Ford's Hands-Free Driver Tech Just Got a Lot Cheaper

BlueCruise used to cost $800 per year as a subscription. Now it's down to $495.

By: Christopher Smith

Oct 7, 2024 at 12:30pm ET

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Ford dropped the price of a one-year BlueCruise subscription to $495.
The hands-free system is also available as a standalone option, costing $2,495.
Buyers who previously purchased a subscription at the higher price will not receive a credit or refund.

Ford has cut the price of its BlueCruise hands-free driver-assist subscription nearly in half. Prior to October 1, the system was available at $2,100 for three years, $800 for one year, or $75 per month. Now, you can have it for $495 a year, or $49.99 per month. Or if you don't want a subscription, there's a new one-time purchase option for $2,495. The three-year subscription plan is gone.

There's some fine print for the one-time purchase, however. Ford says the $2,495 option will have the service available "for a minimum of seven years," and it's not transferrable if you sell the vehicle. That means you won't be buying a used Ford with BlueCruise already set up. The fine print also states that new purchasers won't have to pay any additional subscription fees beyond seven years ... "if the service is available."

Originally offered on just the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning EVs, BlueCruise is now available for the F-150, Expedition, Explorer, and all Lincoln models. A one-year subscription is standard on some trims, but all trim levels with available BlueCruise will include a complementary 90-day trial to give new buyers a chance to try it out. According to Ford, a yearly subscription or the one-time purchase option can be done at the dealership after delivery as an upgrade. The monthly subscription is available any time, and designed for buyers who may only use the system sparingly.

Ford didn't offer a reason for the price drop, but it's no secret that buyers aren't very happy with subscription services in general. This applies to all automakers, so Ford taking its BlueCruise cost down a few notches—not to mention offering it as a one-time option—could make the tech more appealing to potential customers.

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What about people who already stepped up to an $800 annual subscription in their new 2025 Ford? Unfortunately, those buyers are out of luck. A company spokesperson offered the following statement to Motor1:

"The new annual and monthly BlueCruise pricing went into effect as of October 1, 2024. As with all of our products and services, BlueCruise pricing is always subject to change. Annual and monthly transactions made before this date will not be retroacted.

We have customers who chose to buy BlueCruise upfront, and others who choose to activate monthly or annually based on their needs following their 90-day complimentary trial. Anyone who has activated monthly or annually will receive the new price at their next payment."