Skip to Content

Can You Add Cruise Control to a Car?

Can You Add Cruise Control to a Car?

If you’ve ever driven a car with cruise control, you’re aware of how nice it is, especially on long drives or road trips.

Just being able to set the speed you want and letting your car maintain itself allows you to not have to worry about keeping your foot on the gas. But if your car doesn’t have cruise control, can you add it yourself?

You can add an aftermarket cruise control system for many different types of cars. Some cars already have the necessary sensors and electronics, while others will have to have it installed from scratch.

Adding cruise control to a car can be a great way to make your driving experience more enjoyable.

In this article, we will discuss whether or not you can add cruise control to your car and how difficult it is to do so.

We’ll also talk about the benefits of adding cruise control to your car and whether or not it’s worth the cost! 

By extensively researching and vetting all the topics that we talk about on this site, you can read these articles with the confidence that you’re only getting the most helpful content possible.

By combining our own knowledge and experience with input from other automotive experts in the industry, you get the complete answer on whether or not you can add cruise control to a car.

What is Cruise Control?

Before we get too far into the nitty-gritty details of possibly adding cruise control to your car, let’s quickly go over what cruise control is and how it works.

After all, if you’re planning on tackling this project on your own, then it’s important that you really understand what the system is and what it does.

Otherwise, you could be trying to work on something that you really don’t understand, which almost never ends well.

So, what is cruise control?

In the most basic sense, it’s a system that allows you to maintain a set speed without having to constantly press down on the accelerator.

It does this by using sensors to detect the speed of your car and then adjusting the throttle accordingly.

Most cruise control systems can be set to any speed between around 20 and 90 miles per hour, although some newer systems can go even higher than that.

Cruise control

How Does Cruise Control Work?

Now that we know what cruise control is, let’s take a look at how it actually works. As we mentioned before, the system uses sensors to detect the speed of your car and then adjusts the throttle accordingly.

The sensors are usually located on the front wheels of the car and work by detecting how fast they are rotating.

Once the sensors have detected the speed of the car, the information is sent to a computer located in the vehicle.

This computer then adjusts the throttle so that your car will maintain the desired speed.

In some vehicles, you can even feel it in the accelerator, as it will physically be locked into place to maintain that speed and then be adjusted accordingly.

To disengage the cruise control, you can either hit the brakes or push a button on the steering wheel (or wherever the cruise control system is activated from).

Some cars also have a feature where if you go below a certain speed, it will automatically turn off.

Do All Cars Come With Cruise Control?

Now that we know what cruise control is and how it works, you might be wondering if all cars come with it. The answer is no, not all cars come with cruise control. In fact, many older vehicles don’t have it.

Even some newer vehicles don’t have cruise control, although this is becoming increasingly rare. With how much of a convenience this feature is, manufacturers are including it as a standard option.

If you’re not sure whether or not your car has cruise control, the best way to find out is to consult your owner’s manual. It should have all of the information on what features your car has.

If you don’t have the manual, you can also try looking online or contacting the dealership where you bought the car. 

Also, you can look around for the buttons. Typically located on the steering wheel or somewhere nearby, it will usually say “CRUISE”, “SET”, “ACC”, and “RES.”

Find those, and you’ve found the cruise control!

Can You Add Cruise Control to Any Car?

Now that we know what cruise control is and how it works, as well as whether or not all cars come with it, you might be wondering if you can add cruise control to your car. Unfortunately, the answer is not always a simple one.

It really depends on your car and what kind of system it has. For example, if your car already has the necessary sensors (usually on the front wheels), then it’s possible that you could add cruise control to it.

However, if your car doesn’t have those sensors, then you would need to have them installed, which can be difficult and expensive.

Additionally, even if your car does have the necessary sensors, there’s a good chance that the computer system isn’t set up to use them. In that case, you would also need to have that system reprogrammed, which can also be difficult and expensive.

And even if you do manage to get cruise control installed in your car, it might not work as well as the factory-installed system.

How Hard Is It to Install Aftermarket Cruise Control?

Adding an aftermarket cruise control system to your car can be quite difficult. Even if your car has the necessary sensors and computer system, you’ll need to have them professionally installed, or you can do it yourself if you have the necessary knowledge and tools.

While I’m always all for performing your own work on your car, it’s important to truly understand what’s involved and what you need to do before you start messing with some systems like this.

This can be expensive, and it’s not always guaranteed to work properly. Additionally, aftermarket cruise control systems often don’t work as well as factory-installed systems.

So, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether or not to add cruise control to your car.

adding a cruise control

How Much Does it Cost to Add Cruise Control to a Car?

The biggest factor in deciding to add cruise control to your car is likely going to be the cost. While the cost of the actual cruise control system itself isn’t too bad, it’s the installation that can really break the bank.

If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, then you’ll need to pay to have someone else do it for you. 

And as I mentioned before, if your car doesn’t already have the necessary sensors and computer system, then you’ll need to pay to have those installed as well.

So, the cost of adding cruise control to your car can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. It really depends on your car and what needs to be done. 

If a basic aftermarket cruise control system will work with your car and you can do it yourself, then you’ll be on the lower end of the spectrum.

But if your car needs a lot more for the system to work right and you have to pay a mechanic or a shop to do the installation, it will cost significantly more.

Summing Up Adding Cruise Control to Your Car

Adding cruise control to your car can be expensive and difficult, but it can also be a great convenience. It’s important to decide for yourself whether or not it’s worth it to add cruise control to your car.

Consider how much it would cost and how difficult it would be to install the system in your car.

Also, think about how often you would use cruise control and whether or not you feel comfortable using it.

If you decide that adding cruise control is right for you, then go for it! You’ll be glad you did when you’re cruising down the highway with your hands-free. But if you decide that it’s not worth the cost or effort, then that’s okay too.

There are plenty of other ways to make driving more convenient and enjoyable. Thanks for reading!

Zach Reed

Hi, I'm the founder of VehicleAnswers.com! Having owned a wide variety of vehicles in my life, I was astounded at how hard it can be to find answers to common automotive questions. Rather than sit idly, I decided to create this website to help others!