New cars - do you know what's in them?...

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SBirn

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I still have my Subaru Impreza 2004. It's knocked up a bit between ice in NY and drop offs in mud in the boonies in Asheville. It has 117k miles on it. When I moved here four years ago it had 89k :) .

Bought a new car and saw the GPS and all the sorry guys "crap" technology in it. It's crap because I knew there was a lot more than met my eyes. Sure enough, I read the entire library of manuals. There is a black box in it. The manual says it's to collect crash info. That's still against my basic civil liberties that no longer exist. But I figured it did more and based on articles on the internet it sure does.

I sent a note to the ACLU and don't expect an overwhelmed agency out to help us (yes, I said it, I believe in them). I wish I could disconnect the box. It's a total invasion of my privacy. Most of the time I go the speed limit. Going to or mainly from Nashville, I go faster. I will find out if my insurance agency ever gets this data. I have no points on my license and they already know I got a ticket three years ago for going 9 miles over the limit (driving back to NC from a ghastly trip to VT). They said no points went on my license and my rate didn't got up. I'd like to see how far this one goes.
 
I never plan on owning a new car, not so much because of this, but because it doesn't make financial sense to me taking a loan out to get something. I did hear about this black box thing, and as far as I know, my 2006 Mustang doesn't have one.

Just another reason I prefer riding a motorcycle.. :)
 
Think the black box might get you in trouble? That black box is the least of your worries. It only records the last few minutes or seconds before a crash.

Every click you make on your computer is being tracked. Every time you use your debit/credit card, you are being tracked. Got apps on your smartphone? Read the agreements you agreed to....the app developers have full access to your phone info. Your movements are recorded just about everywhere you go. Your credit info is available to anyone (at a cost, of course). Your driving record is available to any government agency in the world.

All that info is stored pretty much forever....

If you really want anonymity, live on a deserted island with no contact whatsoever....
 
That's a crime!!! A vehicle that isn't turbocharged would have a black box. Why?? Why would people be so interested in where a vehicle has been to if its not turbocharged?? It would eventually get boring following vehicles that aren't turbocharged.
 
My 06 Jeep has a black box. Also, my transmission has a memory to record and adjust to my driving habits over about a two-week period. The dealer reset it once for me. You will have a hard time finding a vehicle without, unless it is old. Ride a motorcycle or bicycle. :)
 
TinCanSailor said:
My 06 Jeep has a black box. Also, my transmission has a memory to record and adjust to my driving habits over about a two-week period. The dealer reset it once for me. You will have a hard time finding a vehicle without, unless it is old. Ride a motorcycle or bicycle. :)
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Wonder what it'd be like if bicycles had these? Never know what could happen.
 
green427 said:
Think the black box might get you in trouble? That black box is the least of your worries. It only records the last few minutes or seconds before a crash.

Every click you make on your computer is being tracked. Every time you use your debit/credit card, you are being tracked. Got apps on your smartphone? Read the agreements you agreed to....the app developers have full access to your phone info. Your movements are recorded just about everywhere you go. Your credit info is available to anyone (at a cost, of course). Your driving record is available to any government agency in the world.

All that info is stored pretty much forever....

If you really want anonymity, live on a deserted island with no contact whatsoever....
Click to expand...
Hmmmph. I worked my way up in IT for 30 years. I'm fully cognizant of what's happening with every click. I had to study what users of a website were viewing by their clicks. Cloud computing has been coming for a long time and that you need to be scared of. No one listens to me, though.

The black box, we are told, records what happens in the last seconds prior to an accident. My guess it it does more. I have a GPS in the car (didn't need it like a bunch of other things) and I know what that's doing. I'm going to my insurance agent to find out exactly what information they'll be getting about our driving. They may not know.
 
ChicagoBlue2 said:
Wonder what it'd be like if bicycles had these? Never know what could happen.
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I bought the last year the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 was built (2009). I was going to sell it this year but after this, I'm keeping it. I'd laugh but it isn't funny anymore.
 
Saavik said:
I never plan on owning a new car, not so much because of this, but because it doesn't make financial sense to me taking a loan out to get something. I did hear about this black box thing, and as far as I know, my 2006 Mustang doesn't have one.

Just another reason I prefer riding a motorcycle.. :)
Click to expand...
It's likely your 2006 Mustang (rah car, man are they cool cars) has it. What bike do you ride?

My plan is that this will be my last car - IF (and I'm serious) the computer system will allow it to live 10-12 years. We've owned used and new. In "lower end" cars, buying used can be a little dangerous. The finance rate is fab (I knew my soft score going in) and we paid a lot off.

With all our driving due to my mapping and implant, our cars are uncomfortable. Mine's 10 years old and I don't trust it. I wanted something I could sit in without squirming for hours.
 
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