Complaint 2218308

Complaint Summary

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

Owner Narrative

Vehicle: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 56,005 I am filing this complaint to bring to NHTSA's attention a safety concern regarding Ford Motor Company's decision to make the Blue Cruise driver-assistance system available only via a paid subscription beginning January 2027, at a cost of $49.99 per month. Blue Cruise is a hands-free highway driving assistance system — a Level 2 driver-assistance safety technology. The hardware enabling this system was installed in my vehicle at the time of purchase and was represented as a feature of the vehicle. Ford is now moving to disable this safety feature on existing, in-service vehicles unless owners pay an ongoing subscription fee. I respectfully request that NHTSA examine whether a manufacturer's ability to remotely disable or withhold active safety technology on vehicles already in service — technology that was sold as part of the vehicle — raises concerns under federal motor vehicle safety standards. Specifically: 1. Consumers purchased these vehicles with the reasonable expectation that installed safety hardware would remain functional. 2. Ford's decision to monetize this feature post-sale, on vehicles already in service, effectively degrades the safety capability of those vehicles for owners who cannot or will not pay. 3. The precedent this sets — manufacturers using over-the-air software controls to disable safety features for revenue — warrants regulatory attention. I am not alone in this concern. There are thousands of Blue Cruise-equipped Mustang Mach-E, F-150, and Expedition owners facing this same situation. I respectfully ask NHTSA to investigate whether Ford's subscription model for Blue Cruise is consistent with federal vehicle safety obligations, and whether any regulatory guidance is warranted to protect consumers from the post-sale removal of safety technology. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.