Dude, Where's My Car?!

It’s been a perfect storm if you’re a car thief: supply chain issues stemming from 2020’s lockdowns combined with inflation have increased car values AND theft rates in the last two years. 

Reported thefts were up by 6% in 2021 from the previous year, and up 17% from 2019!

Whether for resale in the international black market, for their catalytic converters, or for their spare-part resale values, it seems some makes and models have perennial targets on their backs.

These 10 were the most stolen in 2021, according to the NICB:

1. 2004 Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size) = 48,206...

Recently Ford had a recall of around 350,000 vehicles for being susceptible to catching fire under the hoods, 310,00 trucks with defective airbags, and 464 electric Mustang Mach-E SUVs with software malfunctions.

As far-reaching as that sounds, it pales in comparison to some of the more notorious recalls in automaker history–some of which took many lives.

Here are four of the worst in history: 

Ford, Firestone, and Failing Tires

In 2000, Firestone recalled 14.4 million tires on Ford vehicles after an investigation revealed almost a whole decade of thread separation and blowouts. This recall came...

It’s been approximately 3 weeks since Canada mandated vaccines for truckers crossing the border, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to the backlash.* In fact, many theorize that the blockades and protests will grow. 

If continued, these protests can cascade into problems that will hit close to home for many Americans:

• Manufacturing Job Cuts/Reduced Capacities

The focal point of the protests, Ambassador Bridge, is responsible for roughly 1/3rd of America’s auto industry supplies. Car plants, including some of Toyota’s and GM’s, have already been cutting back on shifts since the protests...

Electric scooters haven't made it to New York yet. While I was visiting friends in DC I rode a Lime, or maybe it was a Bird. It was a lot of fun, I zipped around for a few minutes, it was very easy to use and control. One issue was that I was unsure where to place it at the end of my ride. Eventually I put it next to a crowded bike rack, but I could see too many scooters getting out of hand. That said, I would use this everyday for my 2.1 mile commute. That may come sooner than later. Ford has purchased San Francisco-based scooter sharing company Spin.

Spin

Spin currently operates in 13 cities...

Ford's newest idea sounds straight out of a superhero or futuristic spy movie. It's an autonomous motorcycle that pops out of a car for final mile journeys. A patent from October reads that the “'multimodal transportation apparatus'  is intended to include, in particular, at least driving a vehicle to a location at which the vehicle can be parked, and then riding/driving away from the vehicle to a final destination using further transportation."

Inspired by Parking Problems and Carbon Emissions

The idea is inspired by spaces where engines may be restricted or areas with limited available and...

We've all encountered it. You hear a car well before you see it. I've been woken up by the roar of a passing car more than once. Mustang is doing something about it. Say hello to good neighbor mode.

Good Neighbor Mode

Good neighbor mode is available on 2018 Mustang GT vehicles and enables operators to keep quite the sounds of the engine and also program quiet start-up times in advance. Also known as quiet start, Good neighbor mode is an industry-first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1MehhS4GIw

“Active valve performance exhaust gives Mustang owners the best of both worlds – that classic Mustang...

Remember when Ford hired about 400 new mobile smartphone engineers a few months ago? They have been busy. Ford is adding Android Auto and Apply Carplay to model-year 2016 vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 infotainment software. There are a few ways you can update.

Ford SYNC 3 Update

1. Download the update over the air (OTA) with a Wi-Fi connected vehicle
2. Bring your car into a Ford dealership
3. Download the update to a USB and plug directly into car

For Carplay, users will still have to upgrade their vehicle's USB hub to make the update work properly. Visit Ford's owner support site to download the right...

On April 26th, Google, Ford, Lyft, Uber and Volvo Cars announced the formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. These are some of the biggest names in their respective industries teaming up for one purpose: to advocate for autonomous vehicles. The group will first work with civic organizations, municipalities and businesses to bring the idea of self-driving vehicles to life.

The formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets comes at an interesting time in the development of autonomous cars, the whole concept is still very new and not a lot of regulations or standards...

New York, NY, July 2015

Rear View Safety, the industry leader in the sales and distribution of backup camera systems and consumer safety advocacy organization, is proud to announce the release of its new Ford Third Brake Light backup camera system designed specifically for the 2015 Ford Transit. The Ford Transit backup camera comes with a wide range of different features that will protect both pedestrians and drivers alike around the country.

One of the most important elements of the RVS-920 Ford Transit backup camera system is the way that it effortlessly integrates into the vehicle and is specific...