# Why does my cruise control turn off? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cruise-control-turn-off/1019806 "2025-06-18T14:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cruise-control-turn-off/1019806/1 "2025-06-18T14:49:47Z")
I have a 2012 Hyundai Sonata with just over 220K miles, but this weirdness has been happening for at least the last 60-70,000 miles. Maybe more - I don’t recall when it started. I’ll be driving along in cruise and all of a sudden, I’ll feel and hear what sounds like driving over a small bump in the road, and my cruise has disconnected. Doesn’t matter what road, what speed, what weather, what phase of the moon… It’s totally random and not at all predictable, so I can’t duplicate it for my car guy. It’s happened going uphill, downhill, and on perfectly level roads at various times of day and various times of the year. Has anyone ever encountered this and figured out what caused it? It’s not a safety issue - I don’t use cruise in congestion, only when I’ve got an open stretch of road, whether interstate or country road. It’s just a head-scratching annoyance, requiring that I move my thumb and reset it. I suppose I should ask Hyundai, but since I’m on the Dope so much - any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cruise-control-turn-off/1019806/2 "2025-06-18T15:11:08Z")
Could be the brake pedal switch. There’s an adjustment for the brake lights. They shouldn’t come on until there’s actually pressure on the pedal. That also turns off cruise control. My battery was running down because the brake lights would occasionally come on when it was parked. A new switch fixed it. Link [Brake light switch: symptoms, problems, testing, replacement](https://www.samarins.com/glossary/brake_light_switch.html) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cruise-control-turn-off/1019806/3 "2025-06-18T15:16:27Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Could be the brake pedal switch. Thanks - Next time it’s in for service, I’ll ask my car guy to have a look. I’m pretty sure I’m not inadvertently touching the brake, but if the switch is wonky… ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cruise-control-turn-off/1019806/4 "2025-06-18T15:20:46Z")
I assume as a 2012, it doesn’t have adaptive cruise control, where it slows if it detects a car ahead? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cruise-control-turn-off/1019806/5 "2025-06-18T15:35:40Z")
Goodness, no. And it kicks off even when I’m alone on a stretch of road. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles that my husband’s 2024 Santa Fe has. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cruise-control-turn-off/1019806/6 "2025-06-18T15:43:23Z")
I figured as much. For those who do have adaptive cruise control, it will shut off if the cameras can’t see ahead; it doesn’t matter if there’s anything in front. It can shut off due to rain, fog, bright sun, or anything that confuses it. Anyway, not the case for you. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cruise-control-turn-off/1019806/7 "2025-06-18T18:57:21Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > For those who do have adaptive cruise control, it will shut off if the cameras can’t see ahead; it doesn’t matter if there’s anything in front. It can shut off due to rain, fog, bright sun, or anything that confuses it. That was my first thought too. Sun issues can happen in the evening when it reflects off the pavement at a shallow angle. The brake switch is a good possibility too. Back in the day mine went bad and I didn’t know about it until I hit the brakes with cruise control on and the car revved back up to speed. It caused problems shifting out of park too, I think.