Atlantic Hurricane Season ended Nov. 30 with 13 named storms (NOAA), but disasters can strike any time. And when they do, car payments aren’t the first thing people should have to worry about. At Ford Credit, we get that.

Angela Stewart, now finance manager at Town & Country Ford in Madison, Tennessee, lived in Florida when a hurricane struck.

“The extension helped ease the burden and stress of all the unexpected things we had to deal with.”

Angela Stewart, Ford Credit disaster-related payment extension recipient

“I was not in the auto industry at the time, but I was driving a car with Ford Credit financing," she said. "Ford Credit reached out to me and told me I had the option to move a payment to the back of the contract. The program was very easy to use. It helped a lot. When a disaster like that hits, you’re without electricity, water, and gas for the car for a time. The extension helped to ease the burden and stress of all the unexpected things we had to deal with. Ford Credit was there for us.”

Stories like Angela’s are why Ford Credit and Lincoln Automotive Financial Services have offered nearly 200,000 disaster-related payment extensions to U.S. customers so far this year and more than 850,000 since 2022. About 32,000 of those customers have used a disaster extension.

We offer these extensions to eligible customers living in counties FEMA has designated for its Individuals and Households Program. We promote disaster extensions online and contact customers by email or postcard, often before they even think to ask for help. Customers can choose to defer vehicle payments, typically for up to 60 days, with no fees.

And that’s a big deal in a time of need. Today, a 60-day payment deferral can free up nearly $1,500 for emergency housing, repairs, or essentials, based on a U.S. industry average monthly payment of $749 (Experian, Q2 2025).

From 2022 through Oct. 2025, disaster types with the most Ford Credit extensions were:

• Hurricanes: 16,464 extensions, including Hurricane Ian in 2022, which generated 4,375 extensions, and Hurricanes Beryl (4,566), Helene (3,908) and Milton (2,631) in 2024. There have been no hurricane-related extensions in 2025.
• Severe storms, flooding and tornadoes: 13,449 extensions. This category includes winter storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, landslides and mudslides.
• Wildfires: 2,149 extensions

Extension offers were made most often in Southeastern (Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee) and Central (Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas) states and California.

When disaster strikes, we want our customers to prioritize their well-being, not worry about juggling unexpected expenses and monthly payments to Ford Credit.

Given how stressful a disaster can be for our customers, we have worked hard to ensure the extension process is simple. They can request an extension online quickly, through our Account Manager app, or by calling 1-800-723-4016 (required for lease customers). There is no need for additional documentation. Interest may continue to accrue on deferred payments.

Thankfully, most of our customers will never need a disaster payment extension. For those who do, the Ford Credit team is proud to step in when they need us and provide financial breathing room as they recover.

Geoff McLellan is Ford Credit Chief Risk Officer and will become Ford Credit Executive Vice President of Global Operations on Jan. 1, 2026.