[RahulNagaraj]

Future vehicles from Ford could get a new technology which could allow banks to repossess the vehicle if the owner misses several payments. According to media reports, the American carmaker is said to have filed a patent called "System & Methods to Repossess a Vehicle".

The patent documents published recently state that the new system could be installed in any of Ford's vehicles and is capable of disabling one or more functions in a vehicle. It states that everything from the vehicle's engine to its air-conditioning can be disabled. It also went on to say that, with the new system in place, vehicles with autonomous or semi-autonomous driving capabilities can be moved away from their original spot to a secondary location which is more convenient for them to be towed. Reports also state that considering the financial viability of executing the repossession procedure, the vehicle can be asked to drive either to the repossession agency or directly to the scrap yard.



While the full details aren't known, the reports do suggest that a "repossession computer" could be installed in all future cars allowing the system to function smoothly. It also states that no extra hardware needs to be installed for the new tech to work. The report also mentions that there will be several warnings from the system before initiating a repossession.

Post the warnings, the system will slowly begin disabling features, first minor ones like cruise controls and seat controls, before locking out more serious functions like the air-conditioning system, door lock/unlock and remote key fob. The car will also play an incessant sound every time the owner sits in the vehicle. If all else fails, the system, as an extreme step, lock the owner out of the vehicle entirely.

Source: TheDrive

Link to Team-BHP news

[DicKy]

Pretty sure there will be people supporting this like how they support connected features/autonomous driving for convenience and safety and say this is a beacon of financial discipline.

[saket77]

Dear Ford,

Please do not disable the steering, brakes and other controls at any stage of the owner's bankruptcy. You don't want to kill a third person for a dispute which exists between the owner and the financer.

Sincerely yours,
A Third Person.

[Everlearner]

the future of car theft is just hacking the repossession module to drive itself to thief's home

[msdivy]

The day is not far when a supari killer in Russia freezes the car accelerator in America - for a few seconds - and accomplishes his task.

[SKC-auto]

If Autonomous cars become so advanced, who would buy a car, atleast people who cannot pay will not be buying a car or attach your car to some autonomous ride sharing to earn for itself.

[ohaak]

What happens to cars that aren't under financing? Will this device remain lurking in their cars? If it is not essential to the functioning of a car, it can and will be disabled. If it is essential to the functioning of a car and it enables tracking and other features that are meant for financed vehicles, why would a normal owner expose themselves to risk?

Any connected system can and will be hacked. That doesn't augur well for safety.

[ToThePoint]

Originally Posted by Everlearner

the future of car theft is just hacking the repossession module to drive itself to thief's home

How about, upon stealing, the car identifies it's not with its rightful owner and when the thief is fast asleep, it drives back to owners place?

Are we going to see real life 'tarzan the wonder car's?

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

...
Reports also state that considering the financial viability of executing the repossession procedure, the vehicle can be asked to drive either to the repossession agency or directly to the scrap yard.
...

Fantastic! I don't know if it wil solve the problem Ford is trying to fix with this tech, but can certainly imagine some new ones coming up.

Imagine YT channels running daily vlogs about what the car does as soon as they stop paying for it!

Ford tries to take away my car! And Fails!
- I didn't fill it with petrol/charge it
- I put it on jack stands
- I put duct tape on its cameras
- I boxed it in while parking
- I kept the hood open
- I put a steering lock


.. you get the point, this list can be endless!

[jithin23]

This connected car tech is more of a Bane than a boon as it compromises on the privacy of the owner. I'd just do onw thing if I ever own such a car is to remove the Telematcis control unit and the SIM

[Samarth 619]

Some changes are being debated by Corporates, not with logic but with sheer money & political power. So, even if you're right, you're wrong.

This too is one of those changes, you may hate it all you want but hey, one day, thanks to USA, you won't be able to drive around without being tracked, even though we're doing nothing against USA's national security, and just minding business on our own land.

I hate all this automation and stuff. Its not a great idea for privacy, not for employment as well, not for any thing.
And by the way, with location tracking already more common than last decade, this device is unnecessary. You don't need cars to drive themselves around unsafely just because a finance company can't send a boy to recover a car. It just isn't making sense.

[vredesbyrd]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Pretty sure there will be people supporting this like how they support connected features/autonomous driving for convenience and safety and say this is a beacon of financial discipline.

OT: That's mostly EV enthusiasts, fellow consultants who let "blockchain, cloud and SaaS" take over their every breath and of course, muskrats.

It is fine up till ADAS, AEB and radars. Anything beyond that (especially subscriptions) feels like a major handicap.

[Asish_VK]

Looks like the stupid raining cars scene in Fast and Furious(fate of furious) is going to be a reality

[livetodrive]

Sounds like a horror story. If owner is aware of the sequence of events, then he/she may try to drive as much as possible before the state machine kicks in. How the car will drive back on its own if few tyres are flattened remains a doubt.

[anandhsub]

Did Apr 1st come a month early?? Why would anyone buy such a car?