2019 Ford Edge Complaint Log

Ford dealership told me my 2019 Ford Edge has swollen lug nuts. It would cost me $197.00 to have them replaced. Vehicle has almost 61,000 miles. Declined to have them replaced because the service department removed one lug nut and it looked very good.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate at speeds under 30 MPH, the vehicle would shudder, shake, and vibrate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission torque converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 88,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle sputtered and almost stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the torque converter, valve body, and pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

Vehicle has had transmission reprogrammed by Ford. Whole vehicle jerks from 20-40mph. Torque converter seems to be slipping as transmission needle bounces all over the place. Vehicle has 70,000 miles.

Engine - Yes it is available for inspection. Approximately a year/18 months I was driving on the interstate and the engine shut down. I was required to pull over four lanes with no power. I took it to a Ford dealership in Franklin, TN. Supposedly it was fixed. However I now have a problem with the engine missing. I took it to my routine service repair center and their mechanic advised me coolant was seeping into the engine block. No messages or warnings were desplayed.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Engine overheated while driving on the highway. White smoke came out of tailpipe during engine running. Coolant reservoir was empty after I parked the car and turned off the engine. Had to get the car towed to the dealership the next day to get it checked out and was confirmed that coolant got leaked inside the engine.

Transmission was jerking and would not switch smoothly between gears. Had three different places diagnose, was told by all three the torque convertor needed replacing. Was told to do so immediately as there was possibilty that transmission could fail at any time, leaving car powerless. Seems to be a common issue, based on the number of comments in threads: [XXX] Also have seen websites gathering info regarding possible class action lawsuits. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on the highway, and the contact took the next exit and exited the highway. The contact stated that while at the stop light, the vehicle jerked, and the contact became aware of an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact drove to an Advanced Auto Parts parking lot and allowed the engine to cool off. The contact stated that after the engine had cooled down, the coolant level was checked, and was below the minimum level. However, the contact stated that there was no indication that the coolant was low and no evidence of a leak. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The contact started the vehicle, and there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal odor coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

Vehicle was not shifting smoothly when driving it. This had been an ongoing issue but was getting worse, especially in low gears. No lights or identification. I brought it to the dealership and they identified that I needed to have the torque convertor replaced. They did a transmission overhaul. Identified there were still issues occurring and shifting was not smooth. Installed new pistons, pump, shaft. Overhauled the automatic transmission assembly. There were identified Ford TSBs for these issues. They identified debris in transmission fluid, removed transmission, flushed and rebuilt. My vehicle was in service for two months, so not sure exactly when it was resolved but I do know when it was dropped off. The service department kept me updated and I had a loaner, but this occurred over the holiday season.

Infotainment system blacked out while driving and then began showing rear camera intermittently while driving. SB issued suggests this issue requires AIN software update. Dealer says SYNC module, TCU and rear camera need to be replaced. Seems to be discrepancy in whether or not this is a covered recall. Please advise.

The torque converter failed at 62,050 miles. It is currently at the dealer and unable to be repaired to to the part being on national backorder. So it should be able to be inspected on demand as of the submission of this form until an unknown amount of time before the part is available. This failure put others on the road at risk as well as me and my family because of a sudden inability to accelerate. This caused other drivers to have to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting us because we weren't able to move out of the way in time. The Ford dealership has confirmed the torque converter is the failure. The vehicle has been inspected by a Ford technician but the torque converter unit has not been removed yet to my knowledge as we're awaiting a new part before being able to do so. There was no indication that a problem was going to occur or had occurred after the fact.

Transmission shifting is rough and jerky. Started at 65k miles, just out of warranty. Regular service has been performed every 30k miles. Numerous people have reported the same issue with no solution or fix from Ford.

November 2023 - Started noticing there was some unsteady shifting/jerking around 25-35 mph. Car had appx. 68k miles. Took it to 3 different places with all 3 diagnosing as the torque converter. Was told to replace immediately, as could fail at any moment and cause car to stop. July 2025 - Same symptoms. Car has 103k miles on it. Received diagnosis of, “The technician is saying the planetary gearset failure with metallic debris intermixed within the transmission fluid. Due to the age, mileage, condition, and symptoms present on the vehicle the technician is recommending replacing the transmission.” Again, losing transmission would car to come to stop, possibly in traffic lanes. So, this is two major issues with the transmission in 100k miles. Also seems to be a rather common issue with this model, as it didn’t take long to find message boards related to this, and it's now up to 4 pages: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Torque converter malfunction confirmed through transmission shop. When problem initially presented it would intermittenly lag when pressing the accelerator. That turned into a constant jerk/shudder during driving with it being severely pronounced during any kind of acceleration in any gear. The problem only got worse and did so quickly. On several occasions I experienced enough lag that I was almost hit due to the delay in the car moving. I then had to leave ample time to turn in the event the car didn't engage again. The problem was confirmed through an independent transmission shop and is currently up for repair and a Ford dealership. The symptoms were present for 8 months without the car ever throwing a code. It never indicated needing any service.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 45 MPH, the navigation screen went black or blue. The contact stated that the Navigation controls and radio became inoperable. After restarting the vehicle, the screen became operable, but the failure recurred after driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the APIM module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Low coolant levels and white smoke that enters the vehicle from the tailpipe. No evidence of leaks

Transmission, it hard to get it in reverse. It jumps into drive noises when I put into drive. When put in part It still rolls sometimes. When I put it in reverse it rolls forward.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle hesitated while responding. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

After 60k miles the vehicle shifts so hard it jerks when getting off the highway and also in town. The vehicle was purchased brand new. The vehicle was looked at by the dealership who was able to reproduce the issue. They advised that an update to the software was needed and the transmission would need replaced. Took for a 2nd opinion, at a transmission specialist, they were unable to reproduce the issue (after the software update) and advised that they did not feel comfortable replacing the transmission when they are unable to reproduce the issue. The issue mainly happens coming off highway to driving in city when going from 70mph to 30mph or going up hill from a stop. There are no warning lights that come on for this issue. This issue was observed by multiple family members. It appears as though this is not the first 2019 Ford Edge with the issue. There is a whole thread about this specific issue on [XXX] , where it was suggested to put in a complaint here. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car will shuttle between 1700-2500 RPMs while in low gears. In reviewing online (NHTSA) it should be a software update. I went to get the update for $400. After the update was applied the service center stated the software update did nothing. From the service center: The issue is internal. With the updates it did not chance the outcome, the transmission would need to be replaced to fix the concern. The quoted me the replacement transmission and cooler at just shy of $10k. This car is barely worth that in good working condition. The car drives, it just shutters, I would not drive it more than 10 miles. There are no warning lights. The ECG was recently replaced $1500 and the Ford facility did nothing to fix the transmission. I have called three facilities in my area, and ALL OF THEM say there is a 3-4 week timeline just to assess the problem. I had to take it to a transmission specialist to assess. Ford is avoiding this problem. How many 2019 Ford Edge owners need to report this issue so that something can be done?

Coolant has leaked into the engine and the exhaust system, presumably through head gasket or the TurboBoost assembly, as described in Ford TSB 22-2133 and TSB 22-2229 (June, 2022). Car, with less than 61,000 miles, is currently being examined by local Ford dealership. Vehicle experienced misfiring before an "engine overheated" warning while driving at freeway speed, which was followed by "coolant low" after the vehicle was pulled over. There were no prior other warnings or check engine lights. Coolant loss through exhaust system was extensive, as when vehicle front end was lifted for towing there was clear evidence of coolant stream leaking from the rear of the muffler under the car. The TSB references 2.0 engines with EcoBoost manufactured before April-May, 2019. This Ford Edge was manufactured 11/2018.

Ford tells me the Lug nuts on my car's tires have become loose, expanded. My car has only 31k miles. Yet, these faulty parts make it at risk of tires flying off while driving!! Ford wants to charge me to replace their faulty nuts. That's nuts!

The wrench light and check engine light continue to come on. The vehicle has been at the dealership for 5 weeks now and they cant figure out whats wrong with. This is the 3rd visit in 4 months for the same problem. The first time it occured driving it home from dealership the day we bought it. Codes continue to say powertrain malfunction/reduced power, specifically the torque convertor clutch failed to apply. This vechicle shifts very rough, especially when going uphill, there is random times the RPMs spike without us pressing the gas petal. This vehicle is a lemon and it is not safe to drive.

The contact's son owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while his son was driving 15-20 MPH, the vehicle was jerking. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle responded as needed while exceeding 20 MPH. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who inspected the vehicle. The mechanic informed the contact that there were metal shavings in the transmission fluid. The mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

2019 Ford Edge with 38K miles coolant leak into the cylinders of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engines and cause the vehicles to misfire, overheat and even catch fire.

The red brake light came on while driving the vehicle. There was no reason for the light to be on, the vehicle did not have the parking brake on. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealership based on error codes and testing that the master cylinder needed to be replaced for the brake system.

I first noticed a hesitancy upon acceleration which I attributed to possible bad gas. I continued driving. A few days later I noticed white smoke coming from the vehicle's exhaust, a more noticeable acceleration issue - missing, hesitancy, - and then the vehicle died when I stopped for a light. I called an independent mechanic. The engine completely stopped on me 4-5 times at traffic lights or stop signs as I drove to his shop. I had several close calls to other vehicles hitting me as my vehicle would not move when I gave gas trying to pull out. Just as I pulled onto the lot, the indicator light came on saying the vehicle was Overheating (this was the first time). The coolant was completely gone and had leaked into cylinders (according to his inspection). After performing other tests overnight on the vehicle, he determined it needed an engine replacement. It is just barely over the warranty at 65,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked erratically. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was not accelerating as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed torque converter. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to shake violently with white smoke coming from the exhaust. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was blown, causing coolant to leak into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number and advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

I just brought my car in to my Ford dealership to have an oil change and tires rotated. They are the only ones that service my car. I was told they could not rotate my tires as my lug nuts were swollen. I'm told that the extended warranty that I bought from Ford will not cover that. Now I'm going to be out 110.00 or they won't rotate my tires and was told that I may not be able to get my tire off if I get a flat.

August 2023, my vehicle started making slight jerking motions when accelerating. I thought it shouldn’t be anything serious especially since the vehicle warning lights did not alarm. The Ford App health status for my vehicle report showed no issues. After a month of continuous weird jerking, I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership service department in walnut creek. In Sept 2023, the transmission was diagnosed to need replacement due to the torque converter. My vehicle mileage was 64,613 miles at the time of inspection by the dealership. This is way too soon for a transmission to need a repair without any warning. I believe the transmission is faulty especially since I have low wear and tear on this 2019 Ford Edge. It was purchased brand new and has not had any issue or system failure warning. The only reason I discovered this major problem is due to the odd jerking motions while driving.

Torque converter and transmission failure. Torque converter cannot maintain speed on vehicle, lurches and jerks around 30mph, and tries to launch vehicle while stopped with brake fully depressed.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the media center screen went blank. The contact stated that the buttons were missing on the screen upon starting or while driving the vehicle. The contact stated the driver's side seat belt failed to retract as needed. The contact had to manually feed the seat belt. While driving in low gear, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was slow to shift into the intended gear. When the brake pedal was depressed at a stop, the brake released without application. The fuel mileage was lower than expected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown sensor was replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The manufacturer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under the warranty. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V550000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 72,850.

I purchased the vehicle in June 2023 and have barely put 2000 miles on it. I’m 8/21 I noticed white smoke coming out of both exhausts when I started the vehicle. I drove about 1 mile before power train default light came on and it began idling extremely rough. I tried to take it to the dealer the next day and it continued overheating and shutting down. It’s outside of the dealer standard warranty and the purchased extended warranty doesn’t even cover the EGR leak. So a car purchased 2 months ago is now costing us $1600 to repair

My 2019 Ford Edge SEL is having transmission issues that ford knows about, as many customers have the same issue starting between 37K to 60K miles. The transmission is jerky between 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, and 3rd to 4th gear. It starts from 15mph to 40 mph. No check engine light comes on. Sometimes it doesn't want to shift into the next gear briefly and I don't drive the vehicle hard at all. Vehicle has been taken to Ford for them to say that it needs a software update and possibly a torque converter to be replaced. i have 54K miles on the vehicle and I purchased it used in August of 2022 with 41K miles on it because of the inventory shortage.

The egr cooler developed a leak causing engine to overheat and cylinder misfire. Estimate from Ford dealer is $2500. We had a 75000 mile extended warranty, but the problem developed at 7800 miles. Only 3000 miles after expiration. We were hoping for some cost relief because of the circumstances involved, but nothing seems to be available

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and lurched significantly. Additionally, the tachometer rose to 2,000 RPMs and started fluctuating. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as intended while accelerating to 40 MPH. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the TCM was rebooted; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 19-2103. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the maintenance warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking. The contact drove the vehicle to his intended destination. The contact parked the vehicle and turned the vehicle off. The contact restarted the vehicle and noticed that the wrench warning light was off. The contact stated while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact continued to drive, and the wrench warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a scheduled service appointment. The contact stated that after the service appointment was completed, the contact started the vehicle, and the maintenance warning light was off. The contact stated that two days later, while driving, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact called the dealer and informed the dealer of the failure. However, the contact was advised that the check engine warning light was illuminated due to a possible failed powertrain. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,500.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 - 40 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering and there was a grinding sound while turning to the left or the right. The contact was informed by his wife that the Auto START/STOP was not functioning properly, and while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle remained running. The dealer was not contacted. The contact discovered Technical Service Bulletin: 21-2389; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s and driver’s seat belt fasteners independently unlocked. The contact stated that she had two small children in car seats and the seat belts fasteners are not secure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

Went to get brakes replaced and found out the lug nuts were jammed on and could not be removed, took it to the deal to find out they were swollen on and no one would have been able to remove them but them! They stated they see it all the time if I had a flat no one would have gotten them off it would have had to towed! To me this is a safety hazard that could leave me stranded. They said this was comment I called ford they would not acknowledge it

The Moon roof spontaneously combusted with my two babies in the back seat. There were no cracks or chips and I wasn’t even driving 15 mph.

Bought the vehicle used in July 2022 with around 80,000 miles. After 2 weeks of owning, vehicle started to shift weird and didn't seem to be driving normal. No warning or codes popped up but called dealership to see if they knew what was going on. Took it in and had them hook it up to their systems and still had no codes. Then after test driving, said that it was the torque converter. They replaced it and the vehicle seemed to drive fine until about 11 or 10 months later. The vehicle started to have similar issues but worse. Misfiring when driving in traffic, transmission seemed like it was skipping gears, was worried it was going to shut off and I was going to loose power steering when on the interstate one time. Called the dealership and was told they couldn't do anything unless I paid at this point. Took it to a small transmission shop and had them check it out. The flushed the whole transmission and said they fluid was terrible and their was metal scapes in the fluid as well. Told me it was best to get rid of it but I still owed too much money on it to do anything. Now a year later, I am back to the same issues. Transmission is causing problems, not shifting into gears properly, shifting very hard, jerking when shifting. Scared to drive it in traffic incase it breaks down or completely blows the transmission. I have found a Ford Forum with over 80 other individuals who are having the same issues and begging Ford to do something about this.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated. The contact stopped, parked the vehicle, refilled the coolant, and drove the vehicle to her residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was started the following day and the low coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact checked the coolant level and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty but there was no evidence of a coolant leak on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change and the contact was informed that the head gasket was blown, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,800.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and engine temperature warning lights illuminated; however, the contact immediately pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and safely drove to the location where the vehicle had received an oil change service two days before. The independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and checked the coolant level, which he had filled two days before, and informed the contact that he could smell coolant burning and that the coolant was leaking into the engine. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The contact safely drove the vehicle to her residence, contacted the dealer, and scheduled for the vehicle to be picked up by a tow truck service. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

When obtaining a tire rotation at the Ford Dealership, I was told that I had swollen lug nuts and for safety reasons should be replaced. I never had a vehicle with this problem. To replace all the lug nuts, it was a cost to me of $259.20. This is a manufacturer defect that should have been covered under my extended warranty but was not. I was told that the lug nuts could seize and not be able to be removed if I needed to change my tire. This in my opinion is a safety concern and should be addressed.

The CEL came on indicating a mis fire on cylinder #1. The temperature rose above the warning threshold. After new spark plugs and a new coil pack. The CEL cleared but white smoke came from exhaust pipes indicating coolant intrusion. This was an issue with prior model years. My vehicle is not in the recall window. The car has 78,000+ miles and the extended warranty was for 75,000 miles. Has this issue been reported for 2019 2.0L ecoboost engines?

I started experiencing problems with my 2019 ford edge jerking when changing gears and over a few weeks it got worse. The jerking starts no matter what gear and no matter the speed, once you begin to accelerate or slow down and pick up speed the car has a horrible series of jerks! I took the car to a body shop and they told me it was the transmission so I scheduled an appointment with a transmission specialist well they told me it wasn’t the transmission because no codes come up in the computer. Well I was still experiencing problems with my car driving so I went to the ford dealership and they had me to come back over two days because they were unsure of the problem since the computer didn’t give a code. Finally the service manager tells me it’s the torque converter and will cost $3225 but Ford does not have any torque converters available and they are in a nationwide background free with no eta on when they will manufacture anymore! Not even Autozone or auto part stores have this torque converter! So I have to either replace my whole transmission or buy a new car! My car is not old and still have a significant amount on my car loan so it makes trading it in super hard! This is unacceptable! So I’m supposed to ride around with my car not only not switching gears correctly but the more I drive it the more I risk the transmission locking up on me in the middle of the highway and Ford has no fix for a problem that they created! This is absolutely unacceptable!!!! There should be a recall on this part as there are several forums online of people with 2019 ford edge with the EXACT same problem and in the same bind of not being able to find the piece to fix their cars!! Please help!

I was driving on a country road and had my cruise control set to 55. My car braked hard and de-accelerated to about 40 and then increased the speed without hitting the resume button. My 89 year old mother was my passenger in the car with me and both of us were jolted when the seat belts locked up. We both gasped as we were startled by this action. There were no animals, vehicles or blowing debris across the path of my car. No messages appeared on my dash. I have not reported this to my Ford dealer and the car is available to be checked. This was a one time event. If a police officer had been behind me I would have received a ticket for brake checking.