The Ford Patent That Could Put Your Car in the Junkyard

Ford’s Unusual Patent Application

I’m a fan of Ford. And I also have a sense of humor---which helps if you are a Ford owner. Especially with some of the older model trucks that leave you scratching your head on what possessed an engineer to design some component or system the way they did. Emission control designs from the 70’s comes to mind at the moment.

Related article: This New Car Feature Will Kill You Warns Mechanic

Anyhow, Ford owners from the past----and even to this day---have always had to contend with the occasional smart aleck who brings up the old chestnut that the letters in Ford stands for “Found Off Road Dead” and “Fix Or Repair Daily.”

As it turns out, those days may end with a new patent idea by Ford that will probably become a reality…and a legal mess: a Ford patent that allows a car to repossess itself…and maybe even put itself off to pasture.

When FSD Becomes a Reality

The patent idea is not so far-fetched. We’ve followed Tesla related news about its current and proposed capabilities such as not only driving unaided (or is it interfered with?) by a driver behind the wheel, but that there may also be some very practical applications everyone of us would enjoy---e.g. an upgraded Smart Summon feature that would allow a Tesla to drop off its passenger at a desired location, and then drive away in search of a parking space saving the vehicle occupants time, and from the stress of finding a parking space.

Ford’s patent idea is just an application of the same feature, only that it allows a bank or lending agency to automatically repossess a car that the owner has slipped behind on payments. And, if the lending agency deems that the repossessed car is not worth the expenses of an analog style repossession, then the car could be commanded to take itself to a junkyard for final processing!

Related article: Car Owners Who Don’t Pay Their Car Repair Bills

Find out more about this topic from the Steve Lehto YouTube channel and why it’s not so unusual to hear about this patent being done.

Ford Patents Car that Can Repossess Itself

And finally…

For additional articles related to the topic, here are a few for your consideration:

• Know This About Bank Repossessed Vehicles Before Buying One

• Car Features That Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

Timothy Boyer is a Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

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