiences were very traumatizing for her, she will no longer get in the car unless the outcome from Ford has a guarantee of fix, with a technical explanation of what is happening.

Wait, did you say the wheels locked? I thought when SSN happened it just cut power and the car coasted with no regen.

 

[Jasper7821]

Although I'm still in the process, I'm very happy with the way Ford corporate has been on top of everything.
I first called the number another member listed way earlier in this thread.
That was about a month ago. They last Wednesday Ford told me that they agreed to do the buyback.
They gave two options, one was to return the car and get my $500 downpayment back and my six months of payments, then a pay a mileage fee (no clue what that was).
Or, go pick out a Ford/Lincoln vehicle with the same MSRP (rebates or incentives don't quality) and just do a trade and my lease payments, residual, terms remain the same.
I chose to pick another car and I the opposite of an electric and chose a F150.
Today Ford called and asked if I picked out a car yet and they referred me to the dealer and I have some cars picked out and tomorrow the dealer will send his paperwork in and Ford will do what they call a worksheet and get back to me.
Ford said the total process from when I got my letter from Ford (last Thursday) until I drive home a new vehicle would only take 3 weeks to a month max. I think It's going to be faster buy we'll see.

So that's where I am now.

 

[Jasper7821]

Jasper,

Please add your Focus VIN to this thread. The next person who buys this car is going to have some history to read about.

Good luck!

I already reported to the website earlier in this thread.

 

[jmueller065]

I would suspect that Jasper's FFE won't see another owner regardless of the legality: One would hope that Ford uses it to get to the bottom of his particular SSN issue (e.g. disassembles it and diagnoses the problem).

 

[pciccone]

Wait, did you say the wheels locked? I thought when SSN happened it just cut power and the car coasted with no regen.

That is correct. In her last experience she came to an abrupt halt, actually thrown forward. My suspicion is the wheel dynamo's en-gauged fully.

 

[hcsharp]

Wait, did you say the wheels locked? I thought when SSN happened it just cut power and the car coasted with no regen.

That is correct. In her last experience she came to an abrupt halt, actually thrown forward. My suspicion is the wheel dynamo's en-gauged fully.

If the car went into full regen it would not be that strong. If it reversed power to the motor you would get about 90kW of regen, much more than normal. It would be the same g force you get on full acceleration going forward, except it would be slowing you down. That would throw you forward and be harder to control. It wouldn't lock the wheels. I'm not sure how the FFE handles Park on the gear selector. In a Tesla there is a gear locking mechanism in the gearbox that almost, but doesn't quite, lock the rear wheels. I would guess that the FFE has something similar. It's hard to imagine that happening, or the motor controller suddenly fully reversing the motor and applying full power at the same time. Multiple circuits would have to malfunction at the same time. Not saying it didn't happen to your wife. It's just hard to envision a scenario where that would happen from a technical perspective. Ford must be pulling their hair out on this.

 

[pciccone]

If the car went into full regen it would not be that strong. If it reversed power to the motor you would get about 90kW of regen, much more than normal. It would be the same g force you get on full acceleration going forward, except it would be slowing you down. That would throw you forward and be harder to control. It wouldn't lock the wheels. I'm not sure how the FFE handles Park on the gear selector. In a Tesla there is a gear locking mechanism in the gearbox that almost, but doesn't quite, lock the rear wheels. I would guess that the FFE has something similar. It's hard to imagine that happening, or the motor controller suddenly fully reversing the motor and applying full power at the same time. Multiple circuits would have to malfunction at the same time. Not saying it didn't happen to your wife. It's just hard to envision a scenario where that would happen from a technical perspective. Ford must be pulling their hair out on this.

I can only rely what she told me. There was not enough forward momentum to even leave the lane she was in, she was stopped in just 2 seconds. They had to push the car to the side of the road (the cars stuck behind her got out and helped).

I do want to add on the 1st occurrence this was not the case, although she still could not make it to the side of the road it allowed her a few more seconds, but it was a multi-lane highway. She ended up blocking two lanes - she tried. It was a huge issue, police, etc.

 

[slooowr6]

This is potential a life threatening issue. I'm all set to lease a FFE. But now I am going to put it on hold until Ford has a definite resolution. It's good that no one got hurt from this yet.

Thanks to all that shared your information!!

 

[pciccone]

The dealer called today and told us they don't know what to do, as of yet. They are waiting for some direction from the Ford corporate engineers.

 

[slooowr6]

The dealer called today and told us they don't know what to do, as of yet. They are waiting for some direction from the Ford corporate engineers.

This is not encouraging. Ford has till 10/15 to give an official response to NTSB's query. Hopefully by then they can get to the bottom of this.

 

[pciccone]

This is not encouraging. Ford has till 10/15 to give an official response to NTSB's query. Hopefully by then they can get to the bottom of this.

"Due to a lapse of Federal Government funding, NHTSA is unable process safety defect complaints after close of business September 30, 2013. Consumers can continue to file complaints via this website, but they will not be evaluated by NHTSA staff until funding and services are restored."

 

[hcsharp]

This is potential a life threatening issue. I'm all set to lease a FFE. But now I am going to put it on hold until Ford has a definite resolution. It's good that no one got hurt from this yet.

Thanks to all that shared your information!!

We bought one anyway with full knowledge of this issue. It only happens to a small minority of owners. Usually when it happens it's not life threatening. I don't mean to discount the severity - it has to get resolved, and soon. I believe Ford/NHTSA will eventually get to the bottom of it. Even with this issue I think it's safer than a Leaf IMO. My dealer said they've already identified some things that might be causing it. Most people will never see the problem.

 

[slooowr6]

This is potential a life threatening issue. I'm all set to lease a FFE. But now I am going to put it on hold until Ford has a definite resolution. It's good that no one got hurt from this yet.

Thanks to all that shared your information!!

We bought one anyway with full knowledge of this issue. It only happens to a small minority of owners. Usually when it happens it's not life threatening. I don't mean to discount the severity - it has to get resolved, and soon. I believe Ford/NHTSA will eventually get to the bottom of it. Even with this issue I think it's safer than a Leaf IMO. My dealer said they've already identified some things that might be causing it. Most people will never see the problem.

I'm very close on signing the paper on a lease. Your comment might just push me enough to close the deal. Thanks for sharing.

 

[user 3729]

Most people will never see the problem.

You have data to back this up?

 

[v_traveller]

Most people will never see the problem.

You have data to back this up?

At the very least, hcsharp has the same data the rest of us have. Which isn't much, but it's enough, in my opinion, to justify his opinion.

 

[unplugged]

At the very least, hcsharp has the same data the rest of us have. Which isn't much, but it's enough, in my opinion, to justify his opinion.

I will also point out that, as I learned on the soon to be merged official FFE site, there is a technical service bulletin on the low battery caused SSN:
http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/pubs/content/~WT/~MUS~LEN/3675/tsb13-09-19.htm

 

[Vach]

This is not encouraging. Ford has till 10/15 to give an official response to NTSB's query. Hopefully by then they can get to the bottom of this.

"Due to a lapse of Federal Government funding, NHTSA is unable process safety defect complaints after close of business September 30, 2013. Consumers can continue to file complaints via this website, but they will not be evaluated by NHTSA staff until funding and services are restored."

This is just great. Perfect timing; right?