Ford has recalled 197,432 model year 2021-2025 Mustang Mach-E vehicles for potentially trapping rear seat passengers.

According to the recall notice, when the battery charge is below 8.4 volts, the electronic door latches may remain locked if the driver or front passenger exits and shuts the door, possibly trapping someone unable to use the inside door release handles, such as a child in the back seat. The front passengers wouldn’t immediately be able to re-enter the vehicle.

The recall warns that the issue can be especially dangerous in hot weather.

“At key-off, a customer may notice the SYNC screen displaying a ‘system off to save power’ warning, or a blank screen,” the notice states. “When exiting the vehicle through a front door, a customer may notice the inside release handle needs to be pulled further than normal to unlatch the door.”

In January, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) contacted Ford’s Automotive Safety Office (ASO) regarding six Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) in which customers described being unable to open Mustang Mach-E doors after their vehicle’s 12V battery discharged.

In two of the VOQs, customers said they couldn’t open their vehicles with children inside. On January 17th, 2025, Ford provided ODI details of Mach-E ingress and egress methods in the event of a discharged 12V battery. As part of its investigation, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) reviewed the findings from a previous investigation conducted in the spring of 2022 that was prompted by questions from Transport Canada.

“The prior investigation evaluated the e-latch mechanism behavior in the event of a 12V battery discharge,” the notice states. “To gain access from the exterior of the vehicle in the event of a discharged 12V battery and locked doors, the customer must jump the 12V battery by first gaining access to the frunk using a 12V power supply on the leads hidden below the vehicle’s right headlamp. CCRG also reviewed its previous conclusion that occupants inside a locked vehicle with a discharged 12V battery are able [to] exit the vehicle from front and rear doors, and customers are able to apply a 12V power source to enter the vehicle through the leads near the vehicle’s right headlamp.

“As part of its new investigation, CCRG verified the leads used to access the frunk functioned as intended and that a method to provide power to the e-latch existed. Based on this review and a data review, on February 18, 2025, CCRG agreed to proceed to closure on this investigation.”

In May, ASO and Ford’s Low-Voltage Power Supply team members determined that in some cases, the 12V battery failed suddenly while the vehicle was in operation, with minimal or no notification.

“If a customer was unaware of a discharged 12V battery at key-off and exited via the front door mechanical release handle, they may become locked out of their vehicle if the door was locked at the time of discharge,” the notice states. “While the customer could jump the battery through the leads near the vehicle’s right headlamp, the customers that filed the VOQs either had difficulty in doing so or broke the vehicle’s window first.”

Based on the review, CCRG reopened its investigation on May 20 to further analyze the potential of other lockout conditions.

Dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) and the Secondary On-Board Diagnostic Control Module C (SOBDMC) software, free of charge, to fix the issue.

Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were slated to be mailed Monday. Secondary letters will be mailed once the remedy is available, which is anticipated to be Sept. 29.

Owners can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. The recall number is 25S65.

The affected population of vehicles was produced between Feb. 24, 2020, and June 3, 2025. The recalled part was taken out of production on June 3.

Images

Featured image: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E (Provided by Ford)