Hybrid dead... again

[MavRick and Morty]

I haven't even made it to 10k miles yet and my hybrid Maverick is getting towed back to the dealership... again. The first time was the hybrid battery connection, not sure what is happening now. I went to the park this weekend and when I selected D for drive nothing happened and I got a shift sys fault indicator. After a another try it worked, but a steady red triangle with exclamation point was continuous on the dash. Today I was able to make one trip, but now the electrical system is going nuts, power is randomly cycling and the dash lights are going on and off with every sort of fault you can imagine being flashed via indicator lights and warning messages in the middle. Getting these things towed is a nightmare as well because everything is controlled electronically. None of the towing companies in my area seem to be equipped to deal with a dead Maverick hybrid. One driver informed me that he had to leave a dead Maverick on the side of the highway because of this. The first break down I was at work and Ford roadside kept sending traditional tow trucks to come help and all came to the same conclusion. Eventually I got a ride home and another one came during the night and just dragged it. I was really disappointed about this and wonder if it caused any damage. I'm a former ASE master technician, and worked at several dealerships including Ford. I realize the hybrid system adds quite a bit of complexity, but I have not even reached 10k miles and have experienced 2 serious failures that would probably cost a lot if I didn't have a warranty. The good news is that the resale value is good, so when the warranty is about over I won't lose too much money. Being a mechanic I tend to keep my vehicles forever. In fact i never thought I would own a new vehicle, but there's really nothing comparable on the market. The unfortunate fact is I sold two very reliable vehicles when I bought this one (07 Lexus IS250, 05 Tundra) and am regretting that now. Hopefully my experience is just a fluke. I really wanted to love this little truck, but at this point I can't trust in its reliability. I have the safety of myself, my wife, and three young children to consider. If this happened elsewhere, it could have been dangerous.

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[Rockingchair]

How long has the pickup been in shop since new? If FL has a lemon law it may be time to check your options. Sorry your having issues, I love my Hybrid.

 

[fossil]

sorry for your problems

shoot this photo to your "tow" operators. old tech that still works

 

[abcinv]

Sad you sold your 1st Gen Tundra; they are hard to beat regarding reliability.
Good luck with the Mav

 

[Deleted member 1483]

I'm really sorry this happened to you, I would be frustrated beyond belief. I bought the hybrid for better reliability.

 

[MavRick and Morty]

sorry for your problems

shoot this photo to your "tow" operators. old tech that still works

Thank you very much!

 

[OleFordGuy]

That's so unfortunate. Hope they get it all figured out for you and your family. I totally understand your reliability and safety concerns. The wife and I raised a family and now we are Very Active with 5 grandkids. Our stance on vehicles has always been if it's not safe or reliable, that sucker gets replaced.

 

[Milton Jeff]

Sorry for the issue but why can't they tow it, FWD and all?

 

[MavRick and Morty]

Sorry I should've been more specific, it was parked front in and needed to be dragged a good way to get it aligned to the tow truck in a parking lot. Other vehicles can manually be put into neutral to roll them. I'm not very familiar with this system, but it appears to be shift locked electronically and cannot be manually overridden.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Sorry I should've been more specific, it was parked front in and needed to be dragged a good way to get it aligned to the tow truck in a parking lot. Other vehicles can manually put into neutral to roll them. I'm not very familiar with this system, but it appears to be shift locked electronically and cannot be manually overridden.

Under the tray/phone holder in the console passenger side is a little door that flips up which reveals a cable to release the park gear.
CORRECTION: NOT AVAILABLE IN HYBRID?

 

[MavRick and Morty]

I'm surprised there's a cable there because the parking brake is actuated electronically (via a small dc motor on the rear calipers). I never bothered to look for a release. Apparently the non hybrid Maverick can disengage from park to neutral by exposing a release mechanism in a similar fashion. If you loose continuity as I did in my first failure you don't appear to be able to release the parking brake or disengage the shift lock (or whatever ford calls the hybrid cvt parking mechanism)

 

[jsus]

Under the tray/phone holder in the console passenger side is a little door that flips up which reveals a cable to release the park gear.

EcoBoost only. Hybrid has no such feature.

 

[OleFordGuy]

So how does those people pulling the hybrids behind motor homes do it?

 

[jsus]

So how does those people pulling the hybrids behind motor homes do it?

Hopefully by following the instructions in their owner's manual.

Towing Your Vehicle - Recreationally Towing Your Vehicle - Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
RECREATIONALLY TOWING YOUR VEHICLE - HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE (HEV)

Follow these guidelines if you have a need for recreational towing. An example of recreational towing is towing your vehicle behind a motorhome. These guidelines ensure that you do not damage the transmission.
Note: Put your climate control system in recirculated air mode to prevent exhaust fumes from entering your vehicle. See Climate Control.
You can tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground under the following conditions:

• You switch Neutral Tow on.
• Your vehicle is facing forward for towing in a forward direction.
• You release the parking brake.
• You do not exceed 70 mph (113 km/h).

Switching Neutral Tow On

1. Switch your vehicle on in accessory mode.

1. Press the menu button on the steering wheel to enter the information display main menu.

1. Select Settings.

1. Select Neutral Tow.

1. Follow the instructions on the information display.

1. Fully press the brake pedal.

1. Shift into neutral (N).

1. Switch the ignition off.

Note: Switching neutral tow on requires battery power.
Note: If the parking brake is applied, a message appears in the information display.
Note: If your vehicle has an ignition key, you cannot remove the key from the ignition when the transmission is in neutral (N) and your vehicle is off.
Note: Start the engine and allow it to run for a few minutes at the beginning of each day, and every six hours or fewer. With the engine running and your foot on the brake, shift into drive (D) and then into reverse (R) before shifting back into neutral (N). Before continuing to tow, switch neutral tow on.

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...ingEnabled=False&userMarket=USA&buildtype=web

 

[APD]

You can hook a jumper box/another car battery to the terminals under the hood to get it into neutral.
Last resort: jack up the front wheels and place a wheel dolly under each wheel. then push it out of the spot so the tow truck can get to it

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