Interesting Service Contact by Dealer ~ Creepy?

I am sure that others have experienced this but it was a surprise for me. While messing with the center console for an extra USB plug installation and "buttoning" it all back together I noticed that I was getting an error message for the parking brake.

I fixed it by "reaseating" the wiring harness connector (2nd time I have had to do this after disconnecting other wires ~ grille replacement).

The interesting thing once once everything was good again I noticed that I had a text from the Dealer stating that they noticed my parking brake problem and asked if everything was OK.

Is this part of the TSS system or Toyota Care service vehicle communication network?

I appreciated the check in, but at the same time it felt a little creepy.

 

Most new vehicles now send real time vehicle usage info to manufacturers via wireless networks. They know a lot more about your vehicle than error codes. I'm not a big fan of it but what are you gonna do.

 

Yes, that’s creepy. HAL was never the hood guy.

 

Yup. No more privacy. This should be illegal. Who knows what data they collect and how it can be used against you. My vehicle is an extension of my personal space. Call it conspiracy or whatever you want but tech has gone to far as I am concerned.

 

That was the reason I called and opted out of all their connected services, including health monitoring, when I bought the truck. They cannot see anything about my truck now. My driver profile is disabled now, but I can care less, and this has actually helped my wireless CarPlay to start working flawlessly.

PS: There was a sticker on my dash stating that I have the right to call and opt out of these services for privacy concerns when I picked up the truck. And that was what I did.

 

just be mindful that some of the connected services are nice to have if you want to pay for them like remote start.

 

I got to agree with @07DCLimited. I work in LE and we can find phones even when all that tracking is turned off. Short of putting your truck in a faraday box, they are still collecting data. They just aren’t telling you about it.

 

I don’t know if Toyota is reselling data. They might be but Apple definitely is. If you’re looking to maintain more privacy I’d recommend not using CarPlay. Or keeping apps or browsers open in the background of your phone. Close them all out.

 

I don’t set the ‘My Dealer’ info on the app or system. I leave it blank. I checked it the other day after I reset my user profile & it defaulted to the closest local dealer in my area. I manually deleted it so it stayed blank.

Not sure if that field is what dictates which dealer gets your info, & if blank no dealer gets it sent to them? Not sure if it matters

 

There may be a cellular antenna on the head, unplug it and that might take care of it.