System Operation: CTA

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2018 Ford EcoSport. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

NOTE: On vehicles equipped with factory trailer tow, if a trailer is electrically connected to the vehicle, the CTA is disabled.

NOTE: On vehicles without factory trailer tow, if a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the CTA system may detect the trailer and cause a false alert.

NOTE: The CTA system is only active when reverse gear is selected.

When the transmission is in reverse, the CTA system can detect a vehicle or a bicycle that is approaching at a speed between 8 km/h and 60 km/h (5 mph and 37 mph) and time to impact is between 1 and 2.5 seconds. The CTA system illuminates a LED in the outside mirror on the side of your vehicle the approaching vehicle is coming from. The CTA system also sounds an audible alert and a message appears in the information display indicating a vehicle is coming from the right or left. The distance at which an alert is generated varies depending on the speed of the approaching vehicles or bicycles. The CTA system response time and performance can degrade if vehicles are approaching at speeds greater than 60 km/h (37 mph).

An adjacent parked vehicle or object can affect the systems ability to detect approaching vehicles or bicycles (refer to figure 1 below). Parking at extreme angles can further affect the systems ability to detect approaching vehicles or bicycles (refer to figure 2 below). Backing towards a curve road can also affect systems ability to detect approaching vehicles or bicycles (refer to figure 3 below).

CTA detection zones:

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR COMPANY

The CTA system is designed to detect objects approaching the vehicle at a speed equal to or greater than 8 km/h (5 mph). This includes vehicles and bicycles. The CTA system has some detection limitations due to the nature of the radar technology used by the SODL and SODR.

NOTE: The CTA system is not intended to detect parked vehicles, slow walking pedestrians or objects such as fences, guard rails or trees. It may detect fast walking pedestrians.

NOTE: There should be no bumper stickers or body filler material used on the rear side bumper cover in the vicinity of the SODL or SODR.

Circumstances that may cause non-detection are:

Debris build-up or bumper stickers on the rear bumper sides
The rear quarter panel of the vehicle is obstructed or partially obstructed by an adjacently parked vehicle or object
Vehicle approaching at speeds greater than 60 km/h (37 mph)
Driving in reverse faster than 12 km/h (8 mph)
Damage to sensor and/or sensor area

Due to the nature of radar technology, there may be certain instances when the CTA system alerts the operator, when no object or vehicle is present while backing up. This is known as a false alert. False alerts up to 3% of the time (3 times out of 100 reversals) are considered normal. A false alert may occur when backing out of a garage or backing into a parking space and objects or vehicles are very close to the radar sensors. False alerts are temporary and self-correcting.

Missed targets occur when a target is present and the LED does not illuminate. Missed targets up to 1% (1 out of 100 targets) is considered normal operation.

Circumstances that cause missed alerts are:

Debris build-up or bumper stickers on the rear bumper sides
Certain maneuvering of the vehicles entering and exiting the detection zone
Vehicles passing through the detection zone at high rates of speed
When several vehicles forming a convoy pass through the detection zone