Ford F cruise control failure

I had a similar issue with my Ford F. Though mine's a bit newer, the symptoms sound familiar: error message, non-functional cruise control. Did you check the actuator cable or the plug connection by the steering wheel? It might be a simple fix there. Has the car electronics been behaving strangely?

Now that you mention the actuator cable and plug connection, where exactly should I be looking around the steering wheel? Also, do you think a simple visual inspection is enough, or should I be testing for continuity with a multimeter?

With my Ford F, the cable runs along the steering column. Visual inspection might catch something obvious, but to be sure, testing continuity would be best. That said, considering the error message and the stored error, it sounds like a defect in the car electronics somewhere. If you're not comfortable with testing, I'd advise a quick trip to the workshop. It may save you a bigger headache later.

I took it to a trusted workshop, and it turned out to be a defective connection as suspected. Repair cost 95€. Problem solved!