Ford files patent for remote car repossession system

Last month, the U.S. Patent Office published an application from Ford Motor Company for a System and methods for repossessing a vehicle. The application describes a system that would allow a bank or leasing company to remotely deactivate a vehicle if payments are not made. This would even allow the privilege holder to turn off certain features, such as air conditioning and radio.

The application details how the lockdown could be rolled out conditionally, allowing owners to use the car within a defined geographic area, so they can still work and earn an income – presumably to catch up on their payments. The lock could also be lifted in an emergency, allowing the vehicle to go to the hospital.

The application then describes how the system would use the vehicle’s cameras and radar sensors to help locate the vehicle for physical recovery in the event it is parked in a garage.

As if all this wasn’t enough, in the case of autonomous vehicles, the system could actually take control of the car and drive it to an impound lot.

Ford says it has no active plans to commercialize the system. “We have no plans to deploy this. We file patents on new inventions as part of the ordinary course of business, but they are not necessarily an indication of new commercial projects or products,” a spokesperson told Ars Technica.

Police departments have long had the ability to remotely disable vehicles equipped with certain systems, such as GM’s OnStar. In this system, OnStar will announce that the car will be turned off, giving the driver time to pull over to the curb before the engine idles.

In light of these developments, it is likely only a matter of time before police are able to lock the doors and drive a targeted vehicle and its occupants to jail.