Used Ford Mustang Mach-E long-term test: report 2

The car Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard Range RWD Run by Jim Holder, editorial director

Why it's here Ford’s first mainstream electric car needs to prove it can compete with the very best electric SUVs

Needs to Offer something more than its rivals – Ford is late to the electric party, so it's overdue a landmark EV

Miles covered 10,836 Price when new £42,530 Price when new with all options £42,530 Value on arrival £33,537 Value now £33,537 Official range 273 miles Test range 211 miles

27 May 2022 – Used Ford Mustang Mach-E watch-outs

Whenever I’ve had a nearly new car, I’ve liked to think of the decision as a smart one, justified by trading a few thousand miles on the clock for many thousands of pounds off the sticker price. These days, thanks to the cleverness of touch-up techniques and intensity of the cleaning products, a used car can even look and smell like a new one as you drive away from the dealership.

Not so, alas, with my Ford Mustang Mach-E, which has a few tell-tale signs that give its age away – some of which may be unique to this car, but some of which I suspect might be worth checking out if you are thinking of buying one yourself.

The most obvious is the braking system, which is visible between the spokes of wheels; it appears to be corroding before my eyes. On the car's arrival, with just over 8700 miles on the clock, the brakes were covered in brown-red rust, and after a recent wash they've gone an even more noticeable shade of white. This doesn't present any performance issue, but it doesn’t sit at all comfortably on such a new car.

The other is a succession of minor electronic glitches. Again, none of them affect the performance of the car, but all tweak my pulse upwards unnecessarily. The most common is a dashboard warning that a charging session has stopped; this can show even when I'm hours into a journey and returns repeatedly even if you confirm and close it. Another seems to revolve around my phone being unable to get signal when it's sitting in the phone charger, and this makes using it for navigation a haphazard experience.

A quick search online and in owners’ forums suggests that these issues are not widespread, but they do pop up in discussions from time to time. I’d certainly recommend that any prospective buyer takes a long test drive and confirms that any such issues can be rectified, before parting with their money, if only because re-selling a car with such glitches would surely be extremely difficult.

It’s a pity, because these two relatively minor and surely fixable issues take the shine off what has otherwise been an incredibly positive first few thousand miles. I mention them now not to put prospective buyers off – the Mustang Mach E is certainly a car worthy of consideration – but rather to ensure they do their homework first.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Read more on our long-term Ford Mustang Mach-E >>

Read about more long-term test cars >>