I've been swapping back and forth with F150 and Ram for years and every Ram I get I grumble to myself every time I had to go into the house and get the keyfob to unlock the truck. I just sold my Explorer King Ranch and it had the "hidden" keypad. Hated trying to get the dumb think to light up so I could see the keyboard. Hoping they keep it.

 

Agree on the hidden keypad. My mom's Lincoln has that and it isn't as easy to use. It also went bad and had to be replaced.

As to the buttons looking outdated, my truck also has door handles that look very much like the handles on my 2004 F150. The wiper blades look a lot alike too.

Keep the keypad!

 

Yeah, it's certainly not outdated because as of right now you can't name a single thing that reasonably replaces it. Outdated indicates an established replacement that is superior exists, which one does not.

It doesn't exist for situations where you have your phone and keys with you and never has. It exists for those times when you don't. Like if you go to the beach and leave your stuff in the truck, or a hike or whatever.There are plenty of times where I have walked out to the truck and left my phone at my desk and was able to get in the truck and lock it again. I agree it doesn't have the wide range of useful situations it had ten years ago, but its time isn't yet gone. There are those on this very forum that don't own smartphones also, you see it in threads where people complain the salesperson insisted on activating FordPass but their phone didn't have Android or iOS, they still exist and they still buy trucks.

I also prefer the physical buttons to the touch panel, at least so far. I can do the buttons without looking and they work every time. The touch sensitive ones have been more hit and miss.

I am as tech forward as a person can be. Newest phone, smart watch, I wired my home for ethernet and have enterprise grade network equipment, etc. But the keypad rules and it doesn't need to go anywhere for some time. The only way I would accept its loss is when Ford finally nails PaaK and it works with a wide range of smart watches too. I know that in much the same way as I mentioned smartphones aren't what everyone uses that not everyone will down with PaaK, but I can actually see a point where a majority of people have at least one of those things with them most of the time in the next few years that we can't say for certain even now.

 

This is the best response I've seen. All really great points. I'm in my fifties, so not exactly a young kid, and a reason I still remember that awful looking keypad from my 1995 Crown Vic That said, I also never go anywhere (unless it's the bathroom in my own house) without my cell phone in my hand, so I guess that I sometimes forget there are still humans that don't have a smart phone. Based upon the responses, I'm clearly very much in the minority with the opinion that the keypad is flat out ugly, and offensive to look at on a modern truck. Again, I thought it was ugly in 1995. The fact that it still looks the same as it did almost 30 years ago just doesn't allow it (in my opinion) to work with the aesthetics of any modern vehicle. For me, it's like having headlights from a 1995 truck on my 2021 truck.

 

I did see a review the other day of a new Genesis model that had a feature which could replace the keypad. The B-pillar had a camera built in which had facial recognition so all you have to do is walk up and it unlocks for you. I presume locking is similar. The car also had finger ID on the dash so no key or phone is even necessary to get in and drive. I think that is where we are moving to, and in that respect yeah the keypad is definitely ancient tech comparatively.

 

Very interesting. I had no idea the Genesis had quite that level of technology. I have to say that if it works as it should, I would be all in. That would also eliminate the need for anyone to have to rely upon an app on their smartphone...and get rid of that awful looking keypad. I'm on a mission to get rid of this dopey looking thing Even my 16 year old Son tells me how awful it looks. I simply told him that someone at Ford clearly loves this thing as much as I hate the thing, which is why it's been on Ford vehicles for decades. I can't think of another manufacturer who has even tried it, and somehow everyone who doesn't drive a Ford has always been able to figure out how to get into their vehicles...without the keypad. Go figure

 

My 21 doesn't have the keypad - I thought I could add one after I bought it, I love the keypad on my 01....
I would like to get one of the battery powered "key fob" stick on pads...are they back in stock anywhere? I would stick it on the cab behind the bed, kinda out of sight.

 

The Keypad is one of the only reasons my wife and I continue to buy Ford products. It is simply THE best feature, period...IMHO. So nice to just leave the keys in the car/truck and not worry about losing them or forgetting to grab them.

 

Wow...talk about a ringing endorsement. The best feature? Really? I'm not sure that it made my top 200 list of the best features on the truck

 

If ford still had cassette players we would have an exact same tread about it… people saying they love it, ones who hate it.

Some argue it’s for contractors… well why isn’t it standard in the XL trims?

Some argue it’s not replaceable, but I could get a brand new iPhone XR with Face ID which would be far superior, or even the ancient instant finger print recognition. With how many innovative things ford has done (EVs self driving) isn’t there something thing could come up with? Guess not. I guess there is so many people that buy fords for this innovative feature they just won’t let it go…