Ford's On Target Newsletter Series Becomes a Go-To Reference for ADAS-Aware Glass Shops

By mid-July 2022, Ford Motor Company's On Target newsletter series had become one of the more practical resources available to auto glass technicians trying to navigate the growing complexity of ADAS systems across the brand's lineup. Published for the repair community and covering both glass-specific and broader ADAS topics, the series exemplified proactive OEM communication.

An October 2022 edition of On Target focused specifically on OEM glass, reinforcing Ford's position that original equipment glass was preferred for vehicles with camera-based ADAS systems. Ford's guidance noted that aftermarket glass may have optical properties—including subtle curvature, clarity and distortion characteristics—that differ from OEM specifications, potentially affecting camera performance after installation.

The series also addressed the BlueCruise hands-free driving assistance system available on select F-150, Mustang Mach-E and Lincoln models. Ford's workshop manual identified the system as Active Drive Assist with Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, noting that repairers needed to access Section 419-03A of the manual for full procedure documentation. The speed sign recognition feature, which modifies cruise speed based on observed limit signs, was highlighted as a function particularly sensitive to windshield optical quality.

For shops performing glass replacements on late-model Ford and Lincoln vehicles, the On Target series was a critical resource for understanding the scope of post-replacement calibration needs. Shops that subscribed to the newsletter or downloaded archived editions had OEM-sourced documentation to reference when customers or insurers questioned calibration recommendations.

The Ford guidance also reflected a broader OEM trend: manufacturers that had designed systems around specific glass specifications were increasingly assertive about communicating those requirements to the independent repair community. Whether this trend would eventually result in formal OEM certification programs for glass products—akin to OEM-approved collision parts programs—was a topic of active industry discussion by mid-2022.

For shops looking to distinguish their service in 2022, Ford's On Target publications provided a specific marketing opportunity: shops that communicated to customers that they followed OEM procedures and maintained OEM technical documentation—not just general industry standards—were able to differentiate their service in a way that resonated with the growing population of customers who had read about ADAS calibration issues in consumer media and were concerned about post-replacement system performance.