Ford is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging the Mach-E can lock people inside and out of the electric car, posing safety dangers.
The lawsuit, filed Feb. 27 in California, alleges a loss of battery power can cause Mach-E's electronic door latches to trap peoople inside or out of the car, ClassAction.org reports.
The Mach-E doesn't have door handles or keyholes on the exterior of the car and Ford hasn't provide a hard key or a straightforward manual way to open models from 2022 to the present, the lawsuit said, which is worrying if the car loses power and the owner exits to charge it.
Ford hasn't taken action after "numerous instances" of children getting locked in the car, the lawsuit alleges.
Ford declined to comment to ConsumerAffairs.
Mach-E owners can access a battery control system under the front hood underneath the luggage compartment to open the doors, but this is difficult and requires jumper cables or a 12-volt box that are typically stored inside, the lawsuit said.
“To access the front luggage compartment (where the battery is located) in the case of battery failure, drivers are required to follow a series of complicated and time-consuming steps that an average driver, without superior knowledge of vehicles and the proper equipment, may not be able to successfully complete," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit aims to represent California residents who bought and still own, including current and previous leaseholders, a Mach-E.
Lawyers at Kazerouni Law Group and Diab Chambers are handling the case and Diab Chambers can be reached at ed@dcfirm.com.
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