Wondering why is the Ford WiFi hotspot not working and what’s the solution? Keep reading!
The Ford WiFi hotspot only comes with recent Ford Vehicles and may not be supported on your car.
This can be easily checked by knowing the release date of your Ford vehicle.
From there the solution consists of identifying the cause and targeting the issue accordingly.
The Fort WiFi hotspot is not working because the car is out of service or the hotspot password has been changed. Another reason is the hotspot setup, which should be carried out correctly and in case nothing helps, users often perform a Master Reset.
Let’s next learn which Ford Models do support the WiFi Hotspot functionality:
Which Ford Cars Support WiFi Hotspot?
In case you’ve never used the Ford WiFi hotspot before and now when you’re first attempting the feature doesn’t work, perhaps the Ford model does not support a hotspot.
If you’re not sure which Ford cars have WiFi hotspots, here is the complete list:
- Ford Explorer 2019 Sports, Platinum & Limited,
- XLT (O), Ford F-150 2019 King Ranch, Lariat, Premium, and Limited
- Raptor and XL (O) Ford Ranger 2019 Lariat, SL, and XT
To clarify further, if your Ford is released after 2020 the WiFi hotspot is sure to be supported.
However, older Ford models will not have this functionality enabled, therefore this guide won’t be able to help you. When you identify this, let’s proceed with answering “why?”.
Why Is Ford Hotspot Not Working?
There’s a chance that the Ford’s WiFi hotspot hasn’t been set up yet.
By setting up your hotspot, you can take advantage of data speeds through 4G LTE and a reliable connection on the AT&T nationwide wireless network.
Certain interruptions in the wireless connection will afflict the hotspot and prevent your devices from connecting.
Here’s what you should know that could cause hotspot issues with your Ford:
- Devices cannot be paired while the car is moving with more speed than 5 MPH
- Your Ford car must be in an area of coverage for the hotspot to work
- The hotspot hasn’t been setup yet
- Your mobile device or computer is on the hotspot blacklist of the Ford
Next, we’ll learn what you can do to solve the problem in a matter of minutes!
How to Fix When Ford Vehicle Hotspot Not Working?
To solve the hotspot problem with your Ford Vehicle you’ll need to address ALL possibilities and make sure that everything is working well.
Let’s jump straight into the solution guide!
Solution #1 Setup the Hotspot Correctly
First things first, you must make sure that the hotspot on your Ford car is set up correctly.
There is a certain process of enabling the hotspot on your device to make all of your mobile devices eligible to connect with the car. There are some specifics so let’s learn more!
Here’s how to correctly setup the Ford car’s WiFi hotspot:
- Start your Ford Vehicle.
- Head to the “Vehicle WiFi & Hotspot” menu.
- Head to Settings at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll sideways until you find the “Wi-Fi & Hotspot” menu.
- Select the “Vehicle Hotspot” tab.
- Check the default settings of the hotspot settings.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to enable the hotspot.
Notice: Your vehicle and the SYNC 3 master must be working during the time of enabling the hotspot.
Solution #2 Toggle the Hotspot
Even if you set up the hotspot, it must be toggled in order for your devices to be able to connect.
In that regard, we will now show you the setting you have to visit so you can get the hotspot on your Ford WiFi enabled.
Here’s how to turn on the hotspot on your Ford car:
- On your SYNC 3’ screen, touch the Settings.
- Next, go to the Wi-Fi Hotspot.
- Head to Vehicle Hotspot.
- Ensure that the slider is set to ON.
- Touch the slider once to enable the hotspot of your Ford.
- Check if your device is eligible to connect now.
Note: Enabling the hotspot may cause a prompt to pop up. Make sure to confirm all of the services upon enabling the setting.
Solution #3 Enable the WiFi of your Ford
The hotspot on your Ford network cannot work without having the WiFi enabled.
For this purpose, you will need the FordPass application on your mobile device and you will have to activate the SYNC Connect service.
Follow these instructions to enable the WiFi on your Ford:
- Ensure that your Ford car is parked in a safe location.
- Download the FordPass app on your phone and create a registration.
- Sign into your account.
- Follow the instructions to connect the app to your car.
- Next, go to the SYNC Connect tab.
- Enable the service.
- Sign up for the Complimentary Data Trial.
- Enable the WiFi on your Ford.
Note: If you’re having issues with the navigation in the Ford app, use the “HELP” icon for assistance.
Solution #4 Move your Device Closer to the Ford
In order to be able to connect a device to your Ford’s WiFi, it must be in a certain range to scan for the network.
Your mobile device must be within a 50-meter range from the Ford car in order to hook up with the network and therefore the hotspot.
Move as close as you have to the Ford vehicle and test to connect with the hotspot.
You will have to undergo the network setup on your mobile device with the hotspot once again as soon as you’re in range of the Ford car. In case it still doesn’t work, proceed further!
Tip: For the best hotspot connection, make sure you step into the car!
Solution #5 Verify Hotspot Credentials!
If you’ve recently changed the value of Ford’s hotspot password, your device will be unable to hook up with the network.
What you should do at this point, is make sure that you’re entering the correct value of Ford’s hotspot password and then retry the connection.
To check the hotspot’s password, go to Settings > WiFi Hotspot > Vehicle Hotspot.
In there you will find the correct password that you’ll need to use on your connected devices to be able to hook up with the hotspot.
You will also discover a way to change the password with something easy to type in, therefore easy to remember.
Alert: Make sure that you insert each symbol and letter with the correct caps.
Solution #6 Move Into an Area of Coverage
Chances are that your Ford car isn’t in an area of coverage and this is why your phone is unable to hook up with the hotspot.
Certain places in your area could be out of coverage since they are unable to connect with one of the nearby radio towers.
Such areas could be the following:
- Deep forests or lakes that are far away from a radio tower!
- Underground compartments or park lots
- Tunnels or highways
Make sure you’re in a city where the reception of the radio tower is good enough for your Ford to connect and transmit the hotspot.
Once you’ve found a place where to stop your Ford card, check if your device will connect to the hotspot now. Don’t draw conclusions just yet.
Solution #7 Reset your Ford Software
If nothing has worked so far with your Ford’s hotspot, you should perform a reset on your SYNC 3.
The factory reset could also be called a Master Reset and it will refresh all of the software configurations, settings, and options made to the firmware of your Ford car software.
Here’s how to perform a reset on your Ford car’ SYNC device:
- From the home screen of SYNC 3, head to Settings.
- Choose the General Tab.
- Scroll all the way down and locate the Master Reset Section.
- Press “OK” and wait for a prompt.
- Once the reset prompt appears, confirm the reset.
- Give your SYNC device a while to complete the reset.
Alert: Do not power off the SYNC 3 device until the reset is not finished completely!
Quick Recap:
Hence, the hotspot on your Ford Vehicle will not work when the internet is weak or the car is out of coverage. To solve the problem users often re-enable the hotspot or factory reset the Ford Software which turns out to be helpful in most cases.
Read Next: Can I Turn My Straight Talk Phone into a WiFi Hotspot?
Wrapping Up:
Now that we’ve learned why the Ford WiFi hotspot not working and how to solve the problem in a matter of minutes, we can now connect to our remote WiFi point.
This is a nice way to stay connected so we hope this guide was helpful for you to solve the issue in no time!
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.