CHICAGO – Ford has applied for a patent that would allow vehicles to repossess themselves in case of missed payments. The patent, entitled “Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle,” was filed in 2021 and describes a system that disables certain car features as a penalty for missed payments.
According to the patent, the system would first disable power windows and parts of the infotainment system, and then move on to disable air conditioning, automatic lock and unlock doors, and finally emit an unpleasant sound each time the car is entered. In some cases, the vehicle could even drive itself to a different location or directly to a repo agency or junkyard.
Although it is uncertain whether Ford plans to pursue this technology, some of the features described in the patent are already in use by automakers offering subscription-based services that deactivate when payments are missed. It is important to note that large corporations often file patents for various reasons, and it is not unusual for patents to go unused.
Could the presence of a self-repossession system in a vehicle deter you from purchasing any vehicle in the future?
