Connected services can make a car easier to use. A phone app may show the vehicle’s location, remote features may lock the doors, and the infotainment screen can display contacts or navigation destinations. Those conveniences can involve personal data. What a vehicle collects and how it is used depends on the manufacturer, model, connected-service settings, mobile apps, and the law where the vehicle is used.
What information may be involved
Depending on the system and services enabled, a vehicle or connected app may process account details, vehicle identifiers, location, driving events, diagnostic information, voice interactions, and service requests. When a phone is paired, the car may also have access to contact names, call history, messages, or saved destinations, depending on the phone, operating system, and permissions. A rental car or shared vehicle may retain some paired-device information unless the driver removes it.
This list is not a claim that every car collects every type of information. Read the connected-services and infotainment privacy notices for the specific vehicle and app. Look for what data is collected, why, how long it is kept, which companies receive it, and whether optional features require an account or subscription.
Review app and vehicle settings
Start in the manufacturer’s app and the vehicle’s settings menu. Check location sharing, remote access, driver scoring, crash detection, voice recording, personalized recommendations, and data-sharing preferences if those controls are offered. Names and options vary. Turning off a feature may also disable a service that depends on it, such as remote vehicle location or emergency assistance. Confirm how each choice affects the service before changing it.
On the phone, review the permissions granted to the automaker’s app. Location access, Bluetooth, contacts, microphone, and notifications each have a separate purpose. Allow only the access you understand and need. If a feature stops working, check the app’s explanation rather than enabling every permission automatically.
Pair a phone with care
Use the vehicle’s Bluetooth or smartphone-integration menu while parked. Before allowing contact or message access, consider whether the car is private, shared, or used by several drivers. Some systems let drivers choose which data to sync; others may request broader access for hands-free functions. Follow the phone and car instructions, and do not attempt to change settings while driving.
If you borrow a vehicle, remove your phone from the paired-device list when you return it. Delete recent destinations and call history if they are stored in the car. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission gives similar advice for rental vehicles because a car may retain navigation destinations, phone numbers, call and message logs, or contacts after the renter leaves. See the FTC’s rental car privacy guidance for a checklist.
Before selling, trading, or returning a vehicle
Remove personal information from the infotainment system and disconnect any linked apps or digital keys. Check for saved home and work addresses, paired phones, account profiles, garage-door codes, payment details, and personal settings. Use the vehicle’s documented factory-reset or owner-transfer procedure. Some connected accounts must be removed through the manufacturer’s website or app as well as the car’s screen.
Ask the manufacturer what information remains associated with the vehicle identification number and how an account transfer works. Keep records showing that you removed the car from your account and cancelled any service you no longer want. A factory reset may erase local settings without deleting information already held in an online account, so check the privacy notice and account controls.
Make a privacy check part of a used-car purchase
When you buy a used vehicle, ask the seller to remove the car from their connected account and to delete stored personal data. Before connecting your own phone, confirm the vehicle is no longer linked to another owner’s account. Follow the official owner-transfer process; some features may remain unavailable until the automaker verifies the new owner. If a digital key or remote service is included, make sure the handover is complete and former users no longer have access.
For a rental, fleet, or shared vehicle, avoid saving passwords or payment methods on the screen. Use guest mode if available. Remove your phone and destinations before returning the vehicle. If a reset option is hidden or unavailable, ask the rental or fleet operator to clear the profile.
Understand data sharing and account choices
Privacy rules are different across countries and states. Options to access, correct, delete, or limit the use of data depend on the applicable law, the company, and the type of information. Use the manufacturer’s privacy portal or contact channel for requests. Keep the vehicle identification number and account details private when making a public complaint or posting screenshots.
Connected-car data has drawn attention from regulators. The U.S. FTC has discussed the privacy risks of precise location and driving-behavior information, and its 2025 action involving General Motors and OnStar described allegations and a proposed order. That case illustrates why drivers should read consent screens and data-sharing terms closely. It does not mean that every carmaker uses the same data practices or that one set of settings applies worldwide.
A short checklist for owners
- Read the privacy notices for the vehicle, mobile app, and connected services you actually use.
- Review app permissions and vehicle controls for location, contacts, voice, and driving data.
- Remove phones, saved destinations, and account profiles from rental, shared, or sold vehicles.
- Use the official owner-transfer process when buying or selling a connected car.
- Check whether an online account or subscription must be cancelled separately from a vehicle reset.
- Ask the manufacturer how to request access to or deletion of account data in your region.
Connectivity is a set of choices rather than a single switch. Review those choices when you buy the vehicle, install its app, lend the car, or transfer ownership.
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