Safety Concern with GPS Malfunctioning 2021 F150

[OnceAnEagle]

Occasionally when driving down dirt county roads the Ford GPS malfunctions. It will show I am miles away, a compass icon will appear, then it starts moving across streams, ponds, roads, parallel to roads, etc. After I wash the vehicle the GPS works properly. My wife's 2020 Ford Escape goes over the same dirt roads with no GPS malfunction. I thank a site member for pointing out they have experienced the same problem and can force a GPS-only reset by pressing the power button down on the radio and at the same time the right seek arrow, for 10 seconds.

However, for any Ford reps out there, reseting while moving is not safe nor is being in unfamiliar areas at night and having the GPS go nuts. Ford apparently overrides Android phone map programs so they do not work. I have tried to use Google maps on my Android phone when my screen was going crazy with no success.
To me this GPS malfunction is a safety issue and am asking others to post their GPS malfunctions so Ford might consider a software update.

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[Str8Shooter]

I had to do the system reset 5 times this year to resolve this GPS loss problem. It is a very frustrating and unacceptable solution to try to remember what buttons to push to resolve this Sync 4 issue when you are not in a poor GPS access area and the map is not showing the vehicle in an accurate location for many hours over many miles. The most important reason to have a big screen in the middle of the dash is for navigation. Doing a manual system reset is currently the only way to get the GPS loss issue fixed immediately. Please fix this with an OTA update if you can Ford.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Occasionally when driving down dirt county roads the Ford GPS malfunctions. It will show I am miles away, a compass icon will appear, then it starts moving across streams, ponds, roads, parallel to roads, etc. After I wash the vehicle the GPS works properly. My wife's 2020 Ford Escape goes over the same dirt roads with no GPS malfunction. I thank a site member for pointing out they have experienced the same problem and can force a GPS-only reset by pressing the power button down on the radio and at the same time the right seek arrow, for 10 seconds.

However, for any Ford reps out there, reseting while moving is not safe nor is being in unfamiliar areas at night and having the GPS go nuts. Ford apparently overrides Android phone map programs so they do not work. I have tried to use Google maps on my Android phone when my screen was going crazy with no success.
To me this GPS malfunction is a safety issue and am asking others to post their GPS malfunctions so Ford might consider a software update.

The navigation system uses cell tower data along with GPS to triangulate location. If the truck loses cell connection it will do as you describe at times. Happens to me when I go out to the in-laws property and cell service is spotty. Might want to setup and use wired Android Auto and use Wayze or another GPS app to override Ford's navigation and see if it's any better. I haven't had an issue with this since I switched to Wayze via CarPlay.

 

[Str8Shooter]

The navigation system uses cell tower data along with GPS to triangulate location. If the truck loses cell connection it will do as you describe at times. Happens to me when I go out to the in-laws property and cell service is spotty. Might want to setup and use wired Android Auto and use Wayze or another GPS app to override Ford's navigation and see if it's any better. I haven't had an issue with this since I switched to Wayze via CarPlay.

When you are out in the middle of nowhere or between mountain ranges there is no cell coverage. Good luck being able to connect to 3 or more cell towers in most parts of the USA. The way GPS works however is triangulated position.

Concerning your comment about using Android Auto with its Nav Maps. The GPS signal your phone uses is overridden by Fords GPS antenna - that's how Android Auto works. So, if you are connected to Android Auto, the Google Maps and Waze display on the center display console also show a GPS loss and inaccurate location. Additionally, if you try and use Android Auto when it is connected to your truck's center console display you will not be able to view maps on your phone. You could disconnect your truck completely from Android Auto and then use your phone to navigate using google maps. That's what I had to do until I figured out the system reset solution.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

When you are out in the middle of nowhere or between mountain ranges there is no cell coverage. Good luck being able to connect to 3 or more cell towers in most parts of the USA. The way GPS works however is triangulated position.

Concerning your comment about using Android Auto with its Nav Maps. The GPS signal your phone uses is overridden by Fords GPS antenna - that's how Android Auto works. So, if you are connected to Android Auto, the Google Maps and Waze display on the center display console also show a GPS loss and inaccurate location. Additionally, if you try and use Android Auto when it is connected to your truck's center console display you will not be able to view maps on your phone. You could disconnect your truck completely from Android Auto and then use your phone to navigate using google maps. That's what I had to do until I figured out the system reset solution.

If you are navigating to a given location then programming the route into Google Maps and preload the maps or Wayze then you should be fine when a loss of connectivity happens. I ran into this when we were in in the Smoky Mountains. But then I also use CarPlay so that does prevent the built in NAV from taking over like it apparently does with AA.

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