I have a 2015 King Ranch with a 5.0 and I've had it for about a year it has about 135k on it with no issues...until today. The Adaptive Cruise Control says the sensor is blocked and won't allow me to turn the cruise control on, also the Hvac won't blow anywhere but the vent not the defrost or the floor. I've read it was a common issue with 2010-2014 but not so much with the newer body style. I'm not saying that it couldn't be the air distribution actuator and the Adaptive Cruise Control sensor being faulty but are they somehow linked to each other before I go out and buy $400 worth of parts.

 

It might sound odd, but I would check the harness that connects to the AAT. It is in the center of the front grille. I believe the ACC wires run through the same harness. There could be an inline connector that has gotten corroded or damaged some how. The HVAC does odd things when missing the AAT signal.

Have you checked for DTCs? You need to check with FORScan or a high end diagnostic tool. The cheap generic readers will not be able to read the Ford specific DTCs related to the ACC and climate control system.