Anyone else hate the charge port doors?

[MRButtler]

as they could with a gas door

Not the kind that releases from inside the cab.

Sponsored

 

[256fail]

One of my bigger pet peeves with the truck. Ford cheaped out using basically the same design as the ICE versions. Issue is EV owners utilized the door WAY more than ICE… multiple times a day etc

I have no faith that the charge port door won’t break at some point.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Part of the reason I love the charge port door is because it's cheap. Easy to replace if needed and less motors to break...

..at least that's what I tell myself every time I forget to close it and swear under my breath as I get out of the truck and shut it...

 

[Replika]

The chargeport door is not great, but trust me, it is WAY better than the electronically actuated doors in some other cars. When those things break (and they do), you are screwed.

Some other cars have these little strings as a backup, but they often pull right out. Ask me how I know all of this

 

[Maquis]

The chargeport door is not great, but trust me, it is WAY better than the electronically actuated doors in some other cars. When those things break (and they do), you are screwed.

Some other cars have these little strings as a backup, but they often pull right out. Ask me how I know all of this

The first time I saw an E-Tron at a charging station, I was in awe of the automatic door. That was before I heard the horror stories.

 

[VTbuckeye]

The chargeport door is not great, but trust me, it is WAY better than the electronically actuated doors in some other cars. When those things break (and they do), you are screwed.

Some other cars have these little strings as a backup, but they often pull right out. Ask me how I know all of this

I used to keep a plastic knife in the door pocket on our Chevy volt for when the charge door stuck closed. Hit the release button and pry with the knife (no paint damage because it was a cheap plastic knife). Particularly bad if there was freezing rain. Only once in the lightning did it not want to stay closed. Never was a problem on our Chevy bolt or Volvo xc40 EV and xc90 phev.

 

[swesson]

Love my Lightning and wife's Mach E, but I think the charge port doors feel cheap.
I think I have closed it (not every time) and get the message that it is not closed...so out i get and close it.
Had a Tesla but I do like these vehicles better, Elon had the charge port door figured out properly.
Ok, all the whining I will do lol

I have had several things to 'unlearn' after 6 years of a Tesla and this is one of my most frustrating. I don't like that charging is a two-handed operation. I don't like that I have to pull that little door down. I don't like that I have to raise that little door up. I don't like that there is no give (side to side) that would make inserting the CCS cable easier. The whole experience is awful.

 

[wighty]

I do not have much trouble with the door lately. It opens and closes much easier if you are centered over the actual mechanism, so if you are pushing force near the edge I can understand some of the issues.

 

[Pod]

Messing with charge door and dropped Ford mobile charger connector. Broke off the little trigger tab that secures it to the truck. Grrrrrrrrr. Think I can replace that part?

 

[GoodSam]

The charging door could have opened ~180 degrees sideways. It seems so fragile if walking forward and clipping it. It could be at least flexible enough to handle that force.

Flipping up vertically 90 to 180 degrees with a continuous rubber seal or plastic hinge to prevent rain/snow falling on top of plug/receptacles could be good also.

And to be more classy, should electrically open (90-180 degrees, vertically) or then pop open (with manual backup "pull string").

Maybe needs a heater strip for icy conditions?

And, like others mention, why a door so far back from the front or rear when 99% of stations are straight in parking? Maybe Ford thought gas stations would immediately convert to electron pumps? Maybe crash collision damage implications? Probably not as expensive as the head and tail lights!

I think a locking door is better also to prevent idiots from opening and messing with the receptacles. @Ford Motor Company

Ford engineers must have thought about all these options and had a brain fart or the accountants got involved.

 

[Strangatang]

It seems kinda flimsy. I get nervous when the kids run past while charging that they are gonna break it off

 

[Rbert]

The charge port door feels flimsy, opening and closing never feels easy, it usually takes more than one try. I Could not close and latch the door after charging during a freezing rain event and I was afraid I would break the door or latch if I tried to remove the ice. Definitely an area Ford could improve. I have never had an issues with Tesla charge port door.

 

[wgatkinson]

The charging port door is the worst design flaw I have identified on my Lightning. Why put it on the driver's side? Does Ford only want to sell the truck to people with driveways, or only to people who live in suburbs or rural areas? I live in the city and have to park and charge on the street. The cord won't reach from my yard around the truck to the driver's side. Even if it could, you don't want the charger and the charging port door sticking out into the city street while charging. So, I have to park backwards so the driver's side is on the curb every time I want to charge. I fully expect to get a ticket from the city for this someday. Seems like this is something Ford could have figured out.

 

[GoronsRock02]

I can close my without issue. I'm 3 months in and have yet to open mine on my first push attempt. I feel like an idiot every time, but it is what it is.

I found the sweetspot to be on the Lariat logo right under/between the "5" and the "0". Still takes a little muscle so my kids struggle with it.

I loved loved loved the charge port door on my c-max energi. Nobody could figure out how to open and close it but it was effortless to open It is like a round version of the Rivian charge port door (but manual) . It had a had a little indent where you press with your thumb or finger, and whoosh it spun open. Only problem was that it was so unnoticeable when it was open that 70% of the time I would hang up the charging cord and come back and forget to close the charge port door because it did not stick out. I would drive around town with the door open.

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

Love my Lightning and wife's Mach E, but I think the charge port doors feel cheap.
I think I have closed it (not every time) and get the message that it is not closed...so out i get and close it.
Had a Tesla but I do like these vehicles better, Elon had the charge port door figured out properly.
Ok, all the whining I will do lol

I've had my Larriat since the first month of production and I've had not trouble with the door. If you open it (and close it) at the point of contact, it works every time.

Sponsored