You can reduce some car data collection by changing in-vehicle privacy settings, turning off or unsubscribing from connected services, and making a privacy request to the automaker. There is no universal switch that guarantees a vehicle stops transmitting all data. The right steps depend on the make, model year, equipment, service, and country. The examples below are U.S.-specific.
Start by identifying the vehicle and the data services
Write down the make, model, model year, and country, then note the connected-service names shown in the vehicle and the automaker’s app or owner account. Check whether each service is factory-installed, dealer-installed, or provided by an accessory plugged into the OBD port. Different systems can have separate settings and accounts.
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Use the owner’s manual and the automaker’s privacy notice to find controls for privacy, data sharing, connectivity, the modem, location, driver profiles, and connected services. Available controls depend on the vehicle’s equipment and software. Ford, for example, directs owners to its relevant owner’s manual or customer center and warns that changing data-sharing settings can affect connected services: Ford U.S. Privacy Notice.
Change the settings inside the vehicle
Review each privacy or sharing option and read its explanation before turning it off. A setting may cover only one kind of data or service, not every connection between the car and the manufacturer. If the vehicle has multiple driver profiles, check them individually: Ford notes that another driver may change sharing settings and that some displays can indicate a settings change.
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For Tesla, fleet-learning camera recordings require consent for Data Sharing, and the preference can be changed on the vehicle touchscreen. That control is specific to those recordings; it should not be treated as a general opt-out for all Tesla vehicle data. Tesla describes a separate process for deactivating connectivity: Tesla Privacy Notice.
Turn off or unsubscribe from the connected service
Sign in to the automaker’s official owner account and review its vehicle, connected-services, privacy, data-sharing, and subscription pages. Ask whether the action you are taking is a service cancellation, a connectivity deactivation, or a privacy opt-out; those terms can cover different things. Deleting a phone app, revoking the phone’s location permission, or cancelling a paid subscription does not by itself establish that the car’s factory modem has stopped communicating.
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Nissan’s U.S. privacy notice lists three ways to decline or limit NissanConnect Services: use controls in the vehicle or application, select “Delete Vehicle & Unsubscribe” in the Nissan Owners Portal, or contact Customer Care at 1-844-711-8100. Check the current Nissan privacy notice for applicable instructions and contact details. Nissan warns that services may become limited or unavailable and that some limited vehicle data may still be collected for safety, quality, service, or legal obligations.
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Ask the automaker about access, deletion, and remaining collection
Use the automaker’s official privacy channel to ask what connected-vehicle information it associates with your account or vehicle identification number (VIN), whether you can access or delete eligible information, and how to opt out of eligible collection. Ask which categories of data or processing remain and what safety, quality, service, or legal exceptions apply. Keep the confirmation and any request number.
Some requirements are company- and order-specific. In January 2026, the FTC announced a finalized order concerning GM and OnStar. It requires specified ways for U.S. consumers to request a copy of their data, seek deletion, and opt out of certain collection, subject to exceptions and vehicle capability. The order also includes a five-year ban on disclosure of certain geolocation and driver-behavior data to consumer reporting agencies, with other requirements lasting for the order’s 20-year life. These terms apply to GM and OnStar as set out in the order, not to every automaker: FTC announcement of the GM/OnStar order.
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California residents can use the California Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) to submit deletion requests to registered data brokers. It is not an automaker telematics opt-out and does not replace contacting the vehicle manufacturer. The California Privacy Protection Agency says broker processing began August 1, 2026; brokers access DROP at least every 45 days, and status updates may take up to 90 days: California DROP.
Before selling or transferring the car, clear its stored information
A car may retain personal information such as phone contacts, address books, app logins, digital media, navigation destinations and routes, and garage-door codes. Before you sell, donate, or transfer it, use the reset procedure in the vehicle’s manual, remove paired phones and stored credentials, and unlink the vehicle from every relevant manufacturer account and app. Cancel or transfer satellite radio, hotspot, and other subscriptions separately; a factory reset does not necessarily cancel them. The FTC’s pre-transfer checklist describes the data to check and steps to take.
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For Ford and Lincoln, the U.S. privacy notice says a master or factory reset returns the modem to factory settings, removes imported personal information, and disconnects modem-equipped vehicles from associated accounts. A vehicle with a separate Connectivity Device may also require removing the VIN from every associated account. Ford recommends resetting before sale or transfer and after acquiring a pre-owned vehicle. Follow the current instructions for your specific vehicle; do not assume another make uses the same reset process: Ford U.S. Privacy Notice.
Choose the control that matches what you want to change
| Control | What it addresses | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| In-vehicle privacy or data-sharing setting | A specific setting or category of sharing available on that vehicle. | Which data and services the setting covers; menu options vary by model and equipment, and connected features may lose functionality. Ford U.S. Privacy Notice |
| Connected-service cancellation or deactivation | A named service or wireless connection. | Whether the action stops transmission or only ends a subscription, and which functions will cease. |
| Account unlinking or VIN removal | Account access and account-related sharing. | Whether other accounts, apps, or a separate connectivity device also need to be removed. Ford U.S. Privacy Notice |
| Privacy request | Information held by the automaker or service provider. | Eligibility, response options, deletion exceptions, and the specific company or legal rules that apply. FTC announcement of the GM/OnStar order |
| Factory reset before transfer | Personal information stored in the vehicle and, for some vehicles, account or modem associations. | Whether you must separately unlink accounts and cancel or transfer subscriptions. FTC transfer checklist |
Expect some connected features to stop working
Turning off data sharing or connectivity can disable functions that rely on a connection. Ford warns some services may not function correctly or may be unavailable without connected-vehicle information. Tesla says deactivating connectivity can affect over-the-air updates, remote services, and mobile-app functions. The practical trade-off depends on the vehicle and the particular control you use. For context on the kinds of sensitive information connected cars may handle, see the FTC’s May 2024 article on cars and consumer data.
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