While using adaptive cruise control in stop-and-go traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, my 2023 Ford F-150 repeatedly loses track of the vehicle directly ahead and accelerates toward its set speed despite stopped traffic in front of me, requiring me to brake manually to avoid a collision. This happens every time I cross the bridge in traffic, most recently on October 26, 2026, at about 7:33 PM, at 37,293 miles.
Ford F-150 adaptive cruise problems
1,016 of the 38,399 owner complaints about the Ford F-150 describe adaptive cruise control problems, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 1,016
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,100
- typical mileage
- 82,400
By model year
Often reported together
Fire or smoke 330Check engine light 39Won't shift 29Loss of power 29Collision warning 28Jerking 26Sudden acceleration 24ABS 23
Trouble codes mentioned
P0722 3P012B 2P2112 1P0975 1P0723 1P0720 1P0707 1P0706 1P068A 1P061B 1
What owners say
When using the cruise control and passing a 65MPH speed limit sign, the vehicle accelerates to 85MPH. The posted speed in the area 65MPH. The max speed for the state of NC is 70. Yet, the vehicle acts as if the speed limit is 85MPH. This event is repeated routinely approximately 95% of the time as I pass this particular location on I-885 South, just north of the Ellis Road exit, in Durham NC.
In July of 2024 I took my truck into Cleburne Ford in Cleburne, Texas for transmission issues. The vehicle registered 39, 581 miles at that time. My complaint was mainly clunky issue regarding shifting when down and upshifting. The dealer test drove and advised completing transmission rebuild IAW with TSB 24-2176. The truck stayed at the dealership for approximately one month closing out the work order on 8/6/2024. I drove the truck for approximately two years until experiencing a serious issue that was extremely dangerous. On a road trip to to El Paso from Glen Rose with the cruise control set travel at approximately 80 miles per hour, which is the legal limit on that stretch of road. The vehicle started lunging, lurching, and hunting! it was extremely unnerving and could have caused a lesser driver to lose control of the truck, because at that speed it only takes one small issue to happen and a grave accident could have occurred. The service engine soon indicator light then came on the dash. The cruise control was deactivated and we were near a rest stop where we stopped. When I turned the truck back on the service engine soon indicator light was off. For some reason I thought maybe it has something to do with the cruise control, so I did not turn it on again for the remainder of the trip there and back. The truck seemed to be ok, but I wanted to take it in again to have it checked. I took it to Triple Crown in Stephenville Texas, because I felt upset to think I might have experienced another transmission issue just two years ago. They system identified code P 07F7 and determined TSB 26-2226 was required. They commenced to do another rebuild replaced everything again. They did not find evidence of the CDF or trash can being bad. They said its also important to replace the pump and valve body to mitigate the possibility or reoccurrence. Ford paid approximately $1,800, because of a request from the dealership and I paid approximately $2,200 out of my pocket.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting into gear, the adaptive cruise control mode independently activated and set the speed to 15 MPH. The message "Cruise Control Activated" was displayed with the set speed. The contact stated that the failure occurred approximately six times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
On [XXX], I was driving westbound from Missouri into Oklahoma in my 2021 Ford F-150 XL. While traveling approximately 75 mph on the highway, I moved into the passing lane to overtake another vehicle. As I accelerated and applied additional throttle to pass, the transmission downshifted into passing gear. After completing the pass, the vehicle continued to accelerate on its own even after I released the accelerator pedal. The engine remained at a high throttle setting, and the truck increased speed to approximately 85 mph. At that time, I was not using cruise control, nor had I pressed the cruise control switch, which was involved in a previous acceleration-related incident I experienced with this vehicle. To regain control, I carefully created distance from surrounding traffic, applied the brakes, and maneuvered the vehicle onto the shoulder. After coming to a stop well off the roadway, I shifted the vehicle into Park and turned off the engine. I then restarted the truck, and the unintended acceleration condition was no longer present. Because of the incident, I did not attempt to use the cruise control system again during the trip, and I avoided using heavy throttle or passing gear out of concern that the condition could reoccur. The vehicle has since been inspected by a Ford dealership. As of this report, their evaluation has not identified the cause of the problem, and no fault has been found despite the incident occurring on the highway. This incident created a significant safety concern because the vehicle continued to accelerate after the accelerator pedal was released, resulting in an unexpected increase in speed and requiring me to pull off the highway and shut off the vehicle to regain normal operation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Adaptive Cruise Control and/or Camera System misreads speed limit signs. 1. System misreads speed limit signs by acquiring information from State Route sign. Example: SR248, Speed Limit 55mph, SR248 marker 20, Reads it as 20mph. Example: SR2004, Speed Limit 45mph, SR2004 marker 60 and 70, reads it as 70mph. 2. System misreads Truck Speed Limit Signs as vehicle Speed Limit. The problem occurs when both Speed Limit and SR signs are in close proximity to each other. Vehicle is available. The system if engaged, has the potential to accelerate or decelerate as much as 35mph in these examples, causing potential loss of control because of rapid acceleration or deceleration. The vehicle has been at the dealer twice and they have not been able to replicate. They may not have been able to replicate because of sign placing in their area. Under these conditions, the Adaptive Cruise Control is a safety hazard. I have it disengaged and is useless.
I own a 2018 Ford F-150 4WD with approximately 24,600 miles. While traveling approximately 70 MPH on the highway in 2H with cruise control operating, I suddenly heard an extremely loud metal-on-metal grinding/ratcheting noise from the driver's-side front wheel area. The noise caused immediate concern about a possible front wheel or drivetrain failure. I disengaged cruise control and the grinding stopped. Within approximately 50 miles on the same trip, the grinding occurred a second time while again traveling approximately 70 MPH in 2H without cruise engaged. Because of the severity of the noise, I pulled over on the side of the highway and inspected the vehicle. I found nothing visibly wrong and resumed driving. The condition has since occurred two additional times while accelerating from a stop in 2H. These incidents were less severe but involved the same metal-on-metal grinding/ratcheting from the driver's-side front wheel area. I have also noticed a brief air/vacuum-type "whoosh" immediately before the grinding occurs. My Ford service manager directed me to Ford TSB 24-2188, which addresses grinding/clicking/ratcheting from the front wheel area associated with partial engagement of the Integrated Wheel End (IWE). The truck is scheduled for diagnosis but has not yet been formally diagnosed. I contacted Ford Customer Satisfaction, case CXH-090-0329-26-V5R9-P-5. Ford declined assistance due to vehicle age despite the low mileage. I am reporting this because the condition has occurred four times, including twice unexpectedly at 70 MPH. I am concerned about the safety implications of a front wheel-end component potentially partially engaging at highway speed and believe this warrants the federal safety agency review.
Vehicle Information 2021 Ford F-150 XL Supercrew approximately 35,000 miles. While traveling southbound on [XXX] near [XXX], Ok, I was operating my 2021 Ford F-150 XL at approximately 75 mph with the cruise control engaged. As I approached slower traffic ahead, I attempted to disengage the cruise control by pressing the cruise control cancel/off button on the steering wheel. Despite pressing the button multiple times, the cruise control would not disengage. Same thing while tapping the brakes it would not disengage. The vehicle continued to maintain speed, and the cruise control system remained unresponsive to my commands. In response, I applied the brakes to safely reduce speed, I did not perform a panic stop or abrupt braking maneuver. Once I had the vehicle slowed, I moved safely onto the shoulder of the highway, well away from traffic. I then shifted the vehicle into park, shut off the engine, and restarted the truck. After restarting the vehicle, I elected not to use the cruise control system for the remainder of my trip, which lasted approximately eight additional hours to Houston, Texas, I have not used the cruise control since the incident because I am concerned that the condition could recur and create a safety hazard. No collision, property damage, or injuries occurred. However, the apparent failure of the cruise control system to disengage when commanded raises significant safety concerns and warrants investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Adaptive cruise control, truck keeps trying to change from lane swerves left and right outnof control sometimes. Automatic Braking Rear camera did a reset after changing the battery and the 360 cameras alignment misaligned and truck send a message When placed on reverse , cameras are misaligned on the screen.
When using cruise control (Blue Cruise fully automated driving or just regular cruise control), The truck changes the speed setting to 90MPH without any driver input and begins sudden acceleration. This has happened multiple times in speed limit areas from 70-75 on the interstate. The truck clearly displays the correct speed limit on the dash. The driver set speed of 70-77 is suddenly changed to 90 MPH (you can see it on the dash) without any driver input. This has happened multiple times (I live in a rural area). The vehicle only has 1,100 miles. No warning lights come on. Breaking will stop the sudden acceleration. This is a very dangerous situation and needs to be fixed.
Related recalls
Back over prevention: display function
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 F-150 and 2023-2026 F-250 SD vehicles equipped with 8-inch SYNC infotainment screens. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to be obstructed by the infotainment home screen menu when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- An obstructed rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C37. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on July 31, 2026.
Recall number 26V489000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
- Risk
- A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Recall number 25V442000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco, F-150, 2021-2024 Edge, 2022-2025 Escape, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, 2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024 Navigator, and 2023-2024 Corsair vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.
- Risk
- A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air update, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on June 26, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Owner notification letters were sent on October 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S49.
Recall number 25V315000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 F-150, Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview camera that displays a blank or distorted image can reduce the drivers view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.
Recall number 22V252000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- Reduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.
Recall number 20V575000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford F-150 trucks manufactured March 18, 2014, to August 6, 2015 and equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). While using the Adaptive Cruise Control, the vehicle may falsely detect an obstacle in its path and may unexpectedly apply the brakes.
- Risk
- A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the cruise control module with updated ACC radar software, free of charge. The recall began on October 25, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S29.
Recall number 15V614000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford F-150 adaptive cruise
Which Ford F-150 years have adaptive cruise control problems problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (133 complaints), 1997 (118 complaints) and 2001 (81 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix adaptive cruise control problems on the Ford F-150?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,100 (median of 30 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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