only half of stolen cars are recoveredOnly half of all stolen cars are ever recovered. Now Ford is doing something about it.We were invited out to Ford Canada HQ for a demo of the new Ford Security Package that gives owners some high-tech tools to not only prevent theft, but to even get your car back if it is stolen.But before we go any further, its important to point out that Ford has a self-serving reason to do this. The F-150 consistently ranks as one of the most stolen vehicles on the road. And when we spoke to Ian Grotenhuis, Secure product manager at Ford, he said he's just sick of seeing it there.A slide from an internal tracking dashboard used by Peel Region Police, Ford wasn't allowed to officially sent this data to us, but they also didn't stop us from getting a few phone photos.A slide from an internal tracking dashboard used by Peel Region Police, Ford wasn't allowed to officially sent this data to us, but they also didn't stop us from getting a few phone photos.AdvertisementAdvertisementTo help drive the point home, Ford brought along Greg O'Connor of the Peel Region Police, who also serves as the Vice President of the Northeast Chapter of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, who provided some eye opening specs about car theft in the area. In Peel region, a suburb outside Toronto with roughly 1.6 million citizens, over 29,000 cars have been stolen since Jan 1 2021. That's roughly 1.42 billion worth of cars. Proceeds from those thefts go to fund everything from organized crime to terrorism.Here's what Ford Security Package does... and the last one is the best.First, via the mobile app it will alert you if it thinks someone is trying to steal your car. So that means if a door is opened when you're not around, if it changes location or it thinks someone is trying to break in. And if it's already gone, you can see exactly where it is.Second, you can use the app to contact a 24/7 call center with real humans (not AI) who can connect with the police.AdvertisementAdvertisementThird, (and here's the good part), via the app you can engage the Start Inhibit with just the slide of your finger which will stop anyone from starting the car even if they have the original key or a cloned one. It won't stop the car on the highway (that would be dangerous), but the next time its turned off it won't turn on. Not unless you say so.Of course, there's a catch. The best things in life might be free, but for the Ford Security Package is only free for the first 12 months, then it's a subscription plan costing $7.99 in the US and $9.99 in Canada. (Note: it is free for 4 years on the Lincoln Navigator).Ford wouldn't release any statistics, but according to Grotenhuis, there's a significant improvement in vehicle recovery rates for vehicles with the system.Currently the Ford Security Package is available in 6 models, the F-150, Super Duty, Mach-E, Expedition, Bronco Sport and Lincoln Navigator. And can be retroactively turned on for some of those models dating back to 2024.
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