Karr Auto Security

[The Critic]

https://www.acrisurepg.com/karr-auto-security#key-benefits

I recently purchased a new vehicle from a dealer that pre-installs the KARR system on every vehicle. Based on the brochure they gave me, I believe it is the BT series.

This is supposedly a non-refundable F&I product so they added an additional discount to the deal to compensate for the cost of this system. I supposedly have 5 years of coverage.

Karr has been calling me daily to activate the system.

Here are my questions:

1) Karr says activation will require dispatching a technician to my house and it will take about 45 mins. The representative said "additional equipment" needs to be added, but she did not have the details. Is there any reason why I would want this system activated?

2) I see an OBD dongle pre-installed but I have not taken a deeper look. How invasive was this install? Does anyone have an "installation manual" that I can review?

3) Should I just have this system removed altogether? I asked Karr and they said they'll look into the request and call me back.

 

[ctechbob]

Interesting. Never heard of it, but I would have refused the deal until the dealer removed it. I'm pretty much a stickler that I don't want anything aftermarket installed on my new cars.

Also, calling me daily would get them a very harsh conversation on the phone.

#3 all day every day. There would be no request from them. The OBD2 dongle would be removed post haste and they would be telling me what else was on the car that I needed to take off.

--Edit--

From:



"Second, it is spliced into your factory wiring using quick splices and crimp on connectors. "

Ohh no.... no no no. Not on my car, never not ever. I suspect the splicing is what they need to come by the house to do and that you might just have the dongle at this point, but I would confirm that.

 

[405fwy]

Interesting. Never heard of it, but I would have refused the deal until the dealer removed it. I'm pretty much a stickler that I don't want anything aftermarket installed on my new cars.

Also, calling me daily would get them a very harsh conversation on the phone.

#3 all day every day. There would be no request from them. The OBD2 dongle would be removed post haste and they would be telling me what else was on the car that I needed to take off.

--Edit--

From:



"Second, it is spliced into your factory wiring using quick splices and crimp on connectors. "

Ohh no.... no no no. Not on my car, never not ever. I suspect the splicing is what they need to come by the house to do and that you might just have the dongle at this point, but I would confirm that.

When I was buying my MX5 a few months ago, there was a dishonest dealer that tried to sell me a car with this pre installed and told me that there was no way to remove it before sale. All they could do was deactivate but the wiring harness splicing couldn’t be undone.

Needless to say I went to a competitor dealer that was more transparent. Paid 180$ more for a completely stock car compared to the “add ons” MX5 that this dealer had. Wasn’t worth the savings when it meant that my wire harness was tapped into and could cause future warranty electrical issues down the line.

 

[Rygrego]

https://www.acrisurepg.com/karr-auto-security#key-benefits

I recently purchased a new vehicle from a dealer that pre-installs the KARR system on every vehicle. Based on the brochure they gave me, I believe it is the BT series.

This is supposedly a non-refundable F&I product so they added an additional discount to the deal to compensate for the cost of this system. I supposedly have 5 years of coverage.

Karr has been calling me daily to activate the system.

Here are my questions:

1) Karr says activation will require dispatching a technician to my house and it will take about 45 mins. The representative said "additional equipment" needs to be added, but she did not have the details. Is there any reason why I would want this system activated?

2) I see an OBD dongle pre-installed but I have not taken a deeper look. How invasive was this install? Does anyone have an "installation manual" that I can review?

3) Should I just have this system removed altogether? I asked Karr and they said they'll look into the request and call me back.

Karr is a company that installs security systems for dealers in California and maybe more states. The system is initially for dealer storage security and hopefully the uninformed retail purchaser will buy it as an additional security system. The dealer pays between $50-$75 per vehicle and tries to pawn off the virtuously worthless system on the ultimate purchaser as a valuable security system upgrade for $500 - $750. Decline every time it's garbage for that. The dispatched tech will be only to install a worthless connection. Total waste of money if you paid extra for it. Nothing but a dealer scam. Oh , and if you do purchase it the so-called tech is probably coming to retrieve the GPS the system has in case it was stolen from the dealer. It would be a sandwiched harness at the OBD2 connector under the dash. Beware.

 

[D60]

Let us know what you do. I too despise aftermarket security stuff because every install I've ever seen was atrocious: sloppy line taps or ScotchLoks, etc.

I'm always worried it's going to cause a no-start just because of a flakey connection.

 

[Donald]

Add it to the list of dealer ripoffs.paint treatment, leather treatment and now a useless security product.

But seldom do they offer something useful like a Noxudol rust treatment.

 

[KrisZ]

Ive heard about these systems and it seems at best it's just a piggy back connector from the factory OBD2 connector and at worst it's spliced into the wiring harness. You probably also have a GPS module installed somewhere on your car. If you're lucky it's part of the OBD2 piggyback.

 

[JonesZ]

This is the tracker the nissan dealer attempted to charge me 1k for. I thought it was not installed, but found it when I hard wired a camera to the fuse box. They used a Y OBD cable. Your OBD port will look totally stock with this set-up. They market it as a security device. What it really does is let Nissan finance know the location of the car when you stop paying. My assumption anyway. I've heard of dealers asking the buyer to 'please reinstall the tracker'.

 

[ctechbob]

This is the tracker the nissan dealer attempted to charge me 1k for. I thought it was not installed, but found it when I hard wired a camera to the fuse box. They used a Y OBD cable. Your OBD port will look totally stock with this set-up. They market it as a security device. What it really does is let Nissan finance know the location of the car when you stop paying. My assumption anyway. I've heard of dealers asking the buyer to 'please reinstall the tracker'.
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Wonder if it is written somewhere into the sales/finance contract that no one ever completely reads.

 

[JonesZ]

Wonder if it is written somewhere into the sales/finance contract that no one ever completely reads.

Perhaps. My buddy bought a Pathfinder from a different dealer. They lied to him and said it was installed by Nissan and mandatory/couldn't be removed. I would think a car thief would know exactly where this thing is and disable it within a second or two. Further evidence it is not a security device. It's for deadbeats.