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Modern connected cars can create and transmit far more than crash and maintenance records. Depending on the vehicle, model year, equipment, subscriptions and your settings, telematics, navigation, sensors, cameras, voice systems, paired phones and companion apps may produce location, driving, vehicle-status and account data. “Spies” is shorthand for that collection and sharing—not proof that every car records every category.
The practical answer is to identify the exact services in your car, review both in-vehicle and app controls, ask the manufacturer what is linked to your account, and reset the car before you sell or transfer it. Turning off collection can also disable remote controls, navigation features or roadside assistance, so change settings deliberately.
What data can a connected car collect?
The Federal Trade Commission says vehicle ecosystems may handle biometric, telematic, geolocation, video and other personal information. The sources of that data include the car itself, a cellular telematics unit, navigation software, microphones, cameras, other sensors, a paired phone and the manufacturer’s online account. The exact mix depends on the make, model year, trim, connected-services plan and choices made by the owner or driver. See the FTC’s overview of vehicle data practices at Cars & Consumer Data.
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The 12 ways your car may collect or expose information
These are categories, not a claim that every vehicle uses all twelve. Check your owner’s manual, connected-service agreement and current privacy notice for your exact configuration.
1. Precise location and route history
A cellular modem or navigation system can create location points, routes, trip times and destinations. Location patterns can reveal a home, workplace, medical appointments or visits to other sensitive places. In its January 2025 General Motors/OnStar action, the FTC said some users’ precise location data was collected as often as every three seconds and described allegations that trip and driving-behavior information was shared with consumer reporting agencies. That is a specific enforcement matter, not a rule that every automaker operates the same way. Read the FTC announcement and its procedural description of the proposed order at FTC Takes Action Against General Motors.
2. Speed and other driving behavior
Connected systems may record speed, trip duration, mileage, time of day, road context and other measures used to describe how a vehicle is driven. Those records can be used for diagnostics or safety programs, but a privacy notice may also describe disclosures to service providers or other recipients. Ask specifically whether driving data is shared with insurers, consumer reporting agencies or data brokers, rather than assuming “vehicle data” is used only by the manufacturer.
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3. Braking, acceleration and event signals
Accelerometer and control-system readings can identify hard braking, rapid acceleration, cornering, impacts and similar events. A device may use these signals to trigger an emergency response, investigate a crash or improve a service. Whether the events are stored, attached to your account or transmitted continuously varies by vehicle and service.
4. Telematics and vehicle status
Connected modules can report odometer readings, battery or fuel level, tire pressure, diagnostic codes, maintenance alerts, charging status, door and lock state, and the vehicle’s operating condition. Remote lock, start, climate control and roadside-assistance features generally depend on some of this communication. Disabling telematics may therefore remove convenience or safety functions you rely on.
5. Navigation searches and destinations
Typed or spoken searches, saved places, recent destinations and traffic requests can reveal where you intend to go. Some navigation processing happens in the vehicle; other functions use a cloud account or a phone. Clear history in the navigation system and review the navigation provider’s account separately—deleting a destination on the dashboard may not delete a server-side record.
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6. Voice interactions
Cars with a built-in voice assistant or microphone may process commands, transcripts, account identifiers or recordings, depending on the design and settings. Voice controls can be supplied by the automaker, a technology partner or a phone connected through the vehicle. Look for a voice-assistant consent or history setting in both the car and the companion app, and check which provider receives the request.
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7. Cameras and visual or sensor data
Where equipped, interior and exterior cameras, parking sensors, radar or other sensors can produce images, video, depth or object-detection data. Uses may include parking assistance, driver monitoring, security alerts, mapping or safety improvement. Ask whether footage is stored locally, uploaded automatically, retained for a defined period or shared for a stated purpose; the presence of a camera does not by itself establish that continuous recordings leave the car.
8. Connected phone and device information
Pairing a phone can expose contacts, call history, messages, media metadata, device identifiers and permissions granted through Bluetooth, USB or a smartphone projection system. The phone may also send location or app data through its own connection. Remove old pairings from the vehicle and revoke the car’s permissions on the phone when you no longer use the connection.
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9. Companion-app and account activity
A manufacturer’s app can associate a vehicle identification number, driver profile, remote-command history, charging or trip activity, payment details and support conversations with an online account. Household members may have separate profiles or shared credentials. Review account users, location sharing, push notifications, saved addresses and third-party sign-ins; changing an in-car setting may not change an app-level permission.
10. Data used for service improvement or safety
Manufacturers commonly describe aggregated or vehicle-level data as useful for troubleshooting, product development, security, traffic, maps or safety analysis. “Service improvement” can be a broad purpose, so read the product-specific notice for data categories, retention and whether consent is required. Ford’s U.S. privacy notice, for example, says connected services can have product-specific notices and directs owners to vehicle manuals; its current notice is available at Ford’s U.S. Privacy Policy.
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Cloud hosting, roadside assistance, mapping, voice recognition, payment processing, crash response and analytics may involve outside service providers. Some notices also discuss disclosures to insurers, consumer reporting agencies, business partners or other recipients. Compare the stated purpose, recipient, retention period and consent model—not merely whether a policy says data is “shared.” A 2024 letter from Senator Edward J. Markey to the FTC reported unresolved questions about commercial transfers, deletion rights, functionality lost when collection is declined and collection beyond service needs; see the senator’s letter.
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12. Retention, resale and transfer risks
Personal destinations, paired phones, garage-door codes, driver profiles and app sessions can remain in a vehicle or account after ownership changes. A used-car buyer, dealer employee or later driver could see what was not cleared. Before a sale, lease return or long-term loan, remove devices and destinations, sign out of apps and perform the documented master or owner reset. Ford specifically advises a Master/User Reset before transfer; other makes use different menu names, so follow that vehicle’s manual.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to minimize car data collection: an owner checklist
- Identify the complete setup. Write down the make, model, model year, trim, telematics provider, connected-services subscription, navigation or voice provider and every phone or app account linked to the vehicle.
- Read the vehicle-specific notices. Start with the manufacturer’s current privacy policy, then open product-specific connected-service notices and the owner’s manual. A broad policy may not answer what a particular trim or subscription collects.
- Audit dashboard settings. In the vehicle’s Settings, Privacy, Connectivity or Connected Services menus, look for location sharing, diagnostics, analytics, voice assistant, personalization, camera or recording choices and data-consent screens. Record the original setting before changing it.
- Audit the companion app and account. Review location sharing, driver or household access, remote-command history, saved places, advertising or analytics permissions, linked services and notification settings. Check the phone’s operating-system permissions as well.
- Ask for an account-level explanation. Contact the manufacturer through its official privacy or data-request portal. Ask what data is tied to the vehicle identification number and account, which providers receive it, how long it is retained, and how to access, delete or limit it. Save the request and confirmation.
- Test the consequences. After changing a control, verify whether remote lock or start, live traffic, navigation search, emergency response, charging tools or roadside assistance stopped working. Decide whether the privacy gain is worth the lost feature.
- Clean up for lending or transfer. Delete paired phones, contacts, messages, home and work addresses, navigation history, garage credentials, driver profiles and digital keys. Sign out of the app and complete the documented factory, owner or master reset before handing over the vehicle.
- Tell passengers and household drivers. Explain that microphones, cameras, location features and app accounts may affect them. Check shared-account and location settings for every person, not just the primary owner.
What to compare between automakers or connected services
Do not compare privacy policies by length or marketing language. Use the same questions for each vehicle and save the answers with the model year and subscription name.
| Comparison point | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Data categories | Does the service collect precise location, routes, speed, events, diagnostics, voice, video, phone data or account activity? |
| Purpose and retention | Why is each category collected, and how long is identifiable data kept? |
| Recipients | Is data disclosed to service providers, insurers, consumer reporting agencies, data brokers or other partners? |
| Consent model | Is collection or sharing opt-in, opt-out, required for enrollment, or subject to an exception? |
| Access and deletion | Can you request a copy, correction, deletion or limitation, and through which official channel? |
| Control location | Is the setting in the dashboard, the mobile app, the web account, the phone or more than one place? |
| Feature impact | Which remote, navigation, safety, charging or roadside functions disappear when you decline? |
State privacy rights and request procedures differ across the United States. Use the current manufacturer notice and the relevant state regulator or official request channel rather than relying on an old guide or a generic legal summary.
What the FTC’s GM/OnStar case does—and does not—establish
The FTC’s January 2025 announcement described allegations involving precise location and driving-behavior data and proposed an order that included a five-year ban on disclosure of covered data to consumer reporting agencies, affirmative consent before collection with exceptions, and mechanisms for consumer access, deletion and collection limits. The page describes a proposed order; it should not be treated as a final, industry-wide rule or proof that every automaker follows the same practice. The FTC also explains why location data can expose daily routines and visits to sensitive places in that announcement: read the agency’s account.
Common mistakes when trying to stop tracking
- Assuming an OBD-II gadget blocks automaker telemetry. A reader, phone accessory or privacy screen is not shown by the available evidence to stop the car’s built-in cellular collection or third-party sharing.
- Changing only one layer. Turning off dashboard location while leaving the companion app, phone permission or web account active may leave another data path enabled.
- Deleting the app instead of the account. Removing an app from a phone does not necessarily delete server-held vehicle or account data.
- Expecting a complete privacy switch. Safety, emergency, warranty or legally required processing may have different rules from optional analytics or marketing.
- Forgetting the next owner. A reset that clears the screen may not revoke a digital key or erase a separate cloud account; verify both the car and the online account.
Bottom line for U.S. car owners
Your car’s privacy profile is determined by its hardware, connected services, apps, accounts and settings—not by the presence of a single “privacy” button. Inventory those layers, ask precise questions about location and driving data, disable only what you understand, and document the result. Before transfer, erase local information and complete the manufacturer’s reset procedure. For a practical starting point, the Associated Press guide explains common owner controls and request steps at “One Tech Tip: Modern cars are spying on you”.
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