When Masamba S. rented a Ford Expedition from Enterprise Rent-a-Car, he was excited to connect it to FordPass.
The smartphone app allows drivers to use their phones to remotely start and stop the engine, lock and unlock the doors and track the vehicle’s precise location.
So, Masamba downloaded the app, entered the rental car’s VIN and confirmed the action through the vehicle’s infotainment system when he originally drove it.
According to Masamba, “I enjoyed it, and logged into FordPass to be able to access vehicle features from my phone such as locking, unlocking, and starting the engine.”
But five months later, Masamba had changed his opinion of mobile apps for cars. That’s because, even all those months later, his FordPass app was still connected to the vehicle.
Multiple people had rented the SUV since Masamba did, but he could still track the location of the vehicle, lock and unlock it, and start or stop its engine – all from his phone.
These days, the ease of connecting a smartphone with a vehicle represents a serious security risk. And not just to renters, but also to people buying a vehicle second hand.
Even though a car’s infotainment screen indicates when a device is paired with the vehicle, it’s obvious in Masamba’s case that multiple Enterprise employees and renters continued to miss the warning.
According to Ford spokesman Martin Gunsberg, FordPass provides two ways to unpair a vehicle from a phone. The first is to use the infotainment system settings to perform a factory reset.
The second is to open the FordPass app, select the vehicle details button, scroll to the bottom, and select “Remove Vehicle.”
But, as you can see, most people ignore this and don’t do it. So, before buying a used car, here are a few steps to take to ensure no apps remain associated or paired with the car.
Talk to the previous owner. If you are buying a used vehicle and it’s a private party sale, ask the seller to remove themselves from the vehicle through the app.
Anyone who is selling the car legitimately should have no problem doing this since they shouldn’t need access to start, stop, lock, or unlock the car anymore.
Of course, to be extra cautious, you could call the service provider – together with the seller – to ensure its been done.
Dealership reset. Regardless of where you purchase a vehicle, you should take it to the manufacturer’s dealership and have them perform a factory reset on the car to delete any information from the previous owner.
Now, you might expect the dealership would do this before selling the car, but you should never assume it’s been done. Insist they reset the system.
Call the service provider. These days, car manufacturers have their own car communication and entertainment services. For instance, General Motors has OnStar, Ford has FordPass, and BMW has iDrive.
And while these services are owned by the car manufacturer, they usually have their own phone number or division within the company.
So, after buying a vehicle, call the respective company to let them know you are the car’s new owner. Provide them the VIN and have them verify that no one else is connected to the vehicle.
The reality is, automakers have put Internet connectivity to good use by tracking down stolen vehicles, preprogramming trip routes and making driverless cars a reality.
However, in the process, you could be at risk if a previous driver can simply turns off your engine whenever they want.
