Would-be VP Tim Walz once chided Ford for using cheap parts

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz drives a 1979 International Harvester Scout, attends classic car shows in his free time and once had some stern words for Ford Motor Co. in a video encouraging Minnesotans to vote.

Walz is a "certified car guy," according to Jalopnik, which opined that his interest in working under the hood "bodes well for support of Right-to-Repair laws."

In October 2018, 11 days before first being elected as Minnesota's governor, the former high school teacher and football coach called out Ford on social media after experiencing a mechanical issue while campaigning around the state.

"This right here is the headlight harness on a 2014 Edge," Walz said, holding up a slightly blackened plastic part. "Ford, this is unacceptable. It burned out hot on the connector. So for $7.99 at Napa Auto Parts here in the city, you can replace this. Just clip off the back, use some shrink wrap connectors on there, tape it back together and put it back in. It's about a five-minute fix and you're back on the road, safe and sound. Pro tip of the day."

The video resurfaced this week after Vice President Kamala Harris chose Walz as her running mate for the November presidential election. "The Daily Show" host Michael Kosta used the clip Aug. 6 to demonstrate Walz's "Midwestern dad" vibe.

Today, Walz is mostly driven around in state-owned SUVs and says he rides in the front seat to avoid getting carsick.

His only personal vehicle is an aqua blue Scout, which the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says he works on himself. "You got a fast car. I've got a 1979 International Harvester Scout," Walz wrote in a February post on X showing his dog — named Scout — in the driver's seat of the SUV.

Volkswagen Group plans to revive the defunct Scout brand with electric SUVs and pickups to be built at a $2 billion South Carolina plant now under construction. If elected vice president, Walz could be a good bet to appear at the plant's opening in 2026.