According to media reports, Ford Motor Company has announced a complete suspension of Mustang Mach-E deliveries and test drives until it finishes a software fix for over 300,000 affected vehicles worldwide. The issue involves a malfunction that may cause the vehicle to self-lock unexpectedly, potentially trapping occupants inside or preventing owners from entering the vehicle.
The affected models include Mustang Mach-E vehicles from model years 2021 through 2025, with approximately 197,000 units in the U.S. market and another 120,000 in international markets. The malfunction impacts both sold and unsold vehicles and is not the first occurrence of such issues.
At the root of the problem is the Mach-E's lack of physical door handles. If the vehicle's 12-volt battery becomes depleted, the doors may remain electronically locked and fail to open. Even attempts to jump-start the battery or use professional unlocking services may not succeed if the self-locking mechanism has already been triggered, making it difficult or impossible to access the interior from outside.
In a company statement, Ford noted that no accidents or injuries have been reported so far due to this defect. However, numerous discussions on owner forums describe incidents where people were locked inside or outside the vehicle and had to perform self-rescue.
Earlier this year, foreign media reported an incident involving a 9-month-old baby who became trapped inside a Mach-E. Forum member JeffGo shared a warning message from the vehicle: "If the 12V battery unexpectedly loses power, the front door electronic latches will retain their last locked/unlocked state. If the driver or front passenger uses the interior mechanical release handle to exit and then closes the door, it may remain locked when the battery fails, potentially causing the door to become unexpectedly locked."
In this case, the baby was trapped inside for 40 minutes before being rescued. Even roadside assistance from AAA was unable to unlock the vehicle, and emergency responders had to break the front window to reach the child.
Electronic door locking systems undoubtedly increase the risk of occupants becoming trapped or locked out. While some vehicles are equipped with external mechanical emergency releases, many are not. Occupants can often escape using internal mechanical overrides, but these are frequently hidden-particularly in rear-seat areas.
Unlike the Tesla Model Y, which includes mechanical emergency releases for both front and rear seats, the Mustang Mach-E only offers such a mechanism for the front seats. Even in vehicles where rear mechanical releases exist, their obscure placement can make them difficult to use in urgent situations.
