The redesigned Ford Ranger launched in Australia some time before it arrived in the U.S., but was immediately met with its fair share of challenges, many of which stemmed from supply chain shortages at that time. This issues prompted the automaker to remove certain features from the mid-size pickup, as well as its SUV counterpart, the Everest, though both have continued to enjoy tremendous success in the sales department, regardless. Now, The Blue Oval is taking action to address another issue in both vehicles.
That issue is what some owners believe is the sensitivity level of the hands-off detection of the steering wheel, which certain people have found to be a bit too much. Thus, according to Drive, FoMoCo plans to roll out a software update in mid-September for 2024.5 Ford Ranger and Everest models that will dial back the sheer number of warnings drivers receive while certain ADAS driving features are activated.
“The calibration of the ‘hands-off’ warning for the Lane Centering and Lane Keeping Systems was updated for the MY24.5 Ranger and Everest,” a Ford Australia spokesperson confirmed. “This [current] calibration requires a greater amount of torque to be applied to the wheel for the driver’s hands to be detected compared to the version of the software which was launched in 2022. The amount of time the system takes to alert the driver remains unchanged. To get the updated software, customers will need to schedule a free-of-charge service appointment with their nearest Ford Dealer.”
This update stems directly from customer feedback, and is yet another example of how software updates can be used to easily tweak models after their initial launch. However, Ford has faced its fair share of issues with other Australian models as of late, too – including labeling problems with various all-electric models, as well as a bevy of recalls it has issued for the Ford F-150 that prompted the automaker to compensate owners for their troubles.
We’ll have more on the Ranger and Everest soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Ranger news, Ford Everest news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comments
Hands off, my heart be still. No push button start in US Ranger except Lariat. No rear vents? Push button start is now standard for everything, except Ford. Of course they have a new patent to launch drones. Come on man, get a freaking clue. How about dual exhaust on trucks….pink laced panty engineers and designers. Really?!
Isn’t this bad? Won’t increasing the torque required make the warnings more persistent than before?