A US device has been fitted to cars from several dealerships that prevents the vehicles from starting if their owners are behind with the car finance payments. The device is called Ontime and works by the user being given a code to enter into the device that allows it to continue permitting the vehicle to start.

If the owner does not pay, they don't get their next code. There is a period of grace after which warning lights and sounds begin to be emitted, and eventually the car simply won't start.

The dealers have found this to be a great way of preventing them having to repossess cars as had been all too common in the past. They concede that it is not a foolproof preventative device, and that mechanics could bypass it, but they have incorporated a clause into their finance agreements to state that if the device has been tampered with, they can immediately repossess the car and call for full settlement of the outstanding balance.

Gap Insurance