When it comes to communications systems in cars, there have been a lot of negative headlines about privacy concerns. Especially since it was revealed that driving data was being sold directly to insurance companies so they could charge you more depending on how you drive.

To add a useful feature to new cars with fancy communication and connectivity capabilities, Ford filed to patent technology that would allow drivers to voice concerns directly to engineers.

The patent documents feature a diagram that shows customer feedback going through a “communication network” to a cloud server, which then goes to cloud storage. The submission also explains that software would store the feedback in two ways: both as a voice memo and transcribed into text.

Smart software will first analyze and organize the feedback before funneling it to the cloud for engineers to review.

Ford’s idea is to use the feedback to improve products

Naturally, the intention behind this kind of technology is to help engineers understand issues faced by customers in the real world. The documents also show that Ford will share certain types of feedback with dealerships to refine their training if needed.

Such feedback can help identify quality control problems and allow Ford to resolve them before they lead to a recall.

The idea debuted on the Ford Mustang Mach-E in 2023 with the “Record Feature” option, and Ford reported an average of 35 responses per day. The software records up to 45 seconds and confirms that it sent the recording after pressing ‘Send.’

Timm Wittrock, an engineer, pitched the idea when he was working on squeak and rattle issues on cars from the previous model year. He figured if customers were able to voice concerns as they happen and have it pigeon’d directly to Ford, solutions could come quicker.

Since users find the feature helpful, Ford is now trying to patent it.