A patent application by Ford points to future cars that could start to disable features if you miss a payment. The cars could also repossess themselves or drive to a local scrapyard if they aren’t deemed to be worth enough to go through the repossession process.
The patent, which was submitted to the United States Patent Office in August 2021 but appears to have been published on 02 June 2025, is ominously titled “Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle.” ButFordhas plans beyond simply making the car disappear.
The Drive, which first spotted the patent, notes that the application allows for the system to start locking down specific features before ultimately repossessing the vehicle entirely if needed. “The repossession system computer may disable the door lock mechanism, thereby placing the vehicle in a lockout condition and preventing a person from entering a cabin of the vehicle,” the patent claims. But before that happens, drivers can expect to lose access to features like “cruise control, automated window controls, automated seat controls, and some components of the infotainment system (radio, global positioning system (GPS), MP3 player, etc).”
What’s more, the patent appears to suggest that no specific hardware would be required for any of this to happen. That means that any car that has an infotainment system capable of receiving over-the-air updates could have the technology in this patent installed surprisingly easily. Humorously, the patent also suggests only locking people out of their cars at specific times, like at the weekend. So you’ll be able to get to work, at least.
Amazingly, the writer of the patent does have a heart, at least. The technology appears to have a mechanism that would allow it to be unlocked if someone is having a heart attack. The Drive notes that Ford would use the vehicle’s onboard camera and a “neural network” to decide if the emergency was legit, or if someone just wanted to be able to pop down to the shop for some more milk.
Now, as we say with all patents, it’s important to remember that not every patent turns into a product. But the fact the patent even exists is interesting enough.
