Ford will recall nearly 50,000 Mustang Mach-Es over potential power loss

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 48,924 Mustang Mach-E crossovers in the U.S. following a safety defect that could cause the electric vehicle to lose power.

In addition to the recall, Ford has issued a stop-sale on the Mach-E, according to a memo to dealers issued Monday. Under the new orders, retailers are not allowed to complete the sale by delivering the vehicle to customers.

The automaker, in the memo, said the vehicle's high-voltage battery main contactors could overheat, leading to a malfunction that could cause the vehicle to either not start or immediately lose propulsion power while in motion.

Ford said the affected vehicles were built from May 27, 2020, through May 24, 2022, at its plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico.

A Ford spokesman said the remedy is a software update, and the automaker expects to deploy that update next month. The company said owners will have the option to either complete the update over-the-air or take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer.

Ford said there are no open investigations with NHTSA related to the issue. CNBC first reported the stop-sale and recall earlier Tuesday.

The recall is the biggest for the high-profile electric crossovers to-date.

Ford recalled 38,000 Mach-Es in North America and Europe last September for improperly bonded windshields and sunroofs that could fall off.

In March 2021 it recalled a small amount with defective subframe bolts.

Ford has sold roughly 42,000 Mustang Mach-Es in the U.S. since it went on sale in late 2020. Ford in 2021 became the nation’s second-best seller of EVs behind Tesla Inc. on the popularity of the Mach-E, which last year was named Car and Driver's inaugural Electric Vehicle of the Year and has generally received positive reviews.