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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Business
Michael Sainato

Ford seeks to remotely repossess cars after missed payments in US patent

Car repossessions in the US have been on the rise since drops in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Car repossessions in the US have been on the rise since drops in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

Behind on your car payments? Your car could soon be driving itself to the pound. Ford Motor Company has applied for a patent that would enable a computer to disable a vehicle or component of a vehicle over delinquent car payments and could lead to cars self-driving themselves to repossession lots.

The patent application published last month claims to seek a solution to car owners being unwilling to have their vehicles repossessed by remotely disabling the vehicle or a component of the vehicle if a delinquency notice isn’t acknowledged over a certain period of time.

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