Dumbest Ford Thing Ever - 2025 F150

[ctechbob]

And that is saying a lot.

I'm usually pretty good about knowing all the ins-and-outs of the vehicles I buy and drive, but the other morning I was completely taken aback by what my 2025 F150 did.

It was my usual drive home from work. Pulled into my downward sloping driveway and applied the parking brake as I've done forever. This time though I brain farted and instead of putting the truck in park and removing the key, I simply turned the truck off and took the key out.

Much to my surprise, the shifter moved itself from drive, all the way back to park.

On what planet do we need to do this? What was wrong with an annoying beeper, flashing a BIG warning up on the screen, and locking the key in the ignition until you manually returned the shifter to park, like cars have been doing for ages?

I can't come up with a single reason this is needed. Guess one thing that would never ever get fixed if it broke on my truck. It's not like they're using an existing system to do something else. Like, they're not using the electric power steering to do lane keeping, or the ABS system to do traction control. This is a whole new actuator that just does one thing, move the shifter.

Of course I shot video of it.

 

[goblin]

...

On what planet do we need to do this? What was wrong with an annoying beeper, flashing a BIG warning up on the screen, and locking the key in the ignition until you manually returned the shifter to park, like cars have been doing for ages?

I don't see anything wrong with relying just on annoying beepers, but Anton Yelchin's parents might have a different opinion.
It's an extra layer of safety on a vehicle which is sold in the hundreds of thousands of units. Statistically, it is bound to happen. It happened to you. Will happen to someone else too. Everyone has their moments.

Plus it's supposed to be a utility vehicle. Could be someone thought of whatifs when working in very noisy worksites and stuff, where beepers could be missed.

However, I absolutely WOULD combine this with the most annoying beepers ever, as otherwise it will give the owner bad habits once they get used to it.

 

[Mekks]

My 22 Explorer ST with the round knob shifter does this, but the knob does not really turn. Also auto apply the parking brake.

 

[ctechbob]

I don't see anything wrong with relying just on annoying beepers, but Anton Yelchin's parents might have a different opinion.
It's an extra layer of safety on a vehicle which is sold in the hundreds of thousands of units. Statistically, it is bound to happen. It happened to you. Will happen to someone else too. Everyone has their moments.

However, I absolutely WOULD combine this with the most annoying beepers ever, as otherwise it will give the owner bad habits once they get used to it.

That was because Stellantis changed the shifter to something uncommon. My parking brake was on, truck wasn't going anywhere. There's no need for it, none. The truck has electric parking brakes, so there's no need to add anything there.

Ram trucks won't let the truck move and instantly lock the brakes down if you open the door while the truck is in gear. Something like that required nothing more than programming.

I still maintain, adding an actuator for this is the dumbest thing ever. They could have done plenty of other things that required adding nothing but 1's and 0's to the modules in the truck.

 

[ctechbob]

My 22 Explorer ST with the round knob shifter does this, but the knob does not really turn. Also auto apply the parking brake.

Right, That I get, no actuator needed. Nothing additional added to the vehicle to make it happen.

 

[AZjeff]

Maybe your Ranger had it but you never brain farted in it? You're in a tiny minority of people who use the parking brake, I bet 1% has never used it for anything.

 

[hemitom]

Impressive ! still comes with a key

 

[ctechbob]

Maybe your Ranger had it but you never brain farted in it? You're in a tiny minority of people who use the parking brake, I bet 1% has never used it for anything.

Nahh, that was all manual for sure.

Still though, even without the parking brake, you can command the ABS module to lock the brakes until the trans is put in park if you try to pull the key without returning to park.

One other interesting bit of programming that Ford does get right with their ABS module. If you are in a vehicle coasting with the engine off and run out of vacuum and stomp the brake pedal, the ECU will actuate the ABS pump to bring you to a stop. Totally unrelated to the shifter thing, but they at least do know how to make the ABS system do other things.

 

[ctechbob]

Impressive ! still comes with a key

Yea, I don't much go in for the loaded vehicles with the keyless start. Not because I don't like it, but because those are the stupid expensive Lariats and up that are way more $$$ and heavier to the point that payload suffers greatly. I bought the truck to tow, so I don't need all that extra stuff.

 

[cptbarkey]

Old man yelling at the clouds.

In all seriousness, agree it’s over engineered and probably a mess if that ever breaks.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Complexity for the sake of complexity. I call it planned obsolescence.

 

[hemitom]

Yea, I don't much go in for the loaded vehicles with the keyless start. Not because I don't like it, but because those are the stupid expensive Lariats and up that are way more $$$ and heavier to the point that payload suffers greatly. I bought the truck to tow, so I don't need all that extra stuff.

They are definitely stupid expensive when loaded ! loaded rams , f150 . chev gmc, tundra can break 100k easily here in Canada.

 

[goblin]

...adding an actuator for this is the dumbest thing ever...

Is it used for anything else ? Is it extremely inexpensive because of any specifics of the shifter (position, etc) ? Is it part of some other system ?
It is puzzling indeed. Most of all - unless Ford has a strange way with options, you still have a key, so yours is probably not the most loaded possible - chances are it's mounted on all models ?

 

[JimPghPA]

And that is saying a lot.

I'm usually pretty good about knowing all the ins-and-outs of the vehicles I buy and drive, but the other morning I was completely taken aback by what my 2025 F150 did.

It was my usual drive home from work. Pulled into my downward sloping driveway and applied the parking brake as I've done forever. This time though I brain farted and instead of putting the truck in park and removing the key, I simply turned the truck off and took the key out.

Much to my surprise, the shifter moved itself from drive, all the way back to park.

On what planet do we need to do this? What was wrong with an annoying beeper, flashing a BIG warning up on the screen, and locking the key in the ignition until you manually returned the shifter to park, like cars have been doing for ages?

I can't come up with a single reason this is needed. Guess one thing that would never ever get fixed if it broke on my truck. It's not like they're using an existing system to do something else. Like, they're not using the electric power steering to do lane keeping, or the ABS system to do traction control. This is a whole new actuator that just does one thing, move the shifter.

Of course I shot video of

Deff solo driver?

 

[ctechbob]

Is it used for anything else ? Is it extremely inexpensive because of any specifics of the shifter (position, etc) ? Is it part of some other system ?
It is puzzling indeed. Most of all - unless Ford has a strange way with options, you still have a key, so yours is probably not the most loaded possible - chances are it's mounted on all models ?

I can't possibly imagine what else they would use it for. There's nothing else in the column that would need any kind of actuation. No power adjustment, no nothing. So it has to be there purely to move the shifter.

Like @SC Maintenance said, it is just complexity for the sake of complexity. That's my biggest complaint with it. Well, maybe complaint is a strong word, I don't really care that it is there, but how much did it add to the cost of the vehicle for absolutely no reason? Safety? I don't agree, they could have done something with the systems already on the truck for practically free (programming).

 

[goblin]

I was wondering if it was something specific to column shifters (more likely to be forgotten, some worksite cofort feature or whatever), but it looks like it's simply a Ford thing. Judging by this snippet - there's worse

 

[ctechbob]

I was wondering if it was something specific to column shifters (more likely to be forgotten, some worksite cofort feature or whatever), but it looks like it's simply a Ford thing. Judging by this snippet - there's worse

I want to say I've opened a door while in gear before while hitching up the camper, but maybe I haven't. I'll have to mess with that next time we leave on a trip. I'm sure it probably does the same thing the console shifters do.

Wonder what the internal acronym for it is. I'm sure I could come up with some creative ones.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I’m pretty sure my 2019 and 2021 F-150s both put the parking brake on automatically when I put it in park. Maybe I’m wrong though. My wife’s 24 Yukon XL puts it on if you park on a hill automatically.

 

[Speedbird001]

[Tin foil hat on] It is part of final proof of concept fielding for the Police, Feds or whatever agency a judge says...

They will use a bluetooth or similar device to safely shut down / park / stop your car when they see fit.

 

[goblin]

...They will use a bluetooth or similar device to safely shut down / park / stop your car when they see fit.

Hasn't OnStar been doing this for the last 29 years ?