Any time you have to upgrade software, it can be incredibly complicated. A lot of the process depends on the original equipment, the modems, the modules, the software and whether all of the components can be upgraded. The Ford F-Series is America’s best-selling vehicle so there are tens of millions of them on the road. Ford tries to make sure that every F-150 has the latest technology when it leaves the factory. The company is also trying to upgrade older vehicles if they have the capability to adapt to the newer software. Ford says one of its priorities is improving the BlueCruise hands-free highway driving experience for truck owners, delivering software improvements for new vehicles and those already on the road.
How Ford is Improving the Software
Ford says, one of our newest versions of software, BlueCruise 1.4, started shipping from the factory on the 2025 model year F-150, and last year, they started rolling it out to 2022-2023 model year truck customers, taking them from BlueCruise 1.0 to 1.4.
“Now, we are expanding this update to hundreds of thousands of eligible 2024 model year F-150 customers, who will go from BlueCruise 1.2 to 1.4.”
Ford says “This rollout — one of the largest BlueCruise software updates ever deployed on a single model year — is proof of our goal to improve the hands-free driving experience across multiple vehicle lines and model years. Every mile driven is an opportunity to learn, improve, and deliver something better.”
In the U.S., BlueCruise is accessible to customers across nine Ford and Lincoln vehicle lines with various engine types, from gas powered to hybrid to all electric. BlueCruise is available on the F-150, F-150 Lightning, Expedition, Explorer, and Mustang Mach-E. BlueCruise is also available on the entire Lincoln lineup dating as far back as 2021, depending on the model year.
Every vehicle line, and each model year has a specific BlueCruise software package. Making these upgrades is not as simple as pushing a software update to your smartphone. This is highly complex and requires updates to multiple system modules and in-vehicle screens.
Upgrading the Software is a Huge Undertaking
In 2025, F-150 customers had the most BlueCruise hands-free highway driving miles (118 million miles) and spent the most time hands-free (1.6 million hours) compared to those with other equipped vehicles. For many F-150 drivers, their truck is their mobile office. Whether the driver is surveying a farm, visiting construction sites or traveling between feed yards, the drivers often travel hundreds of miles every day or week.
With each new version of software, Ford has seen an increase in BlueCruise usage. In 2025, F-150 customers saw usage jump and spent the most time hands-free (1.6 million hours) compared to those with other equipped vehicles. That jump in usage was a 101% year-over-year increase for F-150.
The more customers use BlueCruise, the more we learn. And through our Continuous Learning Loop process, large-scale data received from BlueCruise-equipped vehicles that customers have agreed to share with us translates directly into new versions of software.
Interestingly, when a vehicle company is able to update the software in a vehicle, the owner often gets new features and functions. It doesn’t always happen, but often, the driver of the vehicle ends up with access to hands-free driving on more roads, or in more cities. Often, it will give drivers access to hands-free driving on more thorough fares not just highways, or hands-free driving on more country roads. The upgrades can really help people who office in their truck and have to visit multiple sites in a day or week.
Ford is not saying exactly when this upgrade will occur but they promise that it will be huge. With it affecting millions of vehicles at once, the upgrade could be life-changing for many. It will take place across all of the 2024 Ford F-150s. That includes every F-150 configuration, including the Lightning EVs. I’m sure there will be a few glitches but with millions of trucks on the road, that is understandable.
Image by Ford
About the Author
Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin. Follow Mary at @MaryConwayMedia on X and on Facebook, and send her car news tips for future stories. Mary Conway is an esteemed automotive and business reporter who was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 2019. Mary is a member of the Automotive Press Association, Rocky Mountain Automotive Press, Society of Professional Journalists, and NATAS.
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