# Ford found my wife and her phone number **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930 "2022-02-04T20:47:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/1 "2022-02-04T20:47:32Z")
My car was recalled to replace the air bags. I’ve been putting it off because I don’t want to sit in a waiting room for several hours with people not wearing masks. But I digress. They called my wife’s cell phone to get her to nag at me. How did they find her name and number, perhaps the insurance company? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/2 "2022-02-04T22:33:23Z")
Is she on the title? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/3 "2022-02-04T22:37:18Z")
I had delayed getting the passenger airbag replaced in my Mustang during the early months of the pandemic; Ford got increasingly insistent about it, and did start texting and calling my cell number, too. If the OP’s wife’s name isn’t on the title, then I would guess that Ford used a database that lines up cell phone accounts with physical addresses. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/4 "2022-02-04T22:44:45Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I’ve been putting it off because I don’t want to sit in a waiting room for several hours with people not wearing masks. See if the dealership has a courtesy car that they can use to drop you at home and pick you up once it’s finished. Many dealerships have that sort of thing, although I don’t know if they do it for safety recalls. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/5 "2022-02-04T22:44:49Z")
Susan, she isn’t on the title, and it’s paid for. We are both on the auto insurance policies, though/ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/6 "2022-02-04T22:46:07Z")
They offered to come to me, but we’ve had troubles with people taking off at work. I’ll either take off work and ask them to come to my house, or ask them to do it at work. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/7 "2022-02-04T22:46:36Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > If the OP’s wife’s name isn’t on the title, then I would guess that Ford used a database that lines up cell phone accounts with physical addresses. That may be it, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/8 "2022-02-04T22:48:21Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > If the OP’s wife’s name isn’t on the title, then I would guess that Ford used a database that lines up cell phone accounts with physical addresses. If anyone has ever watched the show _Catfish_ (where they investigate people who use fake identities online), there are services that will do this. I imagine Ford would find it worthwhile to use something like that if they feel an urgent need to get someone to bring a vehicle in for a recall before it leads to some tragedy they can be sued for (and have their name dragged in the mud). ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/9 "2022-02-04T22:50:17Z")
Did you put your cell phone number into the SYNC system? That would be my guess. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/10 "2022-02-04T23:15:09Z")
Has she ever had service done at a Ford dealership? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/11 "2022-02-04T23:19:20Z")
She hasn’t had a Ford, What is SYNC? They had her maiden name, I’m betting on the address database, or one of the internet searches that identifies people associated with the person you searched for. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/12 "2022-02-05T00:31:11Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What is SYNC? SYNC is Ford’s technology for linking one’s cell phone to the sound system in the car (as well as using the sound/phone system through voice commands). In order to use one’s phone through SYNC, you have to pair the phone to the car (using Bluetooth). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/13 "2022-02-05T00:33:56Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I imagine Ford would find it worthwhile to use something like that if they feel an urgent need to get someone to bring a vehicle in for a recall before it leads to some tragedy they can be sued for (and have their name dragged in the mud). For my recall, they started with various letters in the mail. After maybe six months or so, when I hadn’t responded, they started contacting me through my phone. @carnivorousplant: Ford actually offered to come to my house, and do the airbag fix here, rather than having to take the car in to a dealer for service. You may want to ask if that’s an option. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/14 "2022-02-05T00:51:18Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > SYNC is Ford’s technology for linking one’s cell phone to the sound system in the car (as well as using the sound/phone system through voice commands). In order to use one’s phone through SYNC, you have to pair the phone to the car (using Bluetooth). No, we didn’t do that. It is a ten year old Ranger. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/15 "2022-02-05T00:52:08Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It is a ten year old Ranger. Mine is an 11-year-old Mustang, but it does have SYNC. Sounds like your Ranger may not have come equipped with it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/16 "2022-02-05T00:53:23Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > @carnivorousplant: Ford actually offered to come to my house, and do the airbag fix here, rather than having to take the car in to a dealer for service. You may want to ask if that’s an option. I’m going to take them up on that. We are four IT guys, one keeps taking off because his wife is pregnant, one had covid, and my boss is helpless without us. I hope I can take off next week so they can come to the house. They don’t want my wife to sue them if I croak because of their air bag. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/17 "2022-02-05T01:07:09Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > They don’t want my wife to sue them if I croak because of their air bag. 🙂 That also don’t want to get in trouble with the NHTSA. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/18 "2022-02-05T03:10:59Z")
Did your wife ever take the vehicle to get repaired? She may have filled out paperwork and included her number so they could call with any problems/updates. That goes into a database, linked to the vehicle and they probably share/sell those databases to the manufacturers. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/19 "2022-02-05T03:23:12Z")
No. I think they did the person search I did on people when I rented my mother’s house. It listed other people associated with them. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/20 "2022-02-09T16:13:28Z")
It’s from a database search. The fact that she shares your residence address is enough for her to come up in a database search for you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930.md?page=2)