Ford Just Recalled Some of Its First Mustang Mach-E SUVs

Ford just recalled dozens of its first Mustang Mach-E deliveries after uncovering loose bolts during quality checks that were slowing shipments, according to a Friday press release from Ford.

Ford recalls some of its first Mustang Mach-E SUVs

"[S]ome vehicles may have subframe bolts that the supplier did not tighten to specification," wrote Ford in a Friday press release. "While the issue in affected vehicles is not to Ford's standards, the company is not aware of any accidents or injuries to this condition."

Ford said 1,258 Mustang Mach-Es are affected by the build flaw in the U.S., including 90 in Canada — but luckily the overwhelming majority haven't yet made it to customers. "Fewer than 75 customers who have already taken delivery" will need to take their Mustang Mach-E vehicles in for repair, according to the press release.

It's important to note how small this recall is compared to most recall orders. The all-electric Hyundai Kona caught on fire, compared to which this is just a hiccup. But it's one of many in Ford's rollout of its first-ever all-electric vehicle for a mass market.

As of writing, the company delivered roughly 4,000 Mustang Mach-E SUVs, but this week saw the delayed release of roughly 4,500 cars to perform additional quality checks — and the company is paying some of its customers for their time. This could be due to another suspected problem, besides the bolts — but this is unconfirmed.

Early recalls expected for new models, especially all-electric

Tesla also made a recall of some of its all-electric vehicles — nearly 135,000 Model S and X cars — in early February, due to a design defect that cuts the lifespan of the EVs' infotainment screens down to just four years, according to a letter Tesla sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

CEO Elon Musk even made an uncharacteristic admission that Tesla's cars had quality issues in an interview during a podcast called "Munro Live." But while recalls are far from rare, Tesla's quality issues are nominal when compared to the broader industry, when compared to other new car models.

As the go-to mass-producing automakers continue to shift gears for the national pivot away from fossil fuels, we're likely to see even more hiccups — not just with Ford, but with most if not all first-gen new models with all-electric capability. Not because the vehicle designs will necessarily be subpar, but rather because the all-electric revolution has never reached such a high crest before.

This was a breaking story and was regularly updated as new information became available.