On board scales aren't a new thing, pretty sure they've been around for decades on OTR trucks, so I'm sure they're fairly accurate and probably a good option for people hauling commercial that need to follow strict weight regs. Whether or not Ford says they will or won't use the data against you, right now, is irrelevant. The data will be out there and can be used by anyone that has access to it, at their will, at any point in the future. States, the Feds, Ford, insurance companies, advertisers, etc., etc. Even if there is no malicious intent in the initial data acquisitions, people should be extremely wary of the mass data collection on private individuals and the future ramifications.

As to the availability of these technologies. Tech is only helpful when you have an understanding of what you're doing, otherwise it's a crutch that enables the majority of people to be continually ignorant. Everyone should learn to drive without any electronic aides so you gain some of the basic abilities and awareness needed to drive a vehicle, then use the tech to make it easier. If you don't possess the basic skills and awareness to drive a vehicle on your own abilities..maybe you shouldn't be driving?

 

OTR trucks, that I have seen, use air pressure in the suspension to determine weight, different system than what I suspect your pick-up truck would use.

Curt bought a company (I believe tow/haul or something like that) that made a OBD plug in that monitored stats related to throttle input, torque converter lock-up and a bunch of other engine and drivetrain parameters to estimate tongue weight and trailer weight. Been out for at least 5 years. The “sensors” have been part of the vehicle for years; the OBD plug just gathered them and transmitted them to an app on your phone which than did whatever math and interpretation to calculate weight/load. Curt still sells such a device. Ford probably has just implemented something similar and packaged it into the dash.

As for nefarious intentions/outcomes, I’m sure at some point it will be used accordingly. The road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.

 

It's just a guess, but it's most likely calculated by the reading of a few different sensors in the truck, and they probably use the TPMS sensor as one data input. As far as I can tell there isn't a specific sensor for reading the weights, I tried finding a listing for a replacement part for both the 150s an SDs. Between tire pressure changes, pitch/yaw changes, and knowing the spring deflection rates, it wouldn't be hard to calculate added weight. Tire size would be the only real variable most people will deal with that would change how it reads, and that's easily reprogrammed.

 

If you bust something from being overloaded, Ford won't need to look at any black box recordings, Over weight damage is VERY apparent. Really, what do you think will break that Ford will deny it if you exceed payload? Transmission? Engine? Your fancyass dash? Bust a spring, or axle, and I doubt Ford will cover it regardless of the on board scales or not. Give it some thought of what will break by exceeding payload, and consider if it would be covered or not, chances are, it would not be covered.

Mountain out of a mole hill.

 

But a defective spring or axle can certainly fail without being overloaded. Didn't Ford just have a problem with axle tubes crushing?

 

No doubt. A busted spring or axle failure from a defect usually can be determined vs a busted spring or axle from abuse. Usually defects like these show up early in a trucks life, and abuse takes time to show, usually beyond the warranty period unless you really abuse the truck, in which case would be clearly obvious to the dealer.

Unless Ford has had an extreme list of broken suspension claims from abuse, I highly doubt they would black box the weight the truck has carried to keep track.

 

Points taken. But honestly, I have been amazed over the decades the number of things that should be clearly obvious to dealers, but aren't.

 

Dealer observations are only as good as the mechanics technicians code readers observations.