I Traded My Old Honda Element, a Brick Phone on Wheels, for a High-Tech Toyota 4Runner, But It's Stealing My Personal Data With Tracking Technology

Is your car spying on you? Here's how to check.

Bess Byers recently purchased a 2024 Toyota 4Runner 4X4 TRD Off Road after owning a Honda Element for 18 years. She shares her story on her X page and explains why she had to make immediate changes to her 4Runner technology.

Why did she make the switch from Honda to Toyota? 

She loves to snowboard in the mountains near Wallace, Idaho, where she moved in 2022. It's a quaint little town and a great place to go hiking and camping. Her Honda Element was no longer capable for her active lifestyle.

After eighteen years of loyal service, her Honda Element, a trusty but decidedly analog companion, was finally making way for something more rugged, more capable. 

She'd found her dream vehicle: a Toyota 4Runner, an all-wheel-drive beast perfect for tackling the snowy passes to her favorite snowboarding spots and the winding trails leading to hidden hiking and camping gems.

However, the dream turned to shock.

The 4Runner, by contrast, felt like a smartphone, sleek and brimming with unseen technology. Little did she know just how much it was "brimming."

The dream turned into a nightmare when she realized the extent of her 4Runner's capabilities.

Her new all-wheel-drive ride wasn't just a vehicle; it was an observer, a silent collector of her every move, her very essence. 

It wasn't just her routes or driving habits that were being monitored.

Modern vehicles, like Beth's Toyota 4Runner, are equipped with advanced technology that collects a wide range of data, including personal identifiers, biometrics, and even financial information.

The real story is not about her Honda Element's outdated technology or even that it wasn't an all-wheel-drive vehicle. It's because her new Toyota 4Runner has technology that was spying on her.

So, imagine Beth finding out her new 4Runner's technology was light years ahead of her Honda Element. 

She says, in her X video, "I just purchased a Toyota 4Runner after owning a Honda Element for 18 years. It was like a brick phone on wheels, but now I'm driving a smartphone with all kinds of tracking technology."

The leap in technology was staggering.

Her new Toyota 4Runner is doing more than she expected. It's watching and tracking her every move, a revelation that was both surprising and unsettling. 

She says, "So, the first thing I did before leaving the Toyota dealership was to turn off as much data collection as possible."

"I downloaded the manufacturer's app, entered my vehicle identification number (VIN), and then I declined all connected services features."

These wirelessly transmit my location and vehicle health to Toyota.

"Then I went to VehiclePrivacyReport .com, entered my VIN, and I almost died when I saw all the tracking information that was still on my 4Runner."

My 4Runner was collecting identifiers, including my name, mailing address, email, and even demographic information. 

There's Still More

It was also collecting biometrics, including my geolocation, driver's license, and financial information.

Then, I learned that my 4Runner not only tracks my data, but it also sells it.

My car sells information to affiliates like sponsors, partners, and advertisers. It also shares my personal information with service providers and its affiliated insurance company. 

However, only if I had provided consent, which I don't recall ever doing.

And finally, it should come as no surprise to anyone that car companies like Toyota will share your data with the government when they are legally obligated to do so.

So, I opted out of targeted advertising, the selling or sharing of my data, and any marketing communications, she concludes.

Beth isn't the only Toyota customer with spying issues.

I covered this report from WPTV in Palm Beach, Florida, where Philip Siefke claims that Progressive Insurance has spied on him with Toyota Motors' consent, without his knowledge or consent. 

Now, he is suing Toyota, Progressive Insurance, and Connected Analytic Services.  

In a new class-action lawsuit, Philip told his attorney, John Yanchunis of Morgan and Morgan,

"I just found out my 2021 Toyota RAV4 has been tracking my driving habits for four years without my knowledge. I need you to represent me because I did not give my consent."  

How Did Philip Find Out He Was Being Watched? 

He says, "When I went to renew my policy in January of this year, Progressive Insurance told me they already had my driving history. That's when I knew something was wrong." 

He called Progressive Insurance, and they told him the information was available to them because he had signed an agreement with Toyota Motor when he purchased his 2021 Toyota RAV4.

Philip then called Toyota, who told him that he had signed up for a "trial program" to share driving data with third-party companies.

However, he claims that no one informed him about the built-in "telemetry" tracking device in his 2021 RAV4, which monitors a driver's driving habits, according to the court documents.

"The problem with the premise is the consumer is unaware it is happening," said attorney John Yanchunis of Morgan and Morgan, who is representing Philip Siefke. "The automobile doesn't know who is driving the vehicle."

"Data is money," cybersecurity expert Alan Crowetz, the president and CEO of InfoStream, Inc., said. "Like the business I'm in, I know every company under the sun, from toy manufacturers to the grocery store, want to know everything about you."

Beth was able to turn off the tracking technology that is so intrusive. 

So can you, she says, 

Here is a summary of what Beth did to turn off data-collecting technology on her Toyota 4Runner:

Beth successfully disabled the intrusive data-collecting technology on her Toyota 4Runner and encouraged other car owners to do the same. Her process involved two key steps: 

• First, she downloaded the Toyota app, entered her vehicle's VIN, and declined all connected services features. This action effectively halted the wireless transmission of her location and vehicle health data directly to Toyota.
• Secondly, Beth opted out of data sharing through VehiclePrivacyReport.com. This allowed her to disengage from targeted advertising, specifically, the selling or sharing of her data and any marketing communications from third parties. 

Beth concludes by urging others to check their car's privacy settings and take control of their data.

How About You? 

Were you aware of the intrusive data collection that Toyota and other automakers are doing, and are you concerned? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know your thoughts.

Check out my Toyota 4Runner story: Every Time I Take My Toyota 4Runner To The Dealer For An Oil Change, They Tell Me I Need A New Cabin Air Filter, They Aren’t Getting Me Again

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Beth Byers