Michigan Autoworker’s Long‑Lost Wallet Discovered After 150,000 Miles in Ford SUV

After more than a decade, Richard Guilford had long given up hope of ever seeing his lost wallet again. The retired Ford worker from Michigan figured it was gone for good, left behind somewhere on the assembly line. Then, out of nowhere, it resurfaced inside a car he helped build — hundreds of miles away — like a forgotten time capsule from a former life.

Mechanic in Minnesota Finds Wallet Inside Ford Edge

The surprising discovery was made by Chad Volk, a mechanic and shop owner in Lake Crystal, Minnesota. While working on a 2015 Ford Edge that had come in for repairs, Volk removed the air box and spotted something unusual tucked deep inside the engine bay: a bulging leather wallet, coated in dust but still intact.

The mechanic’s curiosity was instantly piqued.

“I had to sit down and go through this wallet,” Volk told KARE-TV.

What Was Inside the Wallet Lost by Michigan Ford Worker?

Inside, he found lottery tickets, cash, Cabela’s gift cards, and a Ford employee ID belonging to Guilford.

Those Cabela’s gift cards Guilford had intended to use to buy Christmas gifts for his kids 11 years ago? They’re still good.

Michigan Autoworker Shocked to Reunite With Long-Lost Wallet

Volk tracked the retired autoworker down using Facebook.

“Is this your wallet?” Guilford remembers Volk asking. “The first thing I said was, ‘Did you find that in a car?’”

Guilford recalled working to track down electrical issues in new Ford Edge vehicles that had been shipped to Michigan from an assembly plant in Chicago.

“I never wore sweatpants to work, but I did that day,” he said. “And I had my wallet in my shirt pocket.”

He didn’t realize it had fallen out, likely when he leaned over a vehicle — the very same 2015 Ford Edge that Volk was working on 11 years and 150,000 miles later.

Gift Cards Still Work, but the Real Gift Was Honesty

Guilford offered to send Volk a reward, but the mechanic politely declined. Still, Guilford says a special gift is on its way to Lake Crystal, Minnesota, as a thank-you.