Ford has filed a patent application that shows a bizarre new way that cars could be repossessed in the future if their owners don’t make payments on time. The auto giant wants to build a system that would allow a car to lock out its driver and even repossess itself. The catalyst behind the idea is the issue of owners behind on payments being uncooperative and attempting to impede the repossession operation. The system Ford proposes would begin with some minor annoyances that would cause discomfort to the vehicle owner. First it would instruct the computer to disable functionality of features like cruise control, GPS, air conditioning and the radio. The computer could also prompt the car to start emitting an incessant and unpleasant sound whenever the driver is behind the wheel. If the owner still doesn’t act, the computer raises the stakes by locking the owner out. Of course, this drastic measure would only take place on the weekends, allowing the owner the ability to drive to work to earn money to make payments on the vehicle. If the owner is still behind at this point, the car may autonomously drive itself to a spot convenient for a tow truck to tow it to an impound lot. It remains to see whether any of this will become a reality.
