Dangerous Unexpected Adaptive Cruise Control Behavior - Sudden Braking Following "RESUME CONTROL" Message

[Jim Lewis]

Suggest that everyone experiencing poor performance report your observations using the trucks feedback app.

Thanks. Good suggestion. I'll do that. Ford ought to offer a feedback mechanism through the owner's online Ford account linked to our VIN #. The ability to type out and edit a response is better, IMHO, than trying to compose a dictated response on the fly. I wonder how they process verbal responses on the other end? Having a human listen to them, categorize them, prioritize them?

First time it did the to me I almost returned the truck as it was freaking dangerous with a semi on my ass on Route 81 in VA doing 80MPH, brake checking a truck with a 53 foot trailer and 80,000 pounds of cargo is asking for a major jackknifing accident.

That is exactly the reason for my loathing of unexpected, unexplained behavior from the truck. I've had semis passing me on both sides on IH-35 with little room to spare. The last thing I need in such a situation is spurious keep-hands-on-steering-wheel alerts with hard braking pulses. I was amazed that State Farm's Drive Safe & Safe app didn't score the braking as excessive and give me driving demerits.

The main problem here is that the truck tells you to pay attention and put your hands on the steering wheel, except you can do both those things and it will still keep yelling at you. You have to actually turn the wheel some, which is NOT what it tells you to do.

Is it pretty well known you have to turn the wheel? Yes. Is this blown way out of proportion? Yes....

I don't think the torquing is well-explained in the manual, and, as you point out yourself, it is not well-explained in real-time in the truck as it happens. As I pointed out in a previous post, the truck could alternate alerts on the dash with brief text hints of what you need to do to make the truck happy or even have voice prompts from the system so you don't have to take your eyes off the road. As to things being blown way out of proportion, the main reason for raising a fuss is that what I described is just more CR-P from Ford. Not how I expect a $90K "luxury" vehicle to be designed and function. Makes me want to be like Howard Beale in the 1976 flick Network telling folks to yell out their windows, "I'm mad as H-ll and I'm not going to take it anymore!" A $90K "state-of-the-art" vehicle where you can't even find out what your LVB SOC is without an OBDII dongle and Car Scanner! Stupid frunk clips. Promised BlueCruise updates that never arrive. The Never-Ending Story...

Omigosh! How could I leave out a tip of the hat to my Home Integration System? Another disaster that's had 2 1/2 years to be remedied with promised fixes on the way, same as BlueCruise updates.

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[Firn]

Just pointing out that in many many, dare is say many, forum posts the need to provide some input is clearly stated.

This is also stated in many online reviews. I also believe it is stated in Ford online promotional videos.

It is also something that really only happens once before you figure out how to NOT have it happen.

It also warns you that SOMETHING is going to happen, quite a few times.

You can also prevent it from happening by pushing either of two buttons on the steering wheel, or lightly tapping the brake pedal.

I mean, I was well aware of it and I don't even have that feature.

I do understand that how you remedy the situation is not clearly articulated while it is happening. However this is very much blown out of proportion.

 

[PJnc284]

I was amazed that State Farm's Drive Safe & Safe app didn't score the braking as excessive and give me driving demerits.

Ha. I wanted to see what it did just for giggles and Progressive Snapshot dinged me for hard braking. I haven't actually tried to see what happens after but apparently it slows to 5mph and just keeps going. Kyle with OutOfSpec did a test of the adas system which shows the behavior.

 

[Jim Lewis]

Just pointing out that in many many, dare is say many, forum posts the need to provide some input is clearly stated.

Saying you have to read online forums or watch YouTube videos to learn all the ins and outs of driving a Lightning is certainly saying something. It's almost a confession that the manual and the truck's explanations really aren't adequate. I think as vehicles get more complicated and try to do more, vehicle OEMs really need to up their game. I love my truck, am glad I got it, but I really wonder if FMC has what it takes to be around in the future. I probably won't live long enough to find out. So, it's more of a hypothetical question for me.

Probably an impractical suggestion, but I've thought that Ford should make those who design and program a specific vehicle have that vehicle as their "required" family car/truck. Maybe if designers/programmers had to live with what they created, things would go "more better..."

FordPass and its interaction with the FCSP also deserve a big shoutout!

 

[PJnc284]

Probably an impractical suggestion, but I've thought that Ford should make those who design and program a specific vehicle have that vehicle as their "required" family car/truck. Maybe if designers/programmers had to live with what they created, things would go "more better..."

It says a lot that Farley made sure to emphasize the Tesla partnership during his road trip last year. Makes it kind of obvious that no one with more than a few brain cells actually used the truck or its software when it takes over a year from first release to determine it could be a bit "challenging".

 

[Jseis]

Here on the Pacific, parts of US101 date to the late 1800’s railroad grades, 30’s New Deal bridges pushing 80+ years, and local 1920’s era farm roads, ferry access roads.. all woven in the post WW2 era of fed aid highway(s). I learned pretty quick that driving aids are of no use once curves, guardrails, uneven surfaces are thrown in with opposing traffic. Think oncoming motorcycles with their tires in the opposing lane and their handlebars 8” into your lane. Many bridge abutments-guardrails have barely 22 feet between for two lanes, fog and double center line stripping, thus reducing lanes to something less than 11 feet. See an oncoming lowboy with a 40 ton feller-buncher? Brake quick! Add RV’s, cyclists, hitchhikers, road debris? I just don’t see driving aids helping on these legacy roads. They could make you a less attentive driver.

 

[Firn]

Saying you have to read online forums or watch YouTube videos to learn all the ins and outs of driving a Lightning is certainly saying something.

Which is why i said ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS too...

 

[ScubaSteve_TheReal]

So your wife agrees the dogs were thrown from the backseat airborne through the middle to the front? No. That didn't happen. You felt a jolt, which is what it actually does.

Geeze I said “about” ok..?? Reread my original post. I never said it turned my dog turned into a flying dog courtesy of FORD. The agative used “about” merely was used to paint a picture of how the situation seemed to the occupants of the vehicle at that moment in time, semantics….The system also did two hard pumps of the brake if you want to call that a nudge, knock yourself out.

 

[Firn]

Geeze I said “about” ok..?? Reread my original post. I never said it turned my dog turned into a flying dog courtesy of FORD. The agative used “about” merely was used to paint a picture of how the situation seemed to the occupants of the vehicle at that moment in time, semantics….The system also did two hard pumps of the brake if you want to call that a nudge, knock yourself out.

Dude, you said your dog "about" ended up in the front seat. About, nearly, almost, very close to, near identical. As "my dog nearly flew into the front seat".

Embellishment is a thing, and that was was a bit absurd.

 

[ScubaSteve_TheReal]

Dude, you said your dog "about" ended up in the front seat. About, nearly, almost, very close to, near identical. As "my dog nearly flew into the front seat".

Embellishment is a thing, and that was was a bit absurd.

You took the bait…which was the point of this short story and to paint a picture of my experiences that day….opinions vary…..

 

[Firn]

You took the bait…which was the point of this short story and to paint a picture.

So we shouldn't consider what you say as honesty? Clickbait essentially? That was what was originally pointed out and tou said no.

You seem to be backing up off this and getting upset that you were called out on it. Relax, don't take it personally.

 

[ScubaSteve_TheReal]

So we shouldn't consider what you say as honesty? Clickbait essentially? That was what was originally pointed out and tou said no.

You seem to be backing up off this and getting upset that you were called out on it. Relax, don't take it personally.

I’m good, just my opinions and thoughts on my situation, definitely still love the truck. Let’s hope we can hopefully agree on at least one thing, we both have pretty great trucks vs what else is out there.….opinions vary…..

 

[HitchRide]

Same thing happened to me driving down California hwy 101 in late October. Really gets your attention and unsafe as hell! “Hands Free” was doing its usual back & forth hand off to driver assist mode and periodically warning for the wheel jiggle (regardless that your hands are already on the wheel). This time no amount of wheel input mattered to the system. It jolted the brakes a few times and I recall attempted to slow the truck while I was in the middle lane doing over 70mph. The lights/sounds from the dash board made it seem we were an airplane quickly losing altitude. (Yes, Ford needs to fund therapy group sessions in a safe space for us owners that have experienced this). Joking aside, I tapped the brake rather than looking for the “X” button on the steering wheel to disengage the sh*t show. My guess was that the the sun’s glare coming through the opened sunroof made it impossible for the “eyes” camera to function correctly. I can’t 100% recall if I was wearing my sunglasses at the time. This warning function makes the random “Accident Warning” seem like a walk in the park. The Ford freak-out never reoccured again on the 1500 mile round trip.

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