Hidden tracking device plugged into OBD2 port

[smurfslayer]

This is one of the first things I'm checking when I get the Dark Horse home.

If I find something I've been debating on whether I want to take it back to the dealership and dump it on the desk or wire it into a Toyoto that is going to Africa or some Middle Eastern country. I'm torn.

The latter. Definitely.
There’s a guy on FRF who reported last week- he sold his truck, but never deleted from FordPass. It was subsequently stolen and absconded across the border into Mexico. He can still lock, unlock and remote start :-)

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[Stanzi]

Yes, this was bought new, and I did finance it. I had put down several thousand dollars and I have excellent credit. I was thinking they were selling my data to insurance companies, but who knows.
Maybe, I should lawyer up??

lol no. It’s standard LoJack. It’s a theft recovery system. You can get your vehicle back if it’s stolen within minutes, and get a discount often on your insurance.
I work for their parent company.

nothing nefarious, it’s a standard “add on” that is sold to dealers that resell as add ons to customers.

 

[Stanzi]

Yes, this was bought new, and I did finance it. I had put down several thousand dollars and I have excellent credit. I was thinking they were selling my data to insurance companies, but who knows.
Maybe, I should lawyer up??

https://www.lojack.com/products/

 

[erocker]

Read everything when making a purchase like this. You probably signed off on it. Since it's financed maybe the bank/lender requested it?

 

[ZXMustang]

God this forum is junk.

This is simply the dealer lojack they try to sell you when you buy a new car. If you say no, they dont remove it because its like $10 in plastic and circuit board.

They also use them for lot management before you buy the car. They can see where the car is on the lot or on a satellite lot in real time. This isnt a repo tracker or something they use to track you in any way. If you paid for the lojack shit they try to sell you in the finance office, then thats what you got. You can activate it online and use it to track the car.

If you don't pay for it, just pull it out and toss it. Its going to draw on the battery if you don't for no reason at all.

 

[Alan Applegate]

For those who find one of these in their vehicle in the future... Pull it Out and give it to a trucker friend. Tell them to pass it around—yes they DO know what to do with them. From what my trucker neighbor told me, it drives the dealers crazy! Bless them!

 

[Stanzi]

For those who find one of these in their vehicle in the future... Pull it Out and give it to a trucker friend. Tell them to pass it around—yes they DO know what to do with them. From what my trucker neighbor told me, it drives the dealers crazy! Bless them!

I’m really starting to question some of the intelligence of the people in this forum:

holy shit man.

the dealer has zero insight into the tool once they have sold the car.

I ran dealerships for over a decade, sold these to those that wanted them, and didn’t to those who didn’t.

I now WORK for the parent company.

it’s nothing more than an anti-theft and monitoring device. It’s tied to a VIN number. Families with children who drive their cars love Lo/Jack, as it can alert the parents if the car is driven outside of a specified area (geo), if the car is driven above a specific speed limit, and if it is stolen can be recovered in seconds.

We provide ZERO information back to the dealer once the purchase is complete, and is easily removed. If once removed, it is not attached to the OBDII port of the vin-associated vehicle, it is worthless.

and no- we provide no info to insurance companies, OEMs or anyone else- take off the tin foil hat. If you don’t want it- throw it away lol



if you are on a buy here pay here lot, many use this system to track and repo their vehicles.

HOWEVER, that is a separate function for specific purposes.



smh

 

[smurfslayer]

lol no. It’s standard LoJack. It’s a theft recovery system. You can get your vehicle back if it’s stolen within minutes, and get a discount often on your insurance.
I work for their parent company.

nothing nefarious, it’s a standard “add on” that is sold to dealers that resell as add ons to customers.

IF you or are in a jurisdiction that actually will engage for a stolen vehicle. Many urban and suburban PD's and sheriff's offices will now take a report and list it as a stolen vehicle over the phone and that's it.

You might get it back with loJack. Or your local PD may tell you how bad it sucks to be you, YMMV.

we provide no info to insurance companies, OEMs or anyone else- take off the tin foil hat. If you don’t want it- throw it away lol

I'll put that tinfoil hat right back on. You, that is, the general you, not you specifically may not share information with insurance companies now, but you _have_ that information and that information is a tangible asset worth money. As long as that information is in someone else's possession other than the owner, it can and eventually may be sold to data brokers.

All it will take is some financial tough times, a few layoffs, tightening budgets, upper management shuffle which us usually once every 9-18 months in most corporate cultures and voila! Hey, let's sell our data to a broker and capitalize on our asset.

Now, you may not and perhaps your employer is a better angel, guarding customer privacy, but there are far too many bad actors out there to take the chance.

 

[Stanzi]

Again, why I stated- if you don’t want it take it out and throw it away.

 

[Alan Applegate]

It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. Modern vehicles (like Mustangs of late) can be traced without any odd devices. Nonetheless, any dealer who put one of those devices on my vehicle without my permission, would get sued quicker than a New York minute! Even Apple AirTags can get you into trouble if used unwisely.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

IF you or are in a jurisdiction that actually will engage for a stolen vehicle. Many urban and suburban PD's and sheriff's offices will now take a report and list it as a stolen vehicle over the phone and that's it.

You might get it back with loJack. Or your local PD may tell you how bad it sucks to be you, YMMV.

It should be legal in such jurisdictions to use the Lo Jack to track your own car and take whatever private revenge you believe is appropriate upon those you find.

 

[Stanzi]

It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. Modern vehicles (like Mustangs of late) can be traced without any odd devices. Nonetheless, any dealer who put one of those devices on my vehicle without my permission, would get sued quicker than a New York minute! Even Apple AirTags can get you into trouble if used unwisely.

Agreed. 99% of the time it’s in the agreement; window sticker addendum; and included in the paperwork.

if they included it for free- no amount of lawsuit is going to win you anything as nothing has been activated to track anything and that would be proven out in court easily.

 

[smurfslayer]

It should be legal in such jurisdictions to use the Lo Jack to track your own car and take whatever private revenge you believe is appropriate upon those you find.

There was a local who had his truck jacked from a mall parking lot who did precisely that. he got shot, but the thief got shot far worse and his accomplice is now in prison. The thief immediately drew a gun, but the owner was also armed and shot first.
It made the news, print and TV and showed that the local LEAs were doing exactly that; telling victims "here's your report id for insurance. Don't call us, we'll call you." The guy even told the dispatcher, I have a tracker, and know exactly where the truck is at. It made no difference.

At least the guy got his truck back sent the thief to the hospital and subsequently prison and the accomplice went down too.

I think his last comments to the interviewer was something like "that's rich of the police chief to say we shouldn't take matters into our own hands when he ordered his officers not to do anything."

Lots of Urban PD's have new and "improved" pursuit policies, that are somewhat restrictive but it's not widely known that they also DGAF about stolen vehicles.

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