FordPass Complaint

[birddog2]

I start off by admitting to being old and relatively in the dark ages concerning computers and I phones.
Shortly after buying my 2021 Bronco Sport Badlands, I signed up for FordPass.
That was no problem and I have used it for nearly three years.
Ford has apparently decided that I no longer need, nor want, FordPass.
A week or so ago, when I clicked on the FordPass logo on my I Phone, I was informed that I had to first install the latest update.
When I did as directed, I was told that I needed to install ISO 16.0 before proceeding.
Alas, my old I Phone 7 does not have ISO 16.0, but ISO 15.8.3 as it's latest and most advanced update.
I have no desire to spend $$$ on a new and larger I Phone that I do not need for anything except FordPass.

I have been very happy with my Bronco Sport Badlands, but Ford has finally found a way to piss me off.

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[Hedge36]

Georgia agrees that it's BS.

 

[Dude]

.. my I Phone 7 does not have ISO 16.0, but ISO 15.8.3

I have no desire to spend $$$ on a new and larger I Phone that I do not need for anything except FordPass.

@birddog2 … not wanting to insert any fear but one thing to consider is iOS 15.8.3 is well out of date and you aren’t getting security updates and patches. If you never go onto the internet with your iPhone then not much too much to worry over however if you do go on the internet you’ll want to consider a newer iPhone.

iOS 18 will run on a low cost iPhone SE (2nd Gen or later), iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone 11 to iPhone 16.

You likely won’t get much in trade for your iPhone 7 but it might be worth 5 minutes of your time to see how close to $free you can get from your cell service provider for the iPhone SE (2nd Gen or later) or one of the other iPhone models that support iOS 18 - you might be surprised the cost is not too bad especially later in Sept as new models roll out and prices drop on the older but still supported models.

 

[Quashish]

Just one of the joys of being an I phone user.

 

[birddog2]

Dude - I appreciate your comments and understand that I can likely switch to an I phone 11 or so at little or no cost.
My main complaint is that Ford offered a service ( Ford Pass ) and less than three years later it is no longer available to me.
I use my I phone primarily as a phone and to receive/send emails and the occasional text.
I do have e- bird and a couple of birding ID apps on it.
I do not expect much security on anything I do on the internet.
The fact that I can expect an ad to show up on my home computer within minutes of sending anything on the internet has convinced me that McAfee or not there is little security anywhere.

 

[Dude]

I understand your points perfectly and in no way are my comments intended to be argumentative.

my message really is about expectations… as a software engineer, testing when new iPhone and Android releases comes out is a cost .. software Apps like FordPass and a zillion other apps want the fewest to test on so it’s reasonable that Ford and pretty much all Apps cut off the supported versions. Most people don’t appreciate the effort it takes to test apps and while automation of the testing does help, there should be an expectation on the part of the App user that they have a responsibility to be on a supported iPhone and Android software version.

Sorry .. it is what it is.

 

[thomasm23]

Your carrier probably has upgrade offers that will greatly reduce the initial cost of a new phone. Just contact them. They want to keep you as a customer.

 

[EvenTallerDude]

Technology marches forward .. good or bad ... pulls us along with phone upgrades, PC upgrades and the such.

 

[sajohnson]

This is an interesting thread that has wide application.

I'm old enough to remember when you could not add oil without one of these:

So I sympathize with Keith.

There is definitely a generational difference when it comes to technology. I'm a technician, but when I was in college, the latest computer had an 8080 processor. I found programming tedious, and went in more of an electro-mechanical direction.

My brother who is just 3 years younger, has had his own tech support business for 35 years, and is more like Dude. He's used to periodic updates and operating systems becoming obsolete/unsupported -- "it is what it is."

Older people are used to buying something and -- as long as they paid for better quality -- that tool/item/product would typically last for decades. A ratchet might eventually wear out and need to be replaced (often for free) but not because it was declared "obsolete/no longer supported."

The idea of waking up to find that a perfectly good (not mention *expensive*) appliance, tool, or other product must be thrown away and replaced is foreign to older people -- probably anyone born before around 1980.

That said, for those who grew up with that being a fact of life, they don't bat an eye. Being forced (or "strongly encouraged") to buy a new $1,200 iPhone every year or two is "how it's always been."

I tend to be cynical, so my suspicion is that while the newer computers, phones and operating systems are better -- and people who need/want them should be able to buy them -- older products should be fully functional until they actually fail -- physically or electronically -- NOT because the mfr decides it's time to pull the plug.

As it is, it seems like the modern version of planned obsolescence.

 

[Pegcitynerd]

Counter point. If Ford continued to support aged and dated operating systems on iPhones and Androids, it ends up being a security risk for everyone. There are security measures in place that just aren't baked into older versions. Ford is handling points and therefore a currency. They're forced to keep up just like anyone.

Eventually you'll note other apps may not function on your iPhone as time goes along.

I start off by admitting to being old and relatively in the dark ages concerning computers and I phones.
Shortly after buying my 2021 Bronco Sport Badlands, I signed up for FordPass.
That was no problem and I have used it for nearly three years.
Ford has apparently decided that I no longer need, nor want, FordPass.
A week or so ago, when I clicked on the FordPass logo on my I Phone, I was informed that I had to first install the latest update.
When I did as directed, I was told that I needed to install ISO 16.0 before proceeding.
Alas, my old I Phone 7 does not have ISO 16.0, but ISO 15.8.3 as it's latest and most advanced update.
I have no desire to spend $$$ on a new and larger I Phone that I do not need for anything except FordPass.

I have been very happy with my Bronco Sport Badlands, but Ford has finally found a way to piss me off.

 

[MJE]

@birddog2 … not wanting to insert any fear but one thing to consider is iOS 15.8.3 is well out of date and you aren’t getting security updates and patches. If you never go onto the internet with your iPhone then not much too much to worry over however if you do go on the internet you’ll want to consider a newer iPhone.

iOS 18 will run on a low cost iPhone SE (2nd Gen or later), iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone 11 to iPhone 16.

You likely won’t get much in trade for your iPhone 7 but it might be worth 5 minutes of your time to see how close to $free you can get from your cell service provider for the iPhone SE (2nd Gen or later) or one of the other iPhone models that support iOS 18 - you might be surprised the cost is not too bad especially later in Sept as new models roll out and prices drop on the older but still supported models.

Thanks for the reminder of why I finally need to upgrade my 8 this fall. I’m starting to lose some functionality without iOS 17 but I didn’t think about security. I like not having to buy new hardware every 2 years as it remains functional & supported for 5 or more. But eventually it’s time.

 

[Bucko]

Dude - I appreciate your comments and understand that I can likely switch to an I phone 11 or so at little or no cost.
My main complaint is that Ford offered a service ( Ford Pass ) and less than three years later it is no longer available to me.
I use my I phone primarily as a phone and to receive/send emails and the occasional text.
I do have e- bird and a couple of birding ID apps on it.
I do not expect much security on anything I do on the internet.
The fact that I can expect an ad to show up on my home computer within minutes of sending anything on the internet has convinced me that McAfee or not there is little security anywhere.

Clear your browser and cache after each internet visit(s) before you shut down your home computer. That will help in eliminating the ads and pop ups when you browse the internet.

As to the iphone update, its the new cyber crime era...a 44 billion dollar market. If you own a computer, own a phone, text or email, and/or explore the internet, you are a target. Texting is their number one target.

Social media (such as this site and any other you visit) can all be targets for the cyber criminals to gain information about you and try and trick you into falling for a scam.

If it were me, I'd update that iphone to get the latest (and future) security updates to help protect you.

Then thank Ford for making you do it. They are actually protecting you and themselves.

 

[Uncle Brad]

Here is another complaint from a crotchety old guy wagging his cane at you: Ford has indeed lost its grip on its software vs its customers.

I don't use a "normiephone". I use a degoogled Android phone. The assumption Ford makes is that their new buyer will be using an iPhone or a Verizion/ATT/T-Mobile incarnation of an Android phone. Since all these phones are positively loaded with security problems, many folks are moving away from them. Yet, Ford FORCES their new buyer using the Android operating system to install FordPass via Google Play. My dealership got Ford support on the horn, and Ford support didn't even understand the problem. They blue-screened when asked how I can install FordPass using an APK.

And another thing: If I can know where my car is located on the planet, and can stop/start it from anywhere, so can they. We already know that Ford is tracking our driving habits and listening to our conversations. We already know that car companies sell the resultant data to insurance companies. And looking at recent patents Ford has made, it appears Ford is intent on forging ahead with their nefarious data collection.

I never use FordPass, which is the sugar given us to "accept" this nefarious activity.

 

[TCBSport]

I start off by admitting to being old and relatively in the dark ages concerning computers and I phones.
Shortly after buying my 2021 Bronco Sport Badlands, I signed up for FordPass.
That was no problem and I have used it for nearly three years.
Ford has apparently decided that I no longer need, nor want, FordPass.
A week or so ago, when I clicked on the FordPass logo on my I Phone, I was informed that I had to first install the latest update.
When I did as directed, I was told that I needed to install ISO 16.0 before proceeding.
Alas, my old I Phone 7 does not have ISO 16.0, but ISO 15.8.3 as it's latest and most advanced update.
I have no desire to spend $$$ on a new and larger I Phone that I do not need for anything except FordPass.

I have been very happy with my Bronco Sport Badlands, but Ford has finally found a way to piss me off.

Yup that's a drag but the frustration is to be directed at Apple, not Ford. A bit blunt I realize but that's the Apple Operating System environment for you.

 

[Jmuns]

Here is another complaint from a crotchety old guy wagging his cane at you: Ford has indeed lost its grip on its software vs its customers.

I don't use a "normiephone". I use a degoogled Android phone. The assumption Ford makes is that their new buyer will be using an iPhone or a Verizion/ATT/T-Mobile incarnation of an Android phone. Since all these phones are positively loaded with security problems, many folks are moving away from them. Yet, Ford FORCES their new buyer using the Android operating system to install FordPass via Google Play. My dealership got Ford support on the horn, and Ford support didn't even understand the problem. They blue-screened when asked how I can install FordPass using an APK.

And another thing: If I can know where my car is located on the planet, and can stop/start it from anywhere, so can they. We already know that Ford is tracking our driving habits and listening to our conversations. We already know that car companies sell the resultant data to insurance companies. And looking at recent patents Ford has made, it appears Ford is intent on forging ahead with their nefarious data collection.

I never use FordPass, which is the sugar given us to "accept" this nefarious activity.

If you think data collection from Ford is bad I hope you’ve never ordered anything from Amazon, been on YouTube, posted on any social media, or joined any online forums. Oh wait.

Ford’s data collection should be the last thing anyone is worried about in my opinion. And lots of companies file and have patents for thousands of things they have no plan or intent of using, but they have the rights to an idea to profit from it if someone else wants to utilize it from them. It’s 2024. If I am new car shopping and I can’t track, start, or connect with my car from my phone then there’s no way I’m buying that car.

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