If you’re behind on your car payments, your future vehicle could possibly drive itself away. Ford submitted a patent application in August 2021 but was formally published last month, titled “Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle”. This system would allow the car to lock out its driver and even repossess itself if the driver misses multiple payments.
The document outlines that it would start out with minor inconveniences, such as disabling features like air conditioning, cruise control, and having the audio system play unpleasant sounds. If the owner still doesn’t act on the missed payments, the car could begin to lock its owner out or only allow them to use their car within certain areas or on certain days. The final step that the document says would happen if the owner is still behind on payments is that it would drive itself to a spot “convenient for a tow truck to tow the vehicle,” or even a showroom or scrapyard.
The patent is pending and currently up for public review. 