Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) - Overview
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2018 Ford EcoSport. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The PATS deters the vehicle from theft by preventing the vehicle from starting unless a programmed PATS key is in the ignition lock cylinder.
When a valid programmed IKT is placed in the ignition lock cylinder, the key data is read by the PATS transceiver. The key data is transferred from the PATS transceiver to the BCM and if it matches the data stored in the BCM, the BCM communicates this to the PCM and the vehicle is allowed to start.
PATS does not disable a vehicle that is already running.