Five months after returning rental car, man still has remote control

Enlarge / FordPass, offered by Ford Motor Company, is available for iOS and Android devices. (credit: Ford Motor Company)

When Masamba Sinclair rented a Ford Expedition from Enterprise Rent-a-Car last May, he was excited to connect it to FordPass. The 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.

"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," Sinclair, who is 34, told me. "I liked the idea of it more than I found it useful. The UI does look good and work well, though."

Putting the onus on customers

Now, Sinclair's opinion of mobile apps in rental cars is decidedly less favorable. That's because, five months after he returned the vehicle on May 31, his app continues to have control over the vehicle. Despite multiple other people renting the SUV in the intervening months, FordPass still allows Sinclair to track the location of the vehicle, lock and unlock it, and start or stop its engine. Sinclair has brought the matter to Ford's attention, both through its website and multiple times
on Twitter. So far, Ford has done nothing to kill his access.

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