Ford patents car that can repossess itself and drive back to showroom

newscientist.com ^ | 28 February 2023 | Matthew Sparkes

[equaviator]

A new patent allows Ford to build cars that take action if the owner falls behind on payments by playing annoying sounds – or even driving themselves back to the seller.

Ford has been granted a patent for a system that allows a car to repossess itself if its owner fails to keep up with payments. The firm envisions the car driving itself back to the showroom – or to a scrapyard if the value of the car is low. But a security expert warns that the proposed system could instead be used to steal cars remotely. The patent, which was filed in 2021 but granted only last week, describes how the system would kick in if the car owner failed to respond to messages informing them they were falling behind with payments. At that point, a series of measures would first be used to make the car unpleasant to drive, then impossible. Finally, as a last resort, the car would return itself to the showroom. The system could begin by disabling features such as GPS navigation, the music system or the air conditioning, in order to create what the patent describes as a “certain level of discomfort” for the owner. If this doesn’t work, the patents suggests enabling the car to create an “incessant and unpleasant sound”, such as a chime or beep, every time the owner gets inside.

[central_va]

No GM made 350 2bbl got 18 hwy. No way.

[Blood of Tyrants]

It did. driving across Wyoming in 1984 she got 18 mpg.

[central_va]

I had a Pontiac 350 2bbl and never got more than 12 MPG hwy.

[rxh4n1]

For a free car, roll down the windows.

“The system could begin by disabling features such as GPS navigation, the music system or the air conditioning, in order to create what the patent describes as a “certain level of discomfort” for the owner.”

How did we ever live with all that?

[CFW]

I’m sure there will never be errors where cars are driven back to the showroom even when all payments are current. Remember how car rental companies report cars stolen and cause people to be jailed, and all sorts of other grief, even though they have a current rental agreement and are paid in full?

I can just see a husband driving his wife to the hospital as she is in labor and suddenly the car drives to the dealer or a repo lot. Or someone on the way to an important business meeting with a client to find the car has decided to return to the seller. Yep. What could go wrong with this?

[equaviator]

How about a reality show where Ford chooses an unwitting participant(s) who gets shut out, shut down or repo-driven to a dealership or junkyard and it’s just a prank, but in the end and for being a good sport, the participating “deadbeat of interest” gets to drive a Ford of their choosing for one year, courtesy of the FoMoCo. Awww, I love a happy ending!