Your Car' s Previous Owner May Still Be Able To Track And Unlock Your Car CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Your Car' s Previous Owner May Still Be Able To Track And Unlock Your Car

Your Car' s Previous Owner May Still Be Able To Track And Unlock Your Car

Mar. 18, 2017 3:45 PM ET by Gabe Beita Kiser Technology / 2 Comments The downside of connected vehicles is that automakers haven't worked out all the kinks yet. Automakers still haven't quite found out how to meld technology and cars together in a user friendly manner. Just look at how awkward some infotainment systems are for proof of that. However as the technology gets more sophisticated and complex, it raises questions about safety and privacy. Already there is proof that cars can be hacked and manipulated while drivers are inside, and as Car and Driver has just reported, apps that connect vehicle functions to smartphones may have issues of their own. That discovery was made when speaking to Charles Henderson, a cybersecurity researcher at IBM and the previous owner of a convertible of an undisclosed make and model. The topless car Henderson purchased was one of the early examples that could be linked to an app that tracks the vehicle and can unlock it or even start the engine with a few twiddles of the thumbs. And then parenthood came, forcing Henderson to sell his convertible for a kid-friendly vehicle. After selling back the convertible, returning all the keys and having the dealership reset the car's computers, he registered his new car (of the same make) on the app to take advantage of the same features. However, Henderson found that he still had access to his old car. Now, four years after selling it, he still has access to his previous car, giving him too far a reach into its new owner's life. After going to the dealership to have the problem sorted, curiosity led Henderson to try the same trick with four cars of separate models. He then found them all vulnerable, raising the question, is the car in your garage still accessible by the previous owner? Maybe, but maybe not. It all depends on the automaker since difference manufacturers develop these apps and offer their associated programs differently. For example, subscription-based services are likely to forbid access once you take cars off the plan and stop paying for the service. Other companies make removing access easy – GM asks that owners press the blue OnStar button and ask for app privileges to be revoked for example. This still leaves a fairly large gap as many owners may not even know that they need to undergo the process. Until automakers find a way to address this issue with well thought out connected cars, used car buyers should take caution and ensure that no previous owner has access to a potential purchase before buying it.

Join The Discussion

Show Comments (2)

Gallery

1 Photos Tags: #Technology LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top