Hidden aftermarket GPS trackers are popping up on cars all over the market
3 hours ago
- People are increasingly finding hidden GPS trackers in their cars, installed by either dealers or unknown third parties.
- These trackers can drain car batteries, interfere with diagnostics, and potentially be used for stalking.
- Drivers can check common hiding spots and use specialized tools like RF scanners to detect hidden trackers.
Automotive service techs find all sorts of weird stuff in customer cars. People leave anything from firearms and drugs, to adult material, and anything else you can think of behind when they drop their cars off at the shop. In recent years, techs and car owners have started finding something neither knew about: GPS trackers.
These devices come in several forms. Some run on batteries, some piggyback into the car’s electrical system, and some are so small that they’re almost impossible to find. Let’s take a deeper dive into why many are there, what they look like, where to find them, and what to do if you find one.
More: Teen Steals Hellcat From Dealer, Cops Call Off Chase At 169 MPH, But Still Nab Him
First, this isn’t the same old Apple Airtag situation folks faced a few years back. Both Apple and Android have a solution to that problem. If either type of phone detects an Airtag that might be traveling with you it’ll initiate a notification about it.
It won’t necessarily help you pinpoint its location, but at least you’ll know that there’s one in the vehicle. The trackers we’re talking about are ones that your phone can’t pick up on.
Dealers use them regularly to track cars that are financed. The thinking here is that they’ll be able to repossess the car more easily if the buyer doesn’t pay up. Of course, there’s no way to be sure that the dealer is using the tracking device ethically or that tracking data is secure. On top of that, owners have found the trackers even after buying a car outright like in this story.
They’re most often plugged into the car’s OBDII port and they have their own secondary port that sits where the original did. In most cases, it allows the OBDII port to continue working as intended. It’s also the easiest to find. These devices can drain the battery over time, interfere with tuning, or limit the use of the diagnostic system.
In other cases, it appears as though stalkers or those with nefarious intentions are the ones doing the tracking. They don’t need access to the interior either. Several individuals on Reddit have shared images of battery-powered trackers affixed to their cars. Most trackers in this sort of situation will only work for a few weeks but that’s often long enough for the tracking party to achieve whatever their goal is.
One poster claimed that their customer had just exited an abusive relationship but her ex still knew where she was. Sure enough, she had a tracker stuck to her vehicle. Photos show it attached to a control arm on her car. That brings us to the tough part, finding these little things.
In short, it’s a good idea to go check your OBDII port if you’ve purchased a car recently. Not only is that the easiest place to find one, but it also happens to be the easiest place for a dealer to install one. Beyond that, finding a tracker isn’t as simple. Again, they can be very small so they’ll fit just about anywhere. Those who believe they’re getting tracked should check both the underside of the vehicle as well as the trunk and under the hood.
In cases where it appears as though the tracker is a draw on the battery, a parasitic draw test can help uncover it. On the flip side, an RF (Radio Frequency) scanner can pick up on battery-powered GPS trackers.
If you’ve been concerned about the potential of a tracker in your car now you have a few tips to help you sort out the situation.
How often do cars get towed in because of an unknown GPS tracker failing?
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