Will Apple air tag stop misuse of cars in for service?

[CarLuver]

Do you think trackers in cars help prevent misuse of a car while being serviced?

i am taking my honda tommorow for the fuel pump recall . my car is nothing special , but i don't want them using it to go buy lunch. i have had apple tracker in it for a while .

Do you think the knowledge that trackers are so widespread prevents techs these day from misusing a car while in for service?

 

[dishdude]

Recalls are loathed because they pay poorly, they generally want the car in and out as quickly as possible. I highly doubt they're going to take it to Wendy's.

 

[johnmyster]

You don't trust want them to test drive the repairs?

 

[BigCahuna]

Years ago my wifes sister took their Isuzu, to a dealer for it's first service. Somehow on the test ride, the mechanic flipped it over and totaled it. You want to have faith in the people who work on your stuff, but sometimes it doesn't work out.,,

 

[2013ecof150]

20 years ago I worked as a helper in the service dept at a dealership for a few years. It was VERY common for the techs to take a customers car to lunch to verify a repair, especially if it was a noise or vibration concern.

For a fuel pump recall? I seriously doubt it.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I don't know how common this would be honesly. Techs are there to do as much flat rate work as possible in as short a time as possible. If your driving a rare car maybe - but even then - time is money and the less time spend test driving the better.

But if it makes you feel better - sure track it - its your car.

 

[Mechanician]

A test drive is a legitimate part of many repairs.
But getting caught taking a customer's car out to lunch is not worth the heat to most. It does takes all kinds, so you never know.

 

[PontiacHO]

Read the fine print of what you sign when leaving your car for service. You are agreeing to the tech driving your car.

 

[wavinwayne]

Do you think trackers in cars help prevent misuse of a car while being serviced?...

I think it falls under the same principle that a locked door keeps an honest person out.

 

[Pew]

Unless you can use the airtag to prove they were driving recklessly, I do not think it would help much.

 

[E150GT]

Unless your bringing in an S2000 or NSX I wouldnt worry too much about it. I think an in car camera would be a better choice. One that is visible.

 

[PandaBear]

There are risks to both you as the owner as well as the employee and the dealer.

The tech screwing up bad may lead to the dealership insurance paying for a lot of damage, and insurance companies know that, and would likely find ways to discourage that. The tech may lose his job and regardless of how tight the job market is, word on the street would likely make him less hirable.

Let's say something easier to deal with: if the tech spill soda while getting lunch with your car, it would be a lot of clean up and the dealership has to pay for it, and the tech will get a yelling for sure and it won't be a happy ending.

Unless it is something like an NSX, Supra, or whatever mid-engine exotic car that nobody will get to drive it other than repairing someone else's, I would think they won't bother joy riding it.

 

[Nick1994]

I literally wouldn’t care if they took my car to lunch. Have fun! Try to keep the french fries in between the seats to single digits

 

[Carmudgeon]

AirTags and the Find My app do not display, or retain a location history, so there is no way to see a trace of where the tag has traveled.

One would have to be constantly monitoring the tag, and hope that it is within proximity of an iOS device to see where it has been, or is going at any one moment.

If, you're like Ferris Bueller, and enjoy life to its fullest, one won't have the time or patience to notice that Cameron's father's faux Ferrari was being taken for a joy ride.

 

[Skippy722]

Unless it’s a Type R or something else “fun”, it’s just another car that they see 1000’s of. Who cares if on their test drive they pick themselves up lunch as long as they don’t make a mess or abuse the car. Even then, most techs have the sense to realize joyriding a customers car will cost them their job.

Fuel pump recall though? They’re gonna fire it up, make sure it doesn’t leak or throw codes and throw it back outside.

 

[el Nuke]

Do you think the knowledge that trackers are so widespread prevents techs these day from misusing a car while in for service?

No.

If the tech is the type to misuse the car while in service, they don't care about such devices. And the vast majority are not going to misuse it anyway, so they likely have never even thought about them.

 

[Greenbeforeblue]

I have but one rule and you don't need an airtag to detect it. NO smoking.

 

[PF52]

I have but one rule and you don't need an airtag to detect it. NO smoking.

I took a car to an independent shop where they broke that rule. It reeked when I picked it up!

 

[PF52]

I bought a used car a few years ago that had a tracker in it..... It apparently had been there for years. Maybe the dealer was using it to track the P.O.?

 

[kballowe]

I dunno. I once left a problem car with the dealer and told the mechanic to drive it. Take it home. Keep it for a week.