Support>Ford Technology>Driver-Assist Features>What is the Side Sensing System?

What is my Ford's Side Sensing System*?

The Side Sensing feature is an enhancement to the Forward Sensing and Reverse Sensing systems. When the system detects an object within the coverage area and the driving path of your vehicle, an audible warning sounds. As your vehicle moves closer to the object, the rate of the tone increases.

The sensors are on the front and rear bumpers. The sensors are active when the transmission is in any position other than Park (P). The system turns off when the vehicle speed reaches 5 mph.

Important:

  • Keep the sensors free from snow, ice, and large accumulations of dirt.
  • Do not cover up sensors.
  • Do not clean the sensors with sharp objects.
  • If your vehicle sustains damage leaving the sensors misaligned, this may cause inaccurate measurements or false alerts.
  • Some accessories, for example, larger trailer hitches or bike or surfboard racks can cause reduced performance or false alerts.

Using the Distance Object Indicator32eb0854-450a-42f1-ab7e-63048c2a7567.png

The system provides object distance indication through the information display. As the distance to the object decreases, the indicator blocks illuminate and move toward the vehicle icon. 

  • Green: The object detected is more than 24 in away.
  • Yellow: The object detected is between 24 in and 12 in away.
  • Red: The object detected is closer than 12 in.

As the distance to the object decreases, the indicators illuminate and move towards the vehicle icon. 

If there is no object detected, the distance indicator blocks are gray.

Using the Warning Tone Indicator

A warning tone sounds when your vehicle approaches an object in the yellow zone. The warning tone continuously sounds when an object is 12 in away or less.

When you stop your vehicle, the audible warning turns off after two seconds and the visual warning turns off after four seconds.

Why is the Side Sensing System not working?

The system may not function if:

  • You switch the ignition on, off and back on within a few seconds.
  • Your vehicle remains stationary for over two minutes.
  • The anti-lock brake system activates.
  • The traction control system activates.

Notes: 

  • If you switch traction control off, the side sensing system also turns off.
  • Some accessories, for example large trailer hitches or bike or surfboard racks can cause reduced performance or false alerts.
    To reinitialize the system, you may have to drive your vehicle approximately 10 ft.

Additional Information

What is the Forward Sensing System?
What is the Reverse Sensing System?

*Driver-assist features are supplemental and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgment, and need to control the vehicle. Refer to your Owner’s Manual for details and limitations. Feature is available on select vehicles. Features may vary based on model year, trim, options, packages, and supply availability. Use the Build and Price tool to view feature availability on current models. If you have questions or need more information, reference your Owner’s Manual or contact your Ford Dealer.