What to do when a Ford Credit account holder dies
Contact Ford Credit — 7-step process, 3 required documents, and ford credit does not publish a fixed timeline for updating a deceased customer's account. the peace of mind program allows a qualified party to return the vehicle to a ford or lincoln dealership within 60 days of death on qualifying contracts. payoff quotes, transfers, and account updates are handled through customer service once the death certificate and any required estate documents are provided.
Ford Credit Customer Service
Phone1-800-727-7000
Mailing Address
Loan payoff checks: Ford Motor Credit, PO Box 650574, Dallas, TX 75265-0574. General written correspondence: Ford Credit, P.O. Box 35910, Cleveland, OH 44135-0910.
WebsiteLearn more→
Ford Credit Customer Service
Phone1-800-727-7000
Mailing Address
Loan payoff checks: Ford Motor Credit, PO Box 650574, Dallas, TX 75265-0574. General written correspondence: Ford Credit, P.O. Box 35910, Cleveland, OH 44135-0910.
WebsiteLearn more→
Ford Credit Customer Service (Deceased Account Holder)
Phone1-800-727-7000
Mailing Address
Ford Credit, P.O. Box 35910, Cleveland, OH 44135-0910
Verified Jul 2026
When a Ford Credit account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the auto loans were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with Ford Credit's Ford Credit Customer Service (Deceased Account Holder) (1-800-727-7000) to access and distribute the funds.
Before contacting Ford Credit, have the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any available account numbers ready. A certified death certificate is required to initiate the claim.
Death claim process
The death claim process at Ford Credit works as follows:
Filing a claim
1
Have the death certificate for the deceased borrower or lessee ready, then notify Ford Credit by calling a Customer Service Representative at 1-800-727-7000.
2
Confirm who is a "qualified party" able to handle the account:
- The spouse or next of kin, if the deceased customer had no will or the estate has elected not to go through probate
- A designated beneficiary or transferee listed on the death certificate or the vehicle title
3
Consider the Peace of Mind Program: a qualified party may return the financed or leased vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealership within 60 days of the customer's death, and Ford Credit will not pursue any remaining obligation on the contract.
- Retail or lease contracts dated prior to January 1, 2016 do not qualify for the Peace of Mind Program
4
To keep the vehicle instead of returning it, choose how to resolve the account:
- For a loan: request the payoff amount, then pay off the balance from estate funds, life insurance, or the proceeds of a sale; once the lien is satisfied Ford Credit releases the title so the vehicle can be retitled through the estate
- For a loan: a qualified party who wants to keep the vehicle can apply to assume the contract by contacting a Customer Service Representative at 1-800-727-7000 for a Transfer of Equity, or can refinance the balance in their own name
- For a lease: return the vehicle, buy it out at the contract purchase option, or apply to transfer the lease to a qualified party by requesting a Lease Application at 1-800-727-7000
- Sell the vehicle and use the proceeds to pay the loan balance
5
If Ford Credit requires proof of authority to settle the account, provide Letters of Testamentary (certified court-issued documents indicating legal executorship) or a small estate affidavit (used when the estate's total assets fall under the dollar limit set by state statute).
6
Keep the account current while the estate is being settled. A Ford Credit auto loan or lease is a debt that continues to accrue; missed payments can lead to repossession of the financed or leased vehicle.
7
If the borrower purchased Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) or another voluntary protection product, check the original financing documents or ask Ford Credit whether it applies. GAP may help cover the difference if the vehicle is a total loss and the primary insurance pays less than the amount owed.
Required Documents
- Death certificate for the deceased borrower or lessee
- Letters of Testamentary or a small estate affidavit, if Ford Credit requires proof of authority to settle the account
- The Ford Credit account number
What to know at this institution
An auto loan and an auto lease are debts, not assets — neither carries a payable-on-death or beneficiary designation. Ford Credit routes the deceased-customer process through its Customer Service line at 1-800-727-7000, where the caller confirms qualified-party status, learns whether the account qualifies for the Peace of Mind Program (return the vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealership within 60 days of death with no remaining obligation; contracts dated before January 1, 2016 do not qualify), and requests a Transfer of Equity or Lease Application to keep the vehicle. Because Ford Credit holds a lien on a financed vehicle's title, the title is released to the estate only after the loan balance is paid; the vehicle can then be retitled to an heir or sold. A lease is owned by Ford Credit, so the estate returns the vehicle, buys it out at the contract purchase option, or applies to transfer the lease. Ford Credit does not publish a dedicated deceased-customer claim form, so the survivor sends its own notification plus the death certificate and any required estate documents (user-drafted).
Prepare your letter of instruction to Ford Credit
Ford Credit accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Ford Credit's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at Ford Credit: Ford Credit does not publish a fixed timeline for updating a deceased customer's account. The Peace of Mind Program allows a qualified party to return the vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealership within 60 days of death on qualifying contracts. Payoff quotes, transfers, and account updates are handled through Customer Service once the death certificate and any required estate documents are provided. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Ford Credit requires Death certificate for the deceased borrower or lessee, Letters of Testamentary or a small estate affidavit, if Ford Credit requires proof of authority to settle the account, and The Ford Credit account number to process a death claim. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
A Ford Credit auto loan or lease is a debt that does not disappear on death; it is resolved by the estate. Have the death certificate for the deceased borrower or lessee ready, then call a Customer Service Representative at 1-800-727-7000. Depending on the situation, the account is resolved by returning the vehicle under the Peace of Mind Program, paying off the loan, refinancing, assuming the contract, selling the vehicle, or returning a lease.
The Peace of Mind Program lets a qualified party return the financed or leased vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealership within 60 days of the customer's death, and Ford Credit will not pursue any remaining obligation on the contract. Retail or lease contracts dated prior to January 1, 2016 do not qualify. Contact Ford Credit at 1-800-727-7000 to confirm whether a specific contract is eligible.
Ford Credit treats the spouse or next of kin as a qualified party when the deceased customer had no will or the estate has elected not to go through probate. A designated beneficiary or transferee listed on the death certificate or the vehicle title is also a qualified party. A qualified party can handle the account, including returning the vehicle under the Peace of Mind Program or applying to keep it.
No. A vehicle loan and a vehicle lease are debts, not assets, so there is no payable-on-death or beneficiary designation. When the borrower or lessee dies, the obligation becomes part of the estate. The estate resolves a loan by paying it off, refinancing, arranging an assumption, or selling the vehicle, and resolves a lease by returning the vehicle, buying it out, or transferring it to a qualified party.
Ford Credit asks the caller to have the death certificate for the deceased borrower or lessee ready before contacting Customer Service. To establish authority over the estate, Ford Credit may require Letters of Testamentary (certified court-issued documents showing legal executorship) or a small estate affidavit, which is used when the estate's total assets fall under the dollar limit set by state statute.
Because Ford Credit owns the leased vehicle, the estate can return the vehicle (including under the 60-day Peace of Mind Program on qualifying contracts), buy it out at the contract purchase option, or apply to transfer the lease to a qualified party by requesting a Lease Application at 1-800-727-7000. A lease can also be ended early under the Voluntary Early Termination section of the lease agreement.
Call a Ford Credit Customer Service Representative at 1-800-727-7000, Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT and Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT. Have the death certificate for the deceased borrower or lessee ready. General written correspondence can be mailed to Ford Credit, P.O. Box 35910, Cleveland, OH 44135-0910.
Ford Credit's Ford Credit Customer Service (Deceased Account Holder) can be reached by phone at 1-800-727-7000 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Ford Credit primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.
Ford Credit Customer Service
Phone1-800-727-7000
Mailing Address
Loan payoff checks: Ford Motor Credit, PO Box 650574, Dallas, TX 75265-0574. General written correspondence: Ford Credit, P.O. Box 35910, Cleveland, OH 44135-0910.
WebsiteLearn more→
Ford Credit Customer Service
Phone1-800-727-7000
Mailing Address
Loan payoff checks: Ford Motor Credit, PO Box 650574, Dallas, TX 75265-0574. General written correspondence: Ford Credit, P.O. Box 35910, Cleveland, OH 44135-0910.
WebsiteLearn more→
Ford Credit Customer Service (Deceased Account Holder)
Phone1-800-727-7000
Mailing Address
Ford Credit, P.O. Box 35910, Cleveland, OH 44135-0910
Verified Jul 2026
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