My wife was driving her 2007 f150 crew cab with 33,000 miles. She was approaching a stop sign and the engine revved vary high and she could not stop for the intersection. Fortunately there was no oncoming traffic as she shot straight through the intersection before she got the vehicle under control. She was scared to death. I called the Ford dealer and they say they never heard of the problem! I…
2007 Ford F-150 cruise control problems
severe 42 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
42
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
7crashes
4fires
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 42 cruise control complaints filed for the 2007 Ford F-150, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 42 cruise control complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA cruise control complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 15 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2007 Ford F-150 shows a pattern of unintended acceleration failures that owners describe as sudden, violent, and dangerous. Most common is engine surge while braking or stopped at traffic lights: the truck revs to 2000–5000 RPM and lurches forward despite full brake pressure. Owners report needing to shift into Neutral or Park to stop. These incidents occur intermittently across mileage ranges from 2,800 to 55,000 miles, making them unpredictable. In several cases, vehicles reached highway speeds of 65–125 mph, and crashes resulted—one struck a parked vehicle causing injuries, another crashed through a garage door, a third backed into a tree.
Cruise control failures also appear: set at 65 mph, the system won't disengage when brakes are pressed, causing uncontrolled acceleration to 120+ mph. Owners had to shut off the ignition or apply the parking brake.
Dealers consistently report inability to diagnose or replicate the failures. Ford refused to acknowledge a defect and offered no recall, despite owners providing documentation of hundreds of similar complaints. One owner's attempt at repair included a $140 computer reset; another was quoted $300+ for throttle body replacement, neither addressing the core issue.
Additional failures include transmission faults with "TRANS FAULT" messages, brake pedal design flaws where the pedal travels past the accelerator during normal braking (later corrected in 2009 redesign), and vehicle fires with cracked fuel control modules.
Same Ford F-150 cruise control reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended acceleration while braking
Engine revs and vehicle accelerates forward while brake pedal is depressed, often at traffic lights or during normal deceleration. Vehicle lurches forward despite hard brake pressure; owners report needing to shift to Neutral or Park to stop.
When: Throughout ownership; mileage range 2,800–55,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Engine RPM spikes to 2000–5000 while braking; Vehicle lurches forward with brake depressed; Truck continues accelerating despite full brake pressure; Loud engine revving with vehicle pulling forward; Intermittent recurrence, difficult to replicate
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to diagnose or duplicate. Some replaced fuel throttle body without success. One owner charged $140 for computer reset; another offered $300+ throttle body replacement. One owner replaced front brake rotors and pads without resolution.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford denied knowledge of defect. Dealers stated issue within specifications. Factory representatives refused to acknowledge problem. One owner told vehicle could be traded. Denial letters issued.
Cruise control will not deactivate when brakes applied
Cruise control remains engaged and vehicle accelerates even after brake pedal is pressed. Vehicle reaches dangerous speeds (65–125 mph) and owner must shut ignition off or apply parking brake to stop.
When: Early ownership; mileage 263–29,728
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control fails to disengage when brake pedal pressed; Vehicle continues accelerating at highway speeds; Speed increases to 120–125 mph despite brake application; Engine continues to rev with brake applied; One crash into tree reported
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer unable to duplicate. One local repair facility suggested vacuum leak as possible cause. Vehicle involved in crash through garage door and another backed into tree with severe damage.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer offered no assistance. Ford declined to help after crash. Vehicle not repaired in most cases.
Abnormal acceleration while shifting gears
Vehicle surges or accelerates rapidly when shifting from Park to Reverse or Drive, or during normal gear transitions. Occurs at very low speeds in driveways and parking lots.
When: Throughout ownership; mileage range 2,968–45,000
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle accelerates backward at full speed when shifting to Reverse; Sudden lunge forward when shifting to Drive; Acceleration when unhooking trailer or parking; Surges in driveway requiring brake pressure to stop; Nearly struck attendants at car wash
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer unable to diagnose. One vehicle crashed into another; damage to both vehicles. One vehicle crashed through garage door.
Engine surge and high idle RPM at stops
Engine RPMs spike unexpectedly while vehicle is stopped or idling, causing vehicle to lunge forward or attempt to move without driver input. Occurs at traffic lights and stop signs.
When: Throughout ownership; mileage range 12,750–45,000
Symptoms owners cite: RPM spike to 1000–1200 or higher while stopped; Vehicle lurches forward at traffic lights; Excessive RPM increase without accelerator input; Engine hesitation after occurrence; Intermittent; resets when vehicle turned off and restarted
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer unable to locate or duplicate problem in multiple visits. Computer chip reset attempted ($140) without lasting effect.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford offered no assistance. Advised there were no recalls.
Brake pedal travel past accelerator pedal during braking
Brake pedal travels further than designed and contacts or passes the accelerator pedal during normal braking, forcing driver to lift foot from accelerator. Design flaw affects multiple model year 2007–2008 F-150s; corrected in 2009 redesign.
When: Throughout ownership; mileage 10,000–50,000
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal depresses past accelerator pedal during normal braking; Pedal contact or overlap creates safety concern; Occurs intermittently, not every time; Issue replicated across multiple 2007–2008 vehicles on dealer lot
Repairs/costs cited: Front brake rotors and pads replaced without resolving issue. Dealership confirmed problem through service manager driving vehicle daily.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford stated braking system within specifications and refused to acknowledge design issue. Service manager confirmed 2009 model year featured complete braking system redesign.
Transmission fault and overdrive malfunction
Transmission exhibits erratic behavior including RPM surges during shifting, loss of speed despite throttle input, and 'TRANS FAULT' message displayed. Overdrive light flashes intermittently.
When: During normal driving; mileage range variable
Symptoms owners cite: RPM ramps to 3000–5000 during shifting; Speed drops while foot remains on accelerator; Overdrive light flashes in Park; Transmission fault message appears; Reverse gear inoperable until engine restarted; Delay in acceleration from stop
Codes mentioned: TRANS FAULT
Repairs/costs cited: Turning overdrive off temporarily helps. Issue recurs.
Vehicle fire under hood and electrical system failure
Vehicle caught fire under hood while parked or shortly after driving. One vehicle had fire come from dashboard vents while parked for 7 hours. Fuel control module under rear axle cracked wide open with circuit board exposed.
When: After 195,000 miles; also reported at low mileage when parked
Symptoms owners cite: Smoke and flames from under hood; Fire from dashboard vents while vehicle idle; Fuel control module cracked with exposed circuit board; Complete vehicle destruction in one case
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle completely destroyed. One dealer parts employee stated they see similar fuel control module failures at least three per week. Aluminum back plate on steel axle with no buffer identified as design flaw.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Vehicle included in recall 05S28 for vehicle speed control, though owner disputed receiving recall letter.
Rough running and stalling in wet conditions
Engine runs rough and stalls randomly while driving, at car wash, or at traffic lights when weather is wet. Occurs despite fuel system and ignition service.
When: During or after wet weather
Symptoms owners cite: Rough running and stalling while driving; Stalling at car wash and traffic lights; Issue occurs only during wet weather; Persists after new plugs, coil packs, injector service, throttle body cleaning
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership replaced plugs, coil packs, performed injector service and throttle body cleaning without improvement. Root cause identified as cracked fuel control module.
Synthesized from 42 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Had cruise control trouble with your 2007 Ford F-150?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2007 Ford F-150?
It's a meaningful issue. 42 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 35 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 12,750 and 58,000 miles, with the median around 44,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 12,750; a quarter make it past 58,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2007/Ford/F-150.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.