A disabled man from Reading and a company are in a dispute after the man claimed they botched his order of a new Mustang car.
The Ford Mustang is one of the most iconic American muscle cars since models first hit the road in 1964.
In 2021, the Mach-E was launched as the first-ever Mustang electric vehicle.
Dave Jurgensen, who has cerebral palsy, ordered the new 2026 Mach-E Select in race red through the government’s Motability scheme, which allows disabled people to exchange qualifying mobility allowances to lease a car.
But now he is in a dispute with the Hartwell Ford dealership in Reading after he accused them of failing to deliver on his order.
Mr Jurgensen claimed that the 2026 Mach-E Select was available through Motability when he ordered it in January.
However, Hartwell Ford ordered the 2025 Mustang Mach-E instead.
Both cars cost around £50,000 new, with the Mach-E Select being the entry-level, ‘budget-friendly’ model.
When Mr Jurgensen pointed this out, the order was cancelled, leaving him without his requested car.
On his preference for the 2026 model, Mr Jurgensen explained: “My disability‑related needs mean that the 2026 Mustang Mach‑E Select is significantly more suitable and safer for me than the 2025 model.
“The 2026 model includes several accessibility‑critical features that the 2025 model does not have, which are improved lighting and visibility, updated steering-wheel controls, door handles on every door, and a better internal layout.
As the order has been cancelled, the process has to be restarted.
Georgina Forbes, the company secretary of the Hartwell Group, said: “Mr Jurgensen can either return the advance payment or select a new car.
“The cancellation could have been a misunderstanding, but we cannot physically order that vehicle.
“There clearly has been a misunderstanding. It is quite a complicated scheme, and if there has been an error in cancelling the order that is on us, but other than saying ‘we can’t get this car, is there another one he would like’, we are not able to do much more.
“We cannot offer a car that is not on the scheme.”
She also referred to staff absences at the time of the order which may have resulted in the order being cancelled in error.
Mrs Forbes added: “The 2026 Mach-E Select is not available on the Motability scheme at this time, so we are not able to order him that car.
“We are told that’s not available on the scheme, and that wasn’t the case from the original order.
“None of this has been deliberate or an attempt to cause him trouble within the scheme.”
Motability Operations, the company that runs the Motability Scheme, has since stated that the latest Mach-E model has never been on the scheme.
While an application from the dealership in January 2026 for a previous Ford Mustang Mach-E model was submitted, an issue meant that order was cancelled.
That version of the Mach-E is no longer available on the scheme either.
However, given the exceptional circumstances, despite the vehicle no longer being available through the Scheme, Motability worked with Ford to offer the reinstatement of Mr Jurgensen’s original application and his current lease has also been extended to ensure he remains mobile.
A spokesperson for Motability Operations said: “We appreciate this has been a frustrating experience for Mr Jurgensen. The 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E has never been available through the Motability Scheme and we are unable to facilitate an application for that vehicle.
“Throughout this process, our priority has been to ensure Mr Jurgensen continues to have access to the mobility he relies on, including extending his current lease while we sought to resolve the situation.”
