2023 Ford F-150 driver assist problems

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

driving approximately 20 miles an hour, gently applying the brake as I was approaching a stoplight when the brake suddenly engaged forcefully causing the car to jerk to a stop unexpectedly. There was a warning across the dash that said " forward collision is not available" and that disappeared. A local dealership said this was an ABS issue and reprogrammed it.

NHTSA complaint #11749360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

driving approximately 20 miles an hour, gently applying the brake as I was approaching a stoplight when the brake suddenly engaged forcefully causing the car to jerk to a stop unexpectedly. There was a warning across the dash that said " forward collision is not available" and that disappeared. A local dealership said this was an ABS issue and reprogrammed it.

NHTSA complaint #11749360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

The contact owns 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, while depressing the accelerator pedal the automatic brake system engaged independently causing all four wheels to lock up. a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed that front camera bezel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired as the front camera bezel was replaced. The contact was relating the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V334000 ( FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance and informed him he had to pay for the cost of repair. The failure mileage was 24,000.

NHTSA complaint #11737133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

While driving up to 40 mph, the emergency brake will randomly come on causing me to skid and stop suddenly. I manually have to turn back off the emergency brake to drive again. This incident has occurred in traffic multiple times. The truck has been at the dealership service center four times and they cannot replicate, diagnose, or repair the issue. The dealership states they have looked at the electrical components and replaced the battery, which did not solve the issue. There are no warnings prior to the emergency brake coming on. A collision is not about to happen that causes it to come on.

NHTSA complaint #11733375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

This vehicle is equipped with Blue Cruise, a hands-free driving feature. While in hands-free drive mode (Blue Cruise), the vehicle abruptly disengaged and aggressively pulled off the highway. In icy conditions and at high speeds. This is abnormal for the system. Typically, if the Blue Cruise disengages, it gives a timed warning, about 5-10 seconds, and then will disengage. This was dangerously different. The dealership serviced the vehicle and updated the system. However, Blue C still wanders in the lane and randomly disconnects. With the Blue Cruise system turned off/disengaged and the adaptive cruise control engaged, the system also acts erratically, randomly disengaging for no reason.

NHTSA complaint #11729474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

This vehicle is equipped with Blue Cruise, a hands-free driving feature. While in hands-free drive mode (Blue Cruise), the vehicle abruptly disengaged and aggressively pulled off the highway. In icy conditions and at high speeds. This is abnormal for the system. Typically, if the Blue Cruise disengages, it gives a timed warning, about 5-10 seconds, and then will disengage. This was dangerously different. The dealership serviced the vehicle and updated the system. However, Blue C still wanders in the lane and randomly disconnects. With the Blue Cruise system turned off/disengaged and the adaptive cruise control engaged, the system also acts erratically, randomly disengaging for no reason.

NHTSA complaint #11729474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

This vehicle is equipped with Blue Cruise, a hands-free driving feature. While in hands-free drive mode (Blue Cruise), the vehicle abruptly disengaged and aggressively pulled off the highway. In icy conditions and at high speeds. This is abnormal for the system. Typically, if the Blue Cruise disengages, it gives a timed warning, about 5-10 seconds, and then will disengage. This was dangerously different. The dealership serviced the vehicle and updated the system. However, Blue C still wanders in the lane and randomly disconnects. With the Blue Cruise system turned off/disengaged and the adaptive cruise control engaged, the system also acts erratically, randomly disengaging for no reason.

NHTSA complaint #11729474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I’ve been advised by McGovern Ford in Massachusetts that I need ABS Module and an Electronic Brake Booster and it isn’t covered by any warranty. Yet it’s a safety hazard and the truck is only 2 1/2 years old. Why would those 2 items need to be replaced on a newer truck.

NHTSA complaint #11720837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

⸻ Highlight Summary: My 2023 Ford F-150 (VIN: [XXX] ) has intermittent rear tail lamps, brake lights, turn signals, and backup lights failure due to water intrusion. The right side has completely failed; the left side is beginning to fail, creating a serious safety hazard at night or in low visibility. Both the dealership and Ford Customer Assistance have avoided returning calls and are denying responsibility, and this is a common problem nationwide. ⸻ Complaint – 2023 Ford F-150 Rear Lighting Failure •Vehicle: 2023 Ford F-150, VIN [XXX] , ~73,000 miles •Issue: Intermittent rear tail lamps, brake lights, turn signals, and backup lights failure due to water intrusion •Right side: completely failed; left side: starting to fail •Safety Risk: Creates serious hazard at night/low visibility, increasing risk of rear-end collisions •Dealership: D-Patrick Ford Superstore, Evansville, Indiana, E. Walnut St. •Initially could not duplicate issue •Feb 7, 2026: confirmed problem, quoted ~$3,000 for repair •Truck returned “all lights working,” but right side still not functioning •Manufacturer & Dealership Response: Ford Customer Assistance and dealership are denying responsibility and avoiding calls, leaving the defect unresolved nearly a year •Nationwide Problem: Common issue reported by many F-150 owners, indicating widespread safety defect •Request: Immediate review and corrective action for this recurring and escalating safety hazard INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11720040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I was driving and all of the dash lights came on simultaneously and I lost power braking ability while on the interstate. I was able to pull over and the truck shut off. I had to call a tow truck because it would not start back up. The AAA servicer reprogrammed the battery which turned all of the warning lights off except for the "push brake to start" warning and the truck will still not start because of this. The tech with AAA advised there is a recall related to this issue but my VIN search returns no results.

NHTSA complaint #11707462 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

I was driving and all of the dash lights came on simultaneously and I lost power braking ability while on the interstate. I was able to pull over and the truck shut off. I had to call a tow truck because it would not start back up. The AAA servicer reprogrammed the battery which turned all of the warning lights off except for the "push brake to start" warning and the truck will still not start because of this. The tech with AAA advised there is a recall related to this issue but my VIN search returns no results.

NHTSA complaint #11707462 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

Rear Taillight assembly filled with water due to a crack. The water caused the bulb to burn out. Dealer tried to get Ford to cover the taillamp and the manufacturer denied the claim stating the crack was not a flaw in manufacturing. The dealer also said that they have seen several of these where the manufacturer wont cover this component under the bumper to bumper warranty. This assembly has never been tampered with, the truck has not been in an accident. The failure of this taillight is likely caused by over torqueing at ASSY at the plant. Besides being costly this is a safety hazard when brake lights and taillights fail. Also..this assembly I find out houses the module for the blind spot monitor.

NHTSA complaint #11706100 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

front camera fault, service required, pre-collision avoidance not available. Lane departure warning fault, service required. This is an ongoing problem since date of purchase, 9/23/2025

NHTSA complaint #11699868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

front camera fault, service required, pre-collision avoidance not available. Lane departure warning fault, service required. This is an ongoing problem since date of purchase, 9/23/2025

NHTSA complaint #11699868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

While driving down the road, the driver gauge display screen completely goes dark. All information displayed normally on the screen, such as speed, mileage, and vital information about the vehicle stops, displaying entirely. This has happened multiple times. Usually the next day, the issue is solved. Then, several months later, the issue reappears. Whenever the vehicle is taken for repair, the dealer simply cannot replicate the issue. This is a known issue that has been reported online by many people.

NHTSA complaint #11679946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle received an unknown software update. The contact stated that after the software update was installed at the dealer, the contact experienced issues while activating the cruise control feature. The contact stated that previously the cruise control could be activated with a single switch. The contact stated that the cruise control and Forward Collision Avoidance switches were now located side by side. While attempting to activate the cruise control feature, the contact accidentally activated the Forward Collision Avoidance feature, and then had to take his eyes off the road to deactivate the function, almost causing several crashes. The contact reported the issue to the dealer and was informed that a new software update was upcoming. The manufacturer was notified of the issues but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA complaint #11677850 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

Camera image becomes distorted when put in reverse. It doesn’t happen all the time, but sometimes happens multiple times a day. I have pictures and videos of the distortion of the camera happening.

NHTSA complaint #11677286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the Forward Collision Avoidance system unintendedly activated. During the failure there were no other vehicles or large objects nearby. The "Collision Alert" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.

NHTSA complaint #11675092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

Thank you for a chance to file this information. The cruise speed control and lane keeping systems are not working consistently and properly. They fail every week when tested. So far - the dealer-warranty fixes have not been the remedy needed. The cruise control system on steeper slopes doesn't provide braking to stay at the set speed - and at times it doesn't provide any braking resistance - so the vehicle takes off full speed with gravity. The lane keeping system doesn't provide consistent drivers' assistance to prevent departing the lane - even with new/freshly painted center-lanes/side of the road lanes.

NHTSA complaint #11664210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

•Resolution Requested oFull refund for $67,227.63 - Total Money Spent Down Payment Trade In Monthly Payment Aftermarket Accessories oPremium Care Warranty for Purchase of next Ford Vehicle •Issues oEngine and Electrical Issue Electronic Gauge Screen goes black while driving resulting in a safety violation Significant latency of acceleration upon starting resulting in dangerous driving conditions Issue started Mar 2024 Remote Start Not Working Issue started Mar 2024 oSafety Failure Error Messages •6 X Anti-Lock Brake Fault •18 X Tire Pressure Monitor System •9 X Restraints Indicator Lamp •28 X Pre-Collision Assist Not Available •4 X Power Train Malfunction •Attempted Repairs – the service department has stated they do not know the issue and will need to keep the car for several more weeks to determine a fix oNumber of Times 5 Times oDuration 28 Days oDates 10 APR 2024 – 1 Day 09 May 2024 – 1 Day 09 Sep 2024 – 5 Days 07 JAN 2025 – 10 Days 14 MAY – 1 Day

NHTSA complaint #11661526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Within weeks of purchasing this vehicle new from Groove Ford on Arapahoe, the dashboard would go completely black and the seat belt restraint warning, collision warning, and safety warning sensors would go off. This vehicle has been into the dealership 7 times within the past year for over 30 days and still no resolution.

NHTSA complaint #11661144 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Available for inspection. The "brain" of the truck is in the stereo system. the time on the call varies, but, the call will drop the Bluetooth or wired connection with the truck, the radio will reset, and go to a broadcast radio station, from which it will stay for about 5-30 seconds while resetting, and then the call will recommence on the in-house system again. Neither party knows until I start hollering that the call has been dropped. I have checked with Apple, and there are no issues with it, and all updates have been completed. During the call with the tech people at Ford, the tech said it is a known problem.The truck has been in the shop on several occasions at Ford Villages and in Ocala, Florida, starting in February 2025. On 3/14/25, eight modules had to be updated & I was assured that it would fix the issue. After is was dropped it off, it happened again. I took it back on 3/21, and this time they said they could not duplicate the problem. Furthermore, the issue would need to be fixed, most likely by an over-the-air update.On the way home, I called my brother, and it happened not more than ten minutes out of the shop! 3/25/2025, I contacted Ford again through their customer service line and told them I wanted to start the Lemon Law buyback process. A few days later, I got a call back – denied. I am going through the lemon law process now. They offered a $4k buyback, which I soundly rejected as an insult. REGARDLESS, this truck is unsafe to operate due to the distractions that are created by the unreliability of the CarPlay system. I have ended up in a ditch, almost ran off the road by other drivers and various other close calls, all because I have had to adjust the phone to where it would work while I am driving. Most likely the CarPlay (Android-based) incompatibility with the Apple software and users are made to suffer for it Whatever it is, it must be immediately resolved. Consumers do not need to be caught in between the petty games. Still or moving.

NHTSA complaint #11658186 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

The contact owns a 2023 FORD F-150. The contact stated that the Pre-collision Alarm Sensor Default was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced two sensor cables. While driving at approximately 35-40 MPH, there was a sudden winding sound coming from the bearings, which could be heard underneath the hood. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who replaced the alternator, and while repairing the vehicle, the dealer noticed that the idler pulley had failed. The idler pulley and serpentine belt were replaced. After having the vehicle repaired, the driver’s side seat cushion started deteriorating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the driver’s seat cushion. The contact smelled burning transmission fluid entering the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The final decision for the repair was not yet provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11656687 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

On three separate occasions when I open my door, I get a “brake fault service soon” notification. I’ve done research and forums say this was a recall in the past. I’m aware my truck doesn’t have any current recalls but it has me wondering if it was ever fixed or if the repair was not good enough. I never owned the vehicle when the original recall came out so I’m not too sure what happened.

NHTSA complaint #11655214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

I’m very concerned about the actual malfunction of my entire steering rack & pinion assembly at just over 6,000 miles. The failure on my 2023 F150 (bought as NEW in Sept. 2024 from dealer w/ 1200 miles) occurred at more than 80 miles per hour when I had punched it to pass another vehicle. The steering became very wonky and was 'soft-locking' in stuttering positions – about 2 degrees apart in moving the steering wheel. It was very touch and go coming into town – even back at 60 mph. I was still hitting the hard spots and making all sorts of racket in full turns as we pulling into a parking lot to check it out. At that time, the only thing I could relate it to as far as how it felt was that the steering assist/ lane keeping assist was wanting to run the show. But I don’t use the feature and have only tried it a couple times since I got the truck – specifically to see how it felt. There was NO MESSAGE on the instruments. Anyway, my point is: this seems to be a serious safety issue, and I would think Ford would want to figure out what happened. The Ford dealership service manager kind of blew it off like, ‘well, stuff happens’. That’s all good and I’m not faulting him – they did a great job of repair, and the truck now drives like a new truck (new steering assembly shipped overnight from Memphis, TN to Livingston, TX) – steering is actually better that the first day I had it. It was always a little quirky in its ‘feel’ so I just thought it was kind of what it would be. Didn’t feel perfect but not enough to complain or even say anything about. I just figured Ford had done something that just gave the steering a little bit different feel. I’d really like to find out what the Ford engineers figure out and HOW could this have been a one-off thing? This seems like a very serious, potential safety issue. The dealership has not replied to 2 emails from their apparently automated 'are you happy with your service' inquiry.

NHTSA complaint #11653124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera malfunctioned, and a blank screen was displayed, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. Additionally, the "Brake Fault" message was displayed while at a stop light. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 2,000.

NHTSA complaint #11644989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

While traveling North on [XXX] in N. Texas, congested roadway at the time, had to come to an abrupt stop because a vehicle in front of me suddenly hit their brakes. The forward collision system worked as it should, the icon popped up on the display and the vehicle started braking. One morning as I prepare to pull out of my driveway, vehicle facing North, the forward collision icon is on the dash with a diagonal line through it. I wasn't sure what that meant so I looked it up and it meant that something was blocking the sensor. Happened to be dirt from recent dust storm with rain so there was a spot that the windshield wipers cant reach therefore the sensor was blocked. Cleaned it off no more icon on the dash. Traveling West on [XXX] in West Texas, the icon appears on the dash once again with the diagonal line through it. The closest vehicle to me was around 3 quarters of a mile in front of me so there was no danger of a front collision. I noticed that as I passed under an overpass the icon disappeared but as soon a I exited the overpass the icon reappeared. Once the sun reached a certain point in the horizon when setting, the icon went off for good. This has also happened when driving in town and I am heading home form work. traveling West into the setting sun. Without a doubt if the sun is in a certain point on the horizon when setting, it will block or blind that sensor however you wish to describe it, and that safety feature will be temporarily inoperable until the sun sets lower. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11638478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

When driving my truck using adaptive speed control my vehicle reacts as it should to speed limit signs until it sees any sign with the number 80 on it, e.g.- state hwy 80. As soon as it reads the number 80 the number 80mph shows on the dash speedometer and the truck immediately accelerates to 80 mph! This happens no matter what speed zone you are in, even a school zone! I contacted Ford Motor Company and they referred me to my local dealership. The Dealership RAPIDS FORD said they knew of the problem because one of their managers had the same issue with his loaner vehicle. They said they contacted Ford and the Ford tech told him he should shut off the adaptive speed control when it happens???? I don't believe this is a viable solution because you never know when it is going to happen. This will happen anytime it sees the number 80 Whether you are in a 25mph, a 55 mph, or any speed zone. this is a very DANGEROUS situation for both occupants and pedestrians. I was recently on an hour-long phone call with Ford vehicle technology assist and they insisted I find my own solution by going to my local dealerships. I know for sure this condition affects at least two, but more than likely tens of thousands of vehicles. Please look into this before somebody gets killed. I can tell that Ford is not going to. This problem showed up repeatedly because state hwy 80 was detoured through and around my town. These are highway signage not speed limit signage. They do not look alike.

NHTSA complaint #11628930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

This is something I've noticed a few times, it's concerning, and I'm trying to hash out what's actually happening. After reversing at slow speed (from a parking spot for example) and then shifting into drive, I've felt what appeared to be uncommanded throttle response. The cruise control engages as if it had been set to 15mph and trying to accelerate to that speed. Being in a parking space and shifting to drive, I was at a stand still. This morning, after backing out of driveway, slowing to a near stop, and selecting drive, it felt like the truck had a significant throttle engagement which I imeddiately had to brake. The cruise control had again engaged to 15mph and was green signifying it was active and accelerating to catch up to the 15mph. This occurs immediately when shifting from reverse to drive. The only common factor I can isolate to is when backing, if I simply shift to drive after slowing to a near stop, without braking, it engages. I cannot replicate and Ford says they are not aware of any issues.

NHTSA complaint #11620938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

When driving my truck using adaptive speed control. Vehicle reacts as it should to speed limit signs until it sees any sign with the number 80 on it, e.g.- state hwy. 80. As soon as it reads the number 80 it immediately accelerates to 80 mph. This happens no matter what speed zone you are in. I called Ford motor company and they referred me to my local dealership. The dealership said they were aware of the problem because one of their managers had the same issue with his vehicle. They told me that the Ford tech. told him to shut it off if that happens. I don't believe this is a viable fix because you never know when it is going to happen. This will happen anytime it sees the number 80 whether you are in a 25 mph zone, a 55 mph or any speed zone. This is a very dangerous situation for both occupants and pedestrians. I just got off an hour long phone call with Ford vehicle technology assist and they insist I find my own solution by going to local dealerships. I know for sure this condition affects at least two but more than likely thousands of vehicles. Please look in to this before somebody gets killed. I can tell Ford is not going to.

NHTSA complaint #11600865 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.