Ford gets into OBD Connected Car Act with Smartlink for remote features, Wi-Fi hotspots, location and alerts


Ford will be offering through dealers a connected car product with Smartlink that adds a modem through an OBD device to for for 2010 – 2016 model year Ford and Lincoln vehicles that are not equipped with a modem access.

The device enables owners to do the following:

  • Smartphone-based remote start, lock and unlock.
  • 4G Wi-Fi hotspot capable of accepting up to eight devices.
  • Vehicle health and security alerts.
  • Vehicle location assistance.

SmartLink can be obtained at Ford and Lincoln dealerships starting this summer.

With more than two years of research and development invested, the Ford SmartLink team of engineers, in collaboration with Delphi Automotive and Verizon Telematics, have ensured the technology will work seamlessly with Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

“Ford SmartLink will surprise and delight owners of recent model-year vehicles by adding some of today’s most popular connectivity features” said Stephen Odell, executive vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service. “Offering it through our dealerships is another way to keep us connected with our customers and earn their loyalty.”

“From security to performance, we’ve conducted extensive testing and made a number of improvements to ensure Ford SmartLink enhances the customer experience for our owners,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president, Global Product Development, and chief technical officer.

Ford recently announced many new additions to  SYNC, new apps and AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots coming to Ford vehicles in the fall. App partners include ExxonMobil, Samsung, DriverScore, Sygic and Dash Radio. Ford SYNC works as an IBM Watson app. Ford Apps will work with Amazon Alexa. In the summer, drivers can ask Alexa questions through the steering wheel voice button.