You've heard of self-driving cars, and you've heard of self-parking cars, but now it's time to get ready for self-starting cars. Some Ford Mavericks are apparently turning on by themselves in owners garages, for reasons beyond their owners' explanation or control. And Ford hasn't issued a response yet, either.
According to The Drive, owners of Ford's smallest pickup have reported in a Maverick-centric Facebook group that their trucks are randomly turning on when no one's in them. And there doesn't seem to be a clear explanation as to why. The leading theory is that it has something to do with the vehicle's remote start system. The Ford Maverick lets you start the car from outside via key fob or the Ford mobile app, and the app version even lets you schedule a start time beforehand. So, it's entirely possible that the false starts are a result of owners accidentally engaging remote start. Think butt dials, but for your car.
No one knows why
One poster in the group alleged that this is expected behavior, saying that if the Maverick sits for a couple of days, it automatically starts itself so the battery doesn't die. For what it's worth, I have been testing and writing about cars professionally for almost a decade and have never heard of such a function. I have, however, heard of cars that apparently lock people in/out if you don't drive them often enough and let the battery die.
A car that turns its gas engine on of its own volition can pose a different safety hazard if it happens to be in an enclosed garage with humans nearby. Another commenter brought up the possibility that previous owners still had access to the trucks in their Ford apps and they could be turning them on as a joke. Spontaneously starting cars were never a problem when cars weren't connected to the internet, and the only way to start 'em was by twisting a key behind the steering wheel. Sounds like progress!
When The Drive contacted Ford about the false starts, the automaker didn't have much to say, and there currently aren't any formal NHTSA complaints about the matter. My theory? Given how often I find myself cursing at my phone for doing stuff I never told it to do, I'd put my money on this being a bug somewhere in the mobile app.