Has Ford Dumped Their Autonomous Repo Plans?

Last March, we shared with you a patent filed by Ford titled “Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle.“ Ford’s patent application provided a systemic overview of how they envisioned the merging of technology into the repossession process. “What could go wrong?” I asked. Well, it appears as though Ford may have thought this through.

Ford’s patent application titled Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle filed on February 23^rdof 2023 proposed a theoretically possible on any Ford with an infotainment system that supports over-the-air updates. If the car were to have autonomous capability, then Ford would be able to let it drive itself from its first location, such as the owner’s driveway to a more accessible location for a tow truck or even drive itself to a storage or junkyard if necessary. For cars that can’t drive themselves, the software could just immobilize the vehicle, preventing the owner from driving it and keeping it in one spot for the tow truck.

See The Patent Filing Here!

As I mentioned back then, this proposed process is riddled with flaws. From FDCPA violations in the proposed use of the infotainment platform to provide collections messages on the vehicles screens to the risks created by the proposed remote control of the vehicle during a repossession, this idea was loaded with liabilities.

Let’s not forget the massive amount of press coverage of this proposal and the blowback from the public and consumer law attorneys created by it. This process showed just how problematic the entire idea of autonomous repossession is. Well, it appears as though Ford has been paying attention.

According to Drive.com, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), reported that Ford’s self-repo patent submission was abandoned due to “Failure to Respond to an Office Action” on October 20, 2023. It appears that Ford simply let it expire.

What led them to lose interest so quickly is unknown, but feasibility due to risks associated with the repossession process may have proved to be an issue too big to overcome. After all, what is the cost benefit to an auto manufacturer to go through all of the time and expense to create a process that created new liabilities for them when they can simply stay with the existing repossession industry?

Whether Ford refiles another proposal is unknown but considering that GM filed a similar patent almost a month later, it seems probable that GM might let their expire as well. Time will tell, but this idea appears to have been put to rest.