Ford OTA Updates?

[aggiegrad05]

Does anyone know if Ford issues vehicle system updates over the air (OTA)?

I am not talking about Sync updates...I know those are downloaded and installed automatically and in the background. I am talking about vehicle software, i.e. adaptive cruise control, lane keep, etc.

I have always found the adaptive cruise control to wait a little too long to respond to a car stopped in front of me (think: me driving down the road and coming up to a red light with cars already stopped). It always stops eventually and in enough time/space, but it usually scares the crap out of my wife as it takes a really long time to initially react. This exact thing was also called out in a review I read some time ago on the '18s.

Several manufacturers issue OTA updates to address such things (Tesla recently issued an OTA update to correct an anti-lock brake issue), and wondered if these new vehicles were set up this way.

Thanks!

(I contacted Ford to ask and the rep was REALLY confused by my question. So I'm guessing the answer is: no.)

Update: Maybe in 2020? https://www.consumerreports.org/aut...-air-updates-can-we-trust-digital-car-repair/

 

[theoldwizard1]

No powertrain software is updated OTA !

 

[aggiegrad05]

Not on Fords, but other manufacturers certainly update powertrain-ish systems OTA.

From Tesla's most recent OTA update: All Tesla vehicles with Enhanced Autopilot and the latest software update now have improved capabilities, including: Autosteer up to 90 miles per hour, Auto Lane Change, Summon (Beta), Lane Departure Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking.

And from recent Volvo OTA updates:

• When the car is initially started, the parking brake may be released automatically without the seatbelt being fastened.
  

• The time for which the tank valve is open for Twin Engine models has been extended. For more information on how the tank valve works on Twin Engine models, see If the tank valve is closed on the Twin Engine during refuelling.
  

• Lane assistance, (Lane Keeping Aid, LKA), updating and change to how the system works to sense if the driver has his/her hands on the steering wheel and is actively steering or not, which is a condition for the function. This can be noticed by a slight change when a warning for this appears in the driver's display, the warning sometimes occurs faster than previously and sometimes slower, with the aim of adapting better to different situations.

Point being: there are manufacturers that make non-cosmetic/interface vehicle changes OTA.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Ford only recently (< 10 years) introduced "on the fly" PCM programming and only in Dearborn Truck and maybe KC. Requires a special "tool" that rides in the vehicle from the beginning of the final line until the end.