Photo: E-questrian via Mach-E forum
Electric vehicles are still a novel thing and this could lead to ridiculous situations. A Ford Mustang Mach-E owner was left with a $28,000 repair bill after the towing company hooked up the car in the wrong place, destroying the battery.
You’d think carmakers know a thing or two about the vehicles they build, but this is not always the case. This trickles down to the network of dealers and emergency services so EV owners face a potential disaster. This is something a Ford Mustang Mach-E owner learned first hand after his car refused to drive with a dash warning saying “Pull over safely.”
He called Ford Roadside Assistance and a tow truck was dispatched to take the electric crossover to the nearest Ford dealer for troubleshooting. Unfortunately, the wrong towing procedure resulted in the car’s battery being damaged. According to the owner, the crossover was hooked up incorrectly by the battery rail, which caused the cooling system to leak. The result was a $28,000 repair bill that no one takes responsibility for. Although an expensive mistake, the owner notes the dealer he was towed to had no prior experience working on an electric vehicle.
“The tow company hooked into the battery rail and damaged the batteries. $28,000 repair bill. Now Ford customer care tells me I have to deal with Agero- claims for Road Side Assistance, that it’s not Ford. Agero denies the claim because it can’t be proven that it was the tow company’s fault it could have happened when the car was transported to Florida. Ford says it’s not their fault. My insurance company says it’s not claimable through them,” writes the owner on the Mach-E forum.
This is not the first time a Ford Mustang Mach-E needs a battery replacement after it’s been towed. Another user has a similar story after his vehicles’s low voltage battery went dead. In this case, the towing company's insurance covered the damaged battery replacement bill. The things did not go smoothly, though, and this guy had to wait for months before a Ford dealer replaced his battery.
Like any other car, Ford Mustang Mach-E has designated winch points to help get it onto a trailer. ICE vehicles also risk damage when incorrectly towed. In the case of an EV, though, the risk is destroying the battery, which is the most expensive component. The manual is clear about the towing and lift points and the emergency services commissioned by Ford should’ve known this. Only they didn’t.
He called Ford Roadside Assistance and a tow truck was dispatched to take the electric crossover to the nearest Ford dealer for troubleshooting. Unfortunately, the wrong towing procedure resulted in the car’s battery being damaged. According to the owner, the crossover was hooked up incorrectly by the battery rail, which caused the cooling system to leak. The result was a $28,000 repair bill that no one takes responsibility for. Although an expensive mistake, the owner notes the dealer he was towed to had no prior experience working on an electric vehicle.
“The tow company hooked into the battery rail and damaged the batteries. $28,000 repair bill. Now Ford customer care tells me I have to deal with Agero- claims for Road Side Assistance, that it’s not Ford. Agero denies the claim because it can’t be proven that it was the tow company’s fault it could have happened when the car was transported to Florida. Ford says it’s not their fault. My insurance company says it’s not claimable through them,” writes the owner on the Mach-E forum.
This is not the first time a Ford Mustang Mach-E needs a battery replacement after it’s been towed. Another user has a similar story after his vehicles’s low voltage battery went dead. In this case, the towing company's insurance covered the damaged battery replacement bill. The things did not go smoothly, though, and this guy had to wait for months before a Ford dealer replaced his battery.
Like any other car, Ford Mustang Mach-E has designated winch points to help get it onto a trailer. ICE vehicles also risk damage when incorrectly towed. In the case of an EV, though, the risk is destroying the battery, which is the most expensive component. The manual is clear about the towing and lift points and the emergency services commissioned by Ford should’ve known this. Only they didn’t.
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