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A connected car is a networked computer system: onboard electronics and software can communicate with a phone, cellular services, nearby vehicles, or roadway infrastructure. Those links can enable navigation, emergency response, diagnostics, entertainment, and software updates—but they can also expose new paths into vehicle systems and carry sensitive information such as location or phone-linked data. Which connections and controls a car has depends on its model, model year, manufacturer, and services.
How does a car connect to the internet?
Sensors and electronic control units generate or use information about the vehicle and its surroundings. Depending on the vehicle, infotainment systems, telematics services, wireless modules, and software may pass selected information to outside networks or services. A connection does not mean every component is online or that every part of the vehicle shares one common network.
Wireless links can include cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. In a September 2025 speech, NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser said these kinds of paths were present in nearly all new vehicles. Features vary, however, and a car may use a connection only for particular functions. Some vehicle communications can also involve other vehicles or infrastructure.
| Connection path | What it can support | Possible information involved |
|---|---|---|
| Cellular or internet-connected services | Remote services, navigation and traffic information, emergency response, connected diagnostics, or software updates, depending on the vehicle and service | Location, vehicle-operation information, or service-account information; exact collection varies |
| Wi-Fi | Internet access or data transfer for selected vehicle services, where supported | Information needed by the connected feature; the applicable service terms describe its handling |
| Bluetooth or phone pairing | Phone calls, media, or other phone-connected functions | Information from communications connected through a driver’s phone may be personal or sensitive |
| Vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communications | Exchange of information with other vehicles or roadway infrastructure for selected connected functions | Messages or other data required by the particular system; the cited agency material does not establish a universal data set |
These are examples, not a feature checklist for every car. The FTC and NHTSA describe connected vehicles broadly as using internet information and gathering, storing, or transmitting data for entertainment, performance, and safety. They also identify real-time precise geolocation and driver communications connected through a phone as potentially personal or sensitive information. That does not mean every vehicle collects every category.
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What can connected-car features do?
Connectivity can make some services more convenient and can support safety-related technologies. The FTC and NHTSA have noted that connected vehicles can offer consumer benefits and potentially affect motor-vehicle safety. NHTSA also discusses driver-assistance technologies such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. These functions should not be conflated: a vehicle’s connectivity does not by itself establish that it has a particular driver-assistance feature.
- Convenience and information: navigation, traffic information, remote services, and phone pairing may be available, depending on the vehicle and service.
- Safety-related functions: emergency response and some driver-assistance or vehicle-communication technologies can help provide information or assistance in specific situations.
- Maintenance and software: connected diagnostics and over-the-air updates can support vehicle servicing or software changes when the manufacturer provides them.
Availability, operation, and whether a feature requires an active service vary by manufacturer, model year, market, and vehicle configuration. Check the vehicle’s manual and the terms for the specific service rather than assuming a feature is included or always active.
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Can a connected car be hacked?
Connectivity creates additional possible entry points, but the existence of a wireless feature is not proof that a specific car is vulnerable or that remote takeover is commonplace. NHTSA says both wireless and wired entry points can present cybersecurity risks. Its 2025 speech described agency concerns involving wireless access paths, infotainment and phone pairing, key fobs, software-defined features, electronic actuators such as steering or braking, and electric-vehicle battery-management and charging interfaces. These are areas of attention, not findings about every vehicle.
The potential consequences are not all the same. An incident involving entertainment or account data is different from one affecting a safety-critical control. NHTSA’s guidance calls for a layered, risk-based approach that prioritizes safety-critical systems, detects and responds to incidents, builds resilience and recovery into vehicle design, and supports information sharing. The agency’s 2022 Cybersecurity Best Practices for the Safety of Modern Vehicles is non-binding guidance, not a consumer guarantee or a binding requirement.
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NHTSA also identifies continuing areas of cybersecurity work, including anomaly-based intrusion detection, firmware-update security, heavy-vehicle cybersecurity, and parsing of vehicle-to-vehicle messages. In a September 23, 2025 speech, Simshauser said more than 80 automotive-industry companies participated in Auto-ISAC, an industry information-sharing organization. That figure describes his statement at that time, not a live membership count.
What data might a connected car collect?
Data depends on the vehicle, enabled features, and connected services. It may include precise location, vehicle-operation information, or information associated with communications connected through a driver’s phone. Some data may be needed to provide a chosen feature; other collection or sharing practices depend on the manufacturer’s and service provider’s policies. Do not assume that every car collects all these types of information, or that turning off one feature stops all collection.
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A historical GAO review offers a specific example, but not a current market-wide estimate. In 2017, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that 13 of 16 automakers selected for its review offered connected vehicles. The selected sample was not generalizable to all automakers. GAO reported that those 13 automakers collected, used, and shared data such as location and vehicle operations, and found that privacy notices could be unclear and alternatives to opting out of connected services limited. Those findings describe that review, not the current practices of every manufacturer.
How can you check privacy and service settings?
There is no universal connected-car privacy panel or procedure established across manufacturers. Use the vehicle’s manual, its infotainment or account settings, and the relevant service privacy notice to answer specific questions before enabling a feature or linking a phone.
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- Which connected services are enabled, and which ones do you actually use?
- What categories of data does the vehicle or service collect, and is location needed for the feature you want?
- What information may be accessed when you pair a phone, and what happens to paired-device or account information when you sell or return a vehicle?
- What controls are available for service access, data sharing, or opting out, and what functions would stop working if you use them?
For a used vehicle, review both the vehicle’s settings and any linked service account. Remove personal phone pairings and check the manufacturer’s instructions for transferring ownership or clearing account access. Exact steps vary, so do not rely on a generic reset procedure to remove every account or data record.
Who oversees connected-car safety, privacy, and supply-chain risks?
The roles differ. NHTSA focuses on motor-vehicle safety, including cybersecurity practices that can affect vehicle safety. The FTC has a consumer-protection and privacy role; a joint FTC/NHTSA workshop in 2017 discussed connected vehicles’ data practices and potential benefits. GAO reviews federal programs and agency roles; it is not the regulator of automaker privacy practices.
Policy also addresses supply chains. The U.S. Commerce Department’s 2025 rulemaking addressed risks involving defined Vehicle Connectivity Systems, based on their role in enabling certain radio-frequency communications. It should not be read as a consumer safety certification or as covering every wired or wireless component in a vehicle. Compliance questions require checking the operative rule and current agency guidance.
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