Ford issues 2015 F-150 recall due to adaptive cruise control defect

Updated Oct 12, 2015

2015 Ford F-150

As we saw with both the 2016 F-150 Limited and the recently-unveiled 2017 Super Duty pickups, Ford is placing an emphasis on technology in its attempts to stand out from the rest of the truck-making crowd.

And that’s a good thing. Among the 16 segment-first Ford touts on the new Super Duty trucks are a 360-degree camera system and adaptive steering for negotiating heavy loads and confined environments. These things in the long run will make drivers much, much safer.

But as is the case with the implementation of any technology, sometimes there are bugs and that’s definitely the case with a radar-assisted cruise control feature found on the 2015 model F-150.

The feature, which allows the truck to automatically set cruise control speeds on the fly to ensure a safe distance is between you and the nearest vehicle in your lane, has been found to be defective on certain 2015 F-150 models.

Ford has issued a recall on 37,000 2015 F-150s after being alerted to the issue in the wake of accident involving the defect.

The good news is that triggering the defect requires a fairly specific situation, as Ford described in its official announcement:

“When passing a large, highly reflective truck, the adaptive cruise control radar in some vehicles could incorrectly identify the truck as being in the F-150 lane of travel when it is not. As a result, the vehicle might apply the brakes until the truck is no longer perceived to be in the lane of travel.

“The collision warning system red warning light might also flash and a tone might be heard at the same time. When this happens, the brake lights will illuminate. The potential duration of this unexpected adaptive cruise control braking could increase the risk of a crash involving a vehicle behind the F-150.”

 

Ford will notify affected customers of the recall and its dealers will update the adaptive cruise control module software at no cost.