As previously reported, the 2013 Focus Electric I purchased has been periodically kicking out a “Stop Safely Now” message. Thankfully it likes to do this while sitting in the garage at home, and not out on the road somewhere. Power cycling would clear the message out… eventually. A small number of other cars are experiencing this phenomenon, and for those cars solutions were found.
In my case Ford replaced a cable, to no avail, and then the HV batteries and 12v battery, and it seemed to fix it, but then the message popped up once more. So some slide rulers from Michigan came down and installed a “black box” or as they put it a “flight recorder” so that they can have all the data from the car at the exact moment the SSN message is generated. In fact the flight recorder actually reports back via cellular modem in real time.
Predictably, since the flight recorder was installed no SSN message. Rather like a failing appliance that behaves perfectly when the $75/ hour repair man is standing there waiting for you to demonstrate “the problem.”
Shortly after the flight recorder went in, Lynn from the Ford Executive Offices contacted me, and said that Ford would like to buy my Focus Electric back and build me another car. She offered that I could get another Focus Electric or apply that value toward another model of my choosing. First thought, “man I wish I hadn’t just spent 8 hours clay barring and waxing that car.” Second thought, “that Fusion Energi is one sweet looking ride.”
I mean I wasn’t Jonesing for the Fusion Energi one bit, until that phone call, and suddenly I found myself wondering “how much gas would I burn in a Fusion Energi?”
http://insideevs.com/trade-the-focus-electric-for-a-fusion-energi/
