Stealership tracking devices - LoJack, etc.

[dishdude]

Just bought a new car that was a trade from another local dealer. Selling dealer tried hard to sell some anti-theft device called Kahu (which of course was refused). In all the millions of documents included among the owners' manual I found a brochure indicating Lo Jack had been installed by the original dealer dated when they originally received it!

So of course I investigated further and found this battery operated tracking device screwed to the body along with the two eye hooks.

I'm mildly annoyed they left a tracking device in my car, but at least they didn't hack the electrical system with Scotchlok connectors. I buy a new car I expect the dealer to not take it apart or modify it before I get it.

A battery operated tracking device that's hidden behind a trim panel doesn't strike me as a worthy add on.

 

[Nick1994]

Yeah luckily nothing was hacked and tapped.

My Sonata has a dealer installed alarm from the Subaru dealer I bought it from in Tucson. They install it in all of their cars. I of course declined the $400 alarm and the salesman went out to the car on delivery with a screwdriver or something and within 20 seconds or so he disabled it. It's still there, but doesn't work.

I've always wondered if I'd be able to turn it back on?

 

[KneeGrinder]

Lojack has trained their employee's to be very secretive, I have never seen the module, they would never show it to me, they would never let me be anywhere near the vehicle when they install them. They would not disclose anything! Don't be surprised that the dealer you bought this vehicle from didn't see it, they don't look through them that close!

 

[Nick1994]

Anybody know how effective the Lo Jack devices are?

My grandparents bought a van in 2006 and bought Lo Jack, after a year their subscription didn't renew. They had key fobs that told the Lo Jack they were in the van, but removed them and threw them away once the subscription expired. When the van was 2-1/2, they sold it to a taxi company in California. After the van was in California for around 5-6 months they got a call from Lo Jack telling them their van is in California!

Uh, yeah.

 

[Oildudeny]

Who cares.

 

[BobsArmory]

Originally Posted by Oildudeny
Who cares.


Classy

 

[HorseThief]

Meh - my car came with a mixture of live ammunition and spent casings hiding in the trunk and (more concerning) under the rear seat and carpet. I thought I found it all, then when I went to have a trailer wire harness installed, they found 3 more 12 guage buckshot rounds under the carpet/liner of the trunk. If I hadn't also found a lot of revealing personal and professional information from the original owner indicating their field of work (law enforcement/court system related) and hobbies (shooting/hunting), I would have been more concerned. Still quite irritating to find in my vehicle - I know centerfire ammo takes quite a bit to set off, but it definitely shoudn't just be rolling around in a trunk, getting mashed on by a subwoofer box and tools that slide around when I turn too fast.

As far as the tracking device goes, at least it's from a reputable company. Then again, I wonder if the original owner could use the LoJack to locate the vehicle and then steal it with a duplicate key that they previously had made and programmed....maybe I'm just paranoid. Sidenote, there is actually dealerships that install GPS locators they can use to find your vehicle for reposession.

 

[Andy636]

In my neck of the woods, that falls under the "threat to national security law"... If you use any device to monitor someone's movement without that person's consent, you will end up in the slammer in a hurry for up to 7 years.

 

[AZjeff]

Might be fun to put that in someone else's car....

 

[Leo99]

Interesting. I've heard those buy here, pay here places have ways to shut cars down if the owner doesn't pay.

 

[FirstNissan]

several years ago when I bought a used kia rio (owned it a whole 3 months before I decided that I hated it!), the used car dealer had a nonsense alarm system that used a credit-card like module to activate/deactivate it. Their installer must have been sleeping that day since the wiring under the dash was hacked apart. Took me 2 days to put things back together properly.

Never again will I buy a car, new or old, with that type of stuff installed. The installation process is a hazard.

 

[KrisZ]

Where did you find it? Would be good to know where approximately these things are installed. I would imagine near a power source, so somewhere near a fuse box would make sense.

 

[Zee09]

Not something to really get upset over. Most likely they had no clue it was there.
But that's not saying it is right!

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted by Zee09
Not something to really get upset over. Most likely they had no clue it was there.
But that's not saying it is right!


Google knows everywhere I go. I don't lose any sleep over it.

 

[WyrTwister]

Wonder what Lo-Jack would give you to get the device back ?

 

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted by Leo99
Interesting. I've heard those buy here, pay here places have ways to shut cars down if the owner doesn't pay.


I have heard that too .

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by KrisZ
Where did you find it? Would be good to know where approximately these things are installed. I would imagine near a power source, so somewhere near a fuse box would make sense.


Google search revealed they're usually hidden in the back by the package shelf and that's where this one was. The antenna wire was zip tied to an existing wire loom and ran down to the rocker panel behind trim. I expected it to be near a power source, but I was pleasantly surprised it was only battery powered. I didn't want some aftermarket accessory I wasn't using consuming power with the vehicle off.

 

[dave1251]

Should have kept it on. It may save your vehicle from going into a Sonoran/Baja chop shop.

 

[sw99]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Anybody know how effective the Lo Jack devices are?

My grandparents bought a van in 2006 and bought Lo Jack, after a year their subscription didn't renew. They had key fobs that told the Lo Jack they were in the van, but removed them and threw them away once the subscription expired. When the van was 2-1/2, they sold it to a taxi company in California. After the van was in California for around 5-6 months they got a call from Lo Jack telling them their van is in California!

Uh, yeah.


Lo Jack works. I see plenty of recovery's and often times they are the same day they area activated.

 

[Wolf359]

Not sure why you'd get rid of it, if it came with the car then it should have been activated and I think it stays with the car so you got a free Lo jack system. Might also add some value when you sell the car. Some insurance companies use to offer discounts for it, but now any car with a factory alarm probably gets the same discount. I think their business really declined since they've had chip keys. I bought one back in the 90's, car never ended up getting stolen. Previous car I had was stolen so I decided to get it on the next car.