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Re-structuring of 'Anti-Consumer practices' to group the content in a more meaningful way. Tone of text edited to be more objective.
 
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{{InfoboxCompany
Henry Ford made the first patent Ford automobile, the quadricycle in 1896. He then actually incorporated the Ford motor company in 1903. They're now a company known pretty well for anti-consumer behaviour<!-- casual language + too accusatory, see NPOV. These are to be factual articles. -->, and automotive-typical practices like marked up parts sharing that probably started in the late 1990's.<!-- In general, keep this bio as a basic background about the company -->
| Name = Ford
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1903
| Industry = Automotive
| Official Website = https://ford.com/
| Logo = Ford.png
}}
The '''[[Wikipedia:Ford Motor Company|Ford Motor Company]]''' was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan. With the introduction of a moving assembly line Ford drastically reduced the cost and time of production, making cars affordable for the masses and transforming industrial production  globally. It is one of the oldest and largest automobile manufactures, one of ''The Big Three''  American car manufacturers with General Motors (''GM'') and Stellantis (''formerly Chrysler'').<!-- In general, keep this bio as a basic background about the company -->


=== Anti-Consumer Practices ===
==Consumer protection summary<!-- Needs more of the summary filled in, check https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/wiki/Consumer_Action_Taskforce:Sample/Company for details -->==
Ford have been known recently for being the maker of America's most recalled vehicles<!-- citation needed, and time needs to be defined -->. CEO Jim Farley recently<!-- when? citation + reference needed --> said "no more recalls", and at least in Europe, that's been enforced by selling engines that break themselves and sometimes catch fire doing it, with the only recall being to fix the fire part. Ford have filed dangerous patents and have managed to find a way in the 2020's to make a software update go so wrong it bricks a vehicle.


====Privacy====


*Collects sensitive personal information from many sources, including data from the vehicle, data from the connected app, and data from purchasing the vehicle.<ref name=":0">https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/#USprivacynotice Ford US Privacy Notice</ref>
*Data collected includes purchase history, financial information, coarse and precise location, contact information, identifiers (like VIN, account ID), user content (like voice recordings when you use smart features), search and browsing history for advertising, usage data, sensitive information (under "Inferences"), diagnostics, and more.<ref name=":0" />
*Aggregates data from external sources as well, including things you post to social media.<ref name=":0" />
*Unfriendly design of the privacy policy prevents searching for terms quickly.<ref>https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/ Ford Privacy Policy</ref>
*There is a lack of clarity in how long data is retained.<ref name=":0" />
*CCPA Metrics from 2023 show that there were 96 requests for data to be deleted, and 7 of these requests were denied.<ref>https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/#caPrivacy Ford California Notice At Collection And Privacy Disclosures</ref>


Ford also have obtained patents for systems like one that feeds ads to distract the driver<!-- is this really the purpose of the adverts? seems unlikely --> of their automobiles<ref>https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising</ref>, and another patent for a system to annoy the owner of, restrict access to and then repossess or destroy vehicles where the owner "has defected" on finance payments<ref>https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/</ref>.
==Anti-consumer practices==
 
=== Patents regarding consumer data ===
Ford has obtained patents for systems which could collect data on the consumer, unrelated to the primary functions of driving. One patented system can [[Ford ad patent|serve ads]] based on the driver's conversations,<ref>https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising</ref> and another patented system about vehicle [[Ford Repossession Patent|repossession]] enables the restriction of access to cars e.g. if their owners have missed car payments.<ref name=":1">https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/</ref> Ford has responded to patent controversy by explaining that patents are not necessarily an indication of new product plans. <ref name=":1" /> The development of questionable systems should however compromise the overall trust in the company and make consumers more wary of accepting sales terms.
 
===Engineering practices===
Various Ford models' engine designs use a rubber belt rather than a metal chain to transmit power to the engine's oil pump. This belt which is submerged in the crankcase engine oil can prematurely degrade and cause a sudden loss of oil pressure.<ref>https://garagewire.co.uk/news/bbc-watchdog-ford-ecoboost-wet-belt-problem/</ref> Ford has also knowingly released a flawed transmission in the Fiesta and Focus models where the transmission can fail in a variety of ways; loss of forward power from a stop, loss of power when in top gear at constant speed, sudden unintended acceleration, and loss of power when the transmission is shifting between gears.<ref>https://www.freep.com/in-depth/money/cars/ford/2019/07/11/ford-focus-fiesta-transmission-defect/1671198001/</ref> A Ford user has reported about a software update that ended up bricking their vehicle.<ref>https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/automatic-software-update-bricked-my-truck.96624/</ref>
 
Ford has been known for being the maker of America's most recalled vehicles, setting the record for most recalls issued in 2021, 2022, and 2023.<ref>https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/38mw-dp8u/</ref> Ford has a large market share so a large amount of recalls is not too surprising, but it may indicate that Ford doesn't meet the production quality of other manufacturers.
 
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Ford]]

Latest revision as of 10:07, 25 June 2025

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Ford
Basic information
Founded 1903
Type Public
Industry Automotive
Official website https://ford.com/

The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan. With the introduction of a moving assembly line Ford drastically reduced the cost and time of production, making cars affordable for the masses and transforming industrial production globally. It is one of the oldest and largest automobile manufactures, one of The Big Three American car manufacturers with General Motors (GM) and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler).

Consumer protection summary[edit | edit source]

Privacy[edit | edit source]

  • Collects sensitive personal information from many sources, including data from the vehicle, data from the connected app, and data from purchasing the vehicle.[1]
  • Data collected includes purchase history, financial information, coarse and precise location, contact information, identifiers (like VIN, account ID), user content (like voice recordings when you use smart features), search and browsing history for advertising, usage data, sensitive information (under "Inferences"), diagnostics, and more.[1]
  • Aggregates data from external sources as well, including things you post to social media.[1]
  • Unfriendly design of the privacy policy prevents searching for terms quickly.[2]
  • There is a lack of clarity in how long data is retained.[1]
  • CCPA Metrics from 2023 show that there were 96 requests for data to be deleted, and 7 of these requests were denied.[3]

Anti-consumer practices[edit | edit source]

Patents regarding consumer data[edit | edit source]

Ford has obtained patents for systems which could collect data on the consumer, unrelated to the primary functions of driving. One patented system can serve ads based on the driver's conversations,[4] and another patented system about vehicle repossession enables the restriction of access to cars e.g. if their owners have missed car payments.[5] Ford has responded to patent controversy by explaining that patents are not necessarily an indication of new product plans. [5] The development of questionable systems should however compromise the overall trust in the company and make consumers more wary of accepting sales terms.

Engineering practices[edit | edit source]

Various Ford models' engine designs use a rubber belt rather than a metal chain to transmit power to the engine's oil pump. This belt which is submerged in the crankcase engine oil can prematurely degrade and cause a sudden loss of oil pressure.[6] Ford has also knowingly released a flawed transmission in the Fiesta and Focus models where the transmission can fail in a variety of ways; loss of forward power from a stop, loss of power when in top gear at constant speed, sudden unintended acceleration, and loss of power when the transmission is shifting between gears.[7] A Ford user has reported about a software update that ended up bricking their vehicle.[8]

Ford has been known for being the maker of America's most recalled vehicles, setting the record for most recalls issued in 2021, 2022, and 2023.[9] Ford has a large market share so a large amount of recalls is not too surprising, but it may indicate that Ford doesn't meet the production quality of other manufacturers.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/#USprivacynotice Ford US Privacy Notice
  2. ↑ https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/ Ford Privacy Policy
  3. ↑ https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/#caPrivacy Ford California Notice At Collection And Privacy Disclosures
  4. ↑ https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/
  6. ↑ https://garagewire.co.uk/news/bbc-watchdog-ford-ecoboost-wet-belt-problem/
  7. ↑ https://www.freep.com/in-depth/money/cars/ford/2019/07/11/ford-focus-fiesta-transmission-defect/1671198001/
  8. ↑ https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/automatic-software-update-bricked-my-truck.96624/
  9. ↑ https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/38mw-dp8u/
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