Ford Paid Research For Ranger Owners

[Porpoise Hork]

So I received this email from Ford the other day.

You are among a very select group of FORD RANGER owners/lessees invited to provide ongoing feedback to Ford Motor Company to help in the development of vehicles for the future.

This important customer collaboration project consists of participating in our ongoing data logger project. If your vehicle qualifies, we would like to install a data logger in your FORD RANGER for up to 12 months.

• In appreciation for your time, and if your vehicle qualifies you will be paid an incentive of $300 broken into two parts; $100 for installation of the logger, and $200 upon the removal of the logger.
• Your feedback will help us to better understand how your vehicle is used, and its performance under real world conditions.
• Your feedback will help ensure future Ford products meet the needs of our customers.

Data that may be collected by Ford includes, the following, or substantially similar data:

 Date and time of data
 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
 Odometer (mileage)
 Vehicle speed
 Braking
 Steering
 Engine and transmission parameters
 Feature utilization (e.g. remote unlock/lock, doors, towing)
 Location-based data (such as direction heading, latitude and longitude, also known as Global Positioning System (GPS) data)

To reiterate, this is a research and development initiative to support new product development. Please be assured that Escalent is not engaged in sales, advertising, or publicity of any kind. Escalent will not attempt to sell you anything now or in the future because of your participation in this program, and all information provided will remain confidential. Data collected from the vehicle logger device will be recorded on an individual basis; however, survey data will be reported in aggregate.

Basically there's a number to call and leave a message with my name number and a unique ID that was provided. Within 24 hours I am supposed to be contacted and get everything all setup. I then take the truck to the chosen dealer and they install a splitter cable and logger unit to the OBD2 port. After that just drive as normal and then when they are ready for the data go back to the dealer and they collect the logger unit and I get paid.

Have not decided if I am going to call and do this or not. Kind of leaning towards doing it. I mean it's easy money and Ford already has telemetry data from the truck anyway. So has anyone else gotten one of these market research emails from Ford?

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[RANGER_MARC]

No, I have not received one, but if one comes in, I will be all over it. "Money for nothing," as the song says....

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

If I get the letter, it's a hard NO.

 

[sklnbnz]

I have received a couple of these and it is a hard no... No way I am letting someone put a Data Logger in my vehicle. It's bad enough that I voluntarily let Alexa and Siri and Facebook etc etc spy on me LOL! Now I don't want Ford in the mix too. With all the ODB port add ons (Insurance Companies, GPS Companies, This, Tunes, Forscan) you could have a daisy chain of stuff to the floor!

 

[Apples]

Oh no! Then they'll know how I drive away from every stoplight, as in screech!

 

[MoatCarp]

I would not do this on the basis of being worried that the data would somehow make it over to my insurance company lol.

 

[Delirious]

No, I have not received one, but if one comes in, I will be all over it. "Money for nothing," as the song says....

They monitor a lot just from the Ford pass app. I mean, I bought a turbo charged vehicle and does anyone really think I will not drive it the way a turbo should be driven? I put 93 octane in today to see how much better it drives when using the turbo. I might be game for it. Anybody have an email address for the offer? I thought I saw it a week or so ago but I don't see it anymore.

Update 8/13/2021
I found the email and I emailed them but have not heard anything.

 

[Grumpaw]

I'm up for it. Until we get our travel trailer, all their going to monitor is it sitting in my garage 22 out of 24 hours a day. They can monitor the payload when I run to Lowes to get a box of nuts/bolts.
300 bucks is 3/5 of cost of tonneau cover I want.
With all the time we spend on the puter, phone, I-Pad, camera's taking our pic 100 times a day, big brother already knows all about us.
So, Sign me up.
Your always being watched.....

 

[Megawatt]

I heard a lot of these similar concerns when the local electric company went to smart meters. Everyone concerned with being watched.

 

[quangdog]

I have not received that offer. But... $300? Do I also get to review the data myself?

If not, then no.

I'm a software engineer, so I'd be super interested in exactly what they are logging just for the geek factor of seeing more data about what my truck is doing.

I'd honestly do it in exchange for the data ... and if I could get Ford to actually look into the issues with startup shudder and cold start transmission wonkiness.

 

[Radioman]

Do I also get to review the data myself?

If not, then no.

I'm a software engineer, so I'd be super interested in exactly what they are logging just for the geek factor of seeing more data about what my truck is doing.

From another thread on this same subject:
From the website:

Logger Hyperlink Information: Hardware info: logger is small box and connects to OBD port with a splitter cable, will be securely placed behind the trim below steering and dashboard. Service personnel will be given detail instruction document along with logger.

Data Collected: Data that may be collected by Ford includes, the following, or substantially
similar data:
 Date and time of data
 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
 Odometer (mileage)
 Vehicle speed
 Braking
 Steering
 Engine and transmission parameters
 Feature utilization (e.g. remote unlock/lock, doors, towing)
 Location-based data (such as direction heading, latitude and longitude, also known as
Global Positioning System (GPS) data)

To reiterate, this is a research and development initiative to support new product development.
Please be assured that Escalent is not engaged in sales, advertising, or publicity of any
kind. Escalent will not attempt to sell you anything now or in the future because of your
participation in this program, and all information provided will remain confidential. Data
collected from the vehicle logger device will be recorded on an individual basis; however, survey
data will be reported in aggregate.

 

[JesseS]

I got that same email, and deleted it as I don't need some marketing agency knowing every place I go, shop, play, or buy beer. Why I use cash 90% of the time.

 

[Fawnbuster]

I heard a lot of these similar concerns when the local electric company went to smart meters. Everyone concerned with being watched.

I pay (against my will) extra each month to not have a smart meter. Our local regulatory commission threw us under the bus and allows the electric company to charge extra.

 

[ATGC]

I had the logger installed in my Ranger yesterday - so far so good. I was worried about loosing functionality of my OBD2 port since I have a ScanGaugeII constantly connected, but the device also has a splitter cable, so that was not a problem. ScanGaugeII still works fine.
I have no problem with being monitored anonymously, and hopefully it will help the development of future vehicles. More than half my miles are towing a travel travel trailer, and I plan on taking this rig to AK next summer, so I bet they will learn something valuable from the data.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

I signed up for it but the only dealer they had listed to install the logger refused to do it so they canceled it on my truck.

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