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{{CompanyCargo
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 -->
|Founded=1903
|Industry=Automotive
|Logo=Ford.png
|Type=Public
|Website=https://ford.com/
}}


=== Anti-Consumer Practices ===
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 automobile production, making cars affordable for the masses and transforming industrial production globally. It is one of the oldest and largest automobile manufacturers, one of the "Big Three" American automakers, alongside General Motors (GM) and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler).<!-- In general, keep this bio as a basic background about the company -->
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.


==Consumer protection summary<!-- Needs more of the summary filled in, check https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/wiki/Consumer_Action_Taskforce:Sample/Company for details -->==


====Privacy====


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>.
*Collects sensitive personal information from multiple sources, including data from the vehicle itself, data from the connected mobile app, and data obtained during the vehicle's purchase.<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 data, contact information, identifiers (e.g., VIN, account ID), user-generated content (e.g., voice recordings from smart features), search and browsing history for advertising purposes, usage data, sensitive information (under "Inferences"), diagnostics, and more.<ref name=":0" />
*Aggregates data from external sources as well, including users' social media posts.<ref name=":0" />
*Privacy policy is designed to prevent quickly searching for important terms.<ref>https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/ Ford Privacy Policy</ref>
*It is unclear how long data is retained.<ref name=":0" />
*According to CCPA Metrics from 2023, 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>
 
==Anti-consumer practices==
 
===Patents regarding consumer data===
:They have secured patents for systems that are unrelated to core driving functions and involve consumer data collection. One patented system can deliver targeted advertisements based on in-vehicle conversations, while another relates to vehicle repossession and allows for access restrictions (e.g., in cases of missed payments). Ford has clarified that holding these patents does not necessarily mean they will be implemented in future products. However, the existence of such systems could influence consumer perceptions of the company and affect their willingness to accept certain sales terms..<ref name=":1">https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/</ref><ref>https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising</ref>
 
===Engineering practices===
:Some engine designs use a rubber belt—rather than a metal chain—to drive the oil pump. This belt operates submerged in engine oil and may wear out prematurely, potentially leading to a sudden loss of oil pressure. Additionally, they have released transmission systems in certain ''Fiesta'' and ''Focus'' models that have experienced issues, including loss of power during acceleration, gear shifting, or at constant speeds, as well as unintended acceleration. It has been reported that a software update rendered a vehicle inoperable.<ref>https://garagewire.co.uk/news/bbc-watchdog-ford-ecoboost-wet-belt-problem/</ref><ref>https://www.freep.com/in-depth/money/cars/ford/2019/07/11/ford-focus-fiesta-transmission-defect/1671198001/</ref><ref>https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/automatic-software-update-bricked-my-truck.96624/</ref>
 
:Ford has had the highest number of vehicle recalls in the U.S. in 2021, 2022, and 2023. While recall volume can be influenced by market share, larger automakers often have more recalls, it may also reflect differences in production quality compared to competitors.<ref>https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/38mw-dp8u/</ref>
 
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Ford]]

Latest revision as of 15:16, 23 July 2025

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Ford
Basic information
Founded 1903
Legal Structure 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 automobile production, making cars affordable for the masses and transforming industrial production globally. It is one of the oldest and largest automobile manufacturers, one of the "Big Three" American automakers, alongside General Motors (GM) and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler).

Consumer protection summary[edit | edit source]

Privacy[edit | edit source]

  • Collects sensitive personal information from multiple sources, including data from the vehicle itself, data from the connected mobile app, and data obtained during the vehicle's purchase.[1]
  • Data collected includes purchase history, financial information, coarse and precise location data, contact information, identifiers (e.g., VIN, account ID), user-generated content (e.g., voice recordings from smart features), search and browsing history for advertising purposes, usage data, sensitive information (under "Inferences"), diagnostics, and more.[1]
  • Aggregates data from external sources as well, including users' social media posts.[1]
  • Privacy policy is designed to prevent quickly searching for important terms.[2]
  • It is unclear how long data is retained.[1]
  • According to CCPA Metrics from 2023, 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]

They have secured patents for systems that are unrelated to core driving functions and involve consumer data collection. One patented system can deliver targeted advertisements based on in-vehicle conversations, while another relates to vehicle repossession and allows for access restrictions (e.g., in cases of missed payments). Ford has clarified that holding these patents does not necessarily mean they will be implemented in future products. However, the existence of such systems could influence consumer perceptions of the company and affect their willingness to accept certain sales terms..[4][5]

Engineering practices[edit | edit source]

Some engine designs use a rubber belt—rather than a metal chain—to drive the oil pump. This belt operates submerged in engine oil and may wear out prematurely, potentially leading to a sudden loss of oil pressure. Additionally, they have released transmission systems in certain Fiesta and Focus models that have experienced issues, including loss of power during acceleration, gear shifting, or at constant speeds, as well as unintended acceleration. It has been reported that a software update rendered a vehicle inoperable.[6][7][8]
Ford has had the highest number of vehicle recalls in the U.S. in 2021, 2022, and 2023. While recall volume can be influenced by market share, larger automakers often have more recalls, it may also reflect differences in production quality compared to competitors.[9]

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://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/
  5. ↑ https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising
  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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