Ford has applied for a patent for a technology that lets vehicles repossess, or repo, themselves.
If owners ignore warnings about missed payments, the system would start disabling itself, starting with features such as GPS, air conditioning, cruise control, and the radio. Then it could make loud and irritating sounds when the driver is present, and finally it would lock the owner out of hte car.
If the owner still doesn't act, the vehicle could drive itself to a spot for a tow truck to pick it up.
The company told NPR it has no plans to roll this out anytime soon. It's also worth noting that Ford doesn't have autonomous vehicles yet, and that submitting patents is a part of the normal course of business.
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