San Francisco, Jun 15 (IANS): Ford Motor has recalled nearly 49,000 Mustang Mach-E electric crossovers over battery safety concerns, and told dealers to temporarily halt selling the popular electric vehicle.

The battery safety defect may render the vehicle immobile.

The malfunction involves a potential overheating of the vehicle's battery high-voltage contactors, which can lead the vehicle to fail to start or lose power while in motion, reports CNBC.

"An overheated contactor that opens while driving can result in a loss of motive power, which can increase the risk of an accident," according to the Ford notice.

The battery issue affects Mach-Es that were built from May 27, 2020, through May 24, 2022, at the automaker's Mexico plant.

Nearly 49,000 of around 100,000 Mach-Es produced during that time frame have been recalled by the Detroit-based automaker, the report said late on Tuesday.

The recall has also been filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The automaker said the problem can be fixed with an over-the-air software update, to be issued "next month."

"Ford has not issued instructions to stop driving vehicles under this safety recall," a company spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Ford has issued a handful of recalls regarding the Mach-E since its launch, according to the NHTSA website.

The automaker has earlier issued recalls for unintended acceleration, improperly attached seatbelts, and loose subframe bolts.