The answer is when it goes in for the major 2021 update flash (6 hours). I pulled into the car wash like I have done 100 times before and put the truck in neutral and away we go, but not this time. The flash now has the truck automatically set the parking brake if in neutral. If you release the parking in neutral, guess what, the truck puts it right back on! Once the attendant backed the line up I backed out as brake is released when you shift out of neutral. In the calm of my dooryard, I find that Ford makes me now put the truck in neutral and press the manual gear button and then I get a message that Ford has granted me 30 minutes of true neutral. Really! If I wanted to be in PARK I would have put it in PARK! So has anyone experienced this and is there a way to turn it off? Are there any other surprises I am in for after the flash?

 

my 2021 has been like that since day one, that is the new normal, just like when you open the door it defaults to park

 

I have a 21 PB Lariat and neutral is neutral.
Was this update via OTA or FDRS at the dealer? If OTA then, what version are you on?
what neutral button? You mean the soft switch on the instrument cluster menu?

 

This update is by dealer only and it is by recall. I believe it is 2021 Lariat and up models. The button is the "M" button on the shifter console.

 

I have a 22 Lariat 502A. Mine doesn't behave this way. No issues with neutral.

 

Sounds like you need to kick back in the EZ CHR and relax a little. This one has you pretty worked up!

 

I just did that at Costco carwash and the guy got mad at me, "NEUTRAL!" as if I didn't know any better. I knew I had put it in neutral like I did 100 times before!

 

My neutral is neutral. Also my drive is drive in case anyone was wondering.

 

my 21 only applies the parking brake automatically when I go into park without "applying the break" because a lot of the time I've just lightly hit the brake then thrown it in park. Never had it apply the parking brake in neutral.

 

Potential short term workaround whilst it’s being looked into is convert to “M” and then put in Neutral potentially?