Article content

Have you driven a Ford lately? It turns out that the motor company that promises “There’s a Ford in Your Future” — one that’s “Built for the Road Ahead” — might be on to something.

What is Ford’s “Better Idea” that allows owners to “Go Further” (to quote some of its past slogans)? Well, the key to your Ford might just allow you easy access to Ford vehicles owned by other people. And the company strikes me as unruffled that its keys might open other vehicles across its product line.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Peter Bowal: I accidentally found an alarmingly easy way to hack Ford cars — and the company doesn’t seem to care Back to video

In 2005, our family bought a Ford Freestar van that had been slightly used in British Columbia. A decade later we bought a Ford Focus in Alberta. These are very different vehicles, built in different years and sold from dealerships located in different provinces.

While no one would confuse a Freestar and a Focus at the curb, their keys and fobs are similar. In our household, with five drivers and as many vehicles, keys are tossed into a pile on the shelf. It was only a matter of time before I would hastily grab the wrong set of Ford keys.