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To limit your car’s location tracking, check privacy and data-sharing controls in the vehicle, the automaker’s app or account, and the owner’s manual. These controls vary by make, model year, equipment, service enrollment, and country; changing a phone app’s location permission or deleting the app may not stop data sent by the car’s built-in modem.
What to check before changing settings
Connected-car data can come directly from a vehicle’s modem and manufacturer services, not just from an app on your phone. Depending on the vehicle and enrolled services, location, driving, and vehicle-health information may support navigation, emergency response, remote start, maintenance alerts, and other features. See the Toyota U.S. Connected Services Privacy Notice for an example of how those data uses are described.
- Identify the vehicle’s make, model year, trim or equipment, and country. Available controls and their effects differ.
- Check the owner’s manual for that vehicle’s exact menu path and instructions.
- Decide whether you want to limit a specific data category, stop particular connected services, or disconnect the vehicle from the manufacturer’s account. These are different levels of control.
- Read the on-screen explanation before confirming a change. Location, emergency, diagnostic, update, and other data flows may be treated differently.
How to turn off or limit connected-car data
- Look in the vehicle’s settings. Open the infotainment system’s Settings and look for Privacy, Data Sharing, Location Services, Connectivity, or Connected Services. If offered, review location and personalized-data categories individually. Note which services the screen says will be affected.
- Review the automaker’s app and account portal. Check privacy preferences, connected-service enrollment, driver-behavior programs, and separate marketing or personalization choices. A phone’s location permission controls whether the app can use the phone’s location; it does not necessarily stop the car’s modem from transmitting vehicle data.
- Use the manufacturer’s opt-out or deactivation process for broader changes. Follow the official instructions for the actual vehicle and service. Before choosing a full connectivity shutdown, check which features it disables and whether emergency or other exceptions remain.
- Confirm what happens next. Use the manual or contact manufacturer support to ask what data collection continues, what information may be retained, whether emergency calls are affected, and how to reverse the change.
- Remove your account from a vehicle you are selling, returning, or buying used. Follow the automaker’s unlinking and reset instructions so the correct account is associated with the car and previous user data is removed where the procedure allows.
What the controls may mean for major U.S. automakers
These examples describe manufacturer-specific options and trade-offs, not interchangeable instructions. Availability depends on the vehicle and service; use the relevant manual and official account process.
GM and OnStar
GM says some model year 2019 and newer vehicles may offer an OnStar Location Services control under infotainment Privacy Settings. Disabling it does not necessarily prevent location collection in emergencies, including a crash, a press of the emergency-call button, or certain high-voltage battery overheating events. GM also describes unenrollment through an OnStar Advisor or the in-vehicle blue button, subject to caveats. See GM’s U.S. Consumer Privacy Statement for applicable details.
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Ford and Lincoln
Available in-vehicle controls depend on equipment; consult the vehicle’s owner’s manual. Restricting data transmission can affect connected services. Ford says a master or factory reset removes imported data and disconnects modem-equipped vehicles from Ford or Lincoln accounts, but simply deleting the app does not disable vehicle data sharing. In some cases, the vehicle identification number (VIN) must also be removed from the associated account. See Ford’s U.S. Privacy Policy and the applicable vehicle instructions.
Toyota
Toyota’s U.S. Connected Services Privacy Notice says the Toyota App’s Data Privacy Portal lets users review what the vehicle transmits and change preferences. It also describes opting out or requesting data-transmission deactivation through the app or in-vehicle SOS button. Toyota says this stops collection of certain location, driving, vehicle-health, and account data; it does not promise that every data flow ends. The notice was updated July 1, 2026, and its scope is the United States. See Toyota’s notice.
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Tesla
Tesla provides Data Sharing controls on the touchscreen. For a broader vehicle-data opt-out, Tesla says owners must contact the company to deactivate connectivity. Tesla lists possible losses including over-the-air updates, remote services, mobile-app interaction, location search, internet radio, voice commands, and browser functionality; it also says it may then be unable to notify the owner of real-time vehicle issues. See Tesla’s Privacy Notice.
Porsche
Depending on model and equipment, Porsche says PCM Privacy Mode, wireless-module controls, or individual Porsche Connect service settings may restrict data exchange. Some services are marked as non-deactivatable, and disabling controls can limit or eliminate functions such as real-time traffic and hazard warnings. See Porsche USA’s Privacy Policy.
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Mazda
Mazda’s infotainment Data Communications toggle temporarily disables transmission for listed Connected Services and turns off associated app features. Mazda’s policy describes exceptions, including over-the-air updates and emergency-related services. Cancelling a Connected Services subscription is broader; complete telematics-control-unit deactivation is broader still and can prevent connected services, emergency services that rely on vehicle connectivity, over-the-air updates, and recall notices. See Mazda USA’s Connected Services privacy information.
Know the difference between a setting, an opt-out, and a reset
A location toggle may affect only one feature or category, while a service opt-out may stop more transmissions and a full telematics shutdown may remove still more capabilities. Before confirming a change, compare the options on these points:
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- Data covered: precise location, driving behavior, diagnostics or vehicle health, personalization, or broader connected data.
- Where it applies: an in-car setting, app preference, service enrollment, account connection, or vehicle modem.
- Exceptions and retention: emergency response, updates, or other baseline collection may continue; ask what data is retained after opting out.
- Features affected: remote access, navigation, traffic and hazard alerts, updates, or emergency services may depend on connectivity.
- Availability and reversibility: options vary by vehicle and market; confirm how to restore a service if needed.
Do not assume that removing a phone app, pulling a fuse, unplugging a modem or antenna, or using a generic signal blocker is a safe or complete privacy control. The manufacturer procedures above do not establish those steps as universal solutions, and connected systems may support safety, emergency, update, or service functions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 2026 FTC order covers—and what it does not
On January 14, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission announced a final order resolving allegations against General Motors and OnStar. The order is specific to GM and OnStar, not a universal rule for other automakers. It imposes a five-year ban on specified disclosures of geolocation and driver-behavior data to consumer reporting agencies. For the order’s 20-year life, GM and OnStar must obtain affirmative express consent before covered collection, use, or sharing; provide U.S. consumers a way to request and seek deletion of data; provide a way to disable precise geolocation collection where the vehicle has the necessary technology; and offer opt-outs for geolocation and driver-behavior data subject to exceptions. Read the FTC’s January 14, 2026 order announcement for its scope and terms.
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The FTC has described persistent, precise vehicle location as sensitive because it can reveal routines and visits to sensitive places. Its broader discussion notes that connected cars may also collect biometrics, telematics, video, and other information. See the FTC’s May 14, 2024 article on cars and consumer data.
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