Dealer denies installing tracking device in missing Honda Accord, but then shows up with the missing car

A South Carolina Reddit user is asking for help after her family member’s used Honda Accord disappeared, only to have the salesman from the private car dealership she bought the car from find it, despite denying the vehicle had a tracking device.

According to the Reddit post, the user assisted a family member in purchasing a 2009 Accord. The vehicle was reported stolen on Jan. 9, 2026, and the buyer filed a police report and an insurance claim the same day. As the buyer worked with the dealership, a finance employee allegedly admitted the Accord had a tracking device installed and that its last recorded location was Jan. 7, two days before the theft was reported.

When asked to activate the tracker, the dealership employee said that a new location update would not be available until Jan. 10, which never appeared, according to the post. Instead, the tracker allegedly continued to display the same location the car was tracked to on Jan. 7.

Could it be OnStar?

The explanation grew even more complicated when the finance employee identified the tracking service as OnStar. The buyer contacted OnStar directly and provided the vehicle identification number. OnStar representatives reportedly said there was no tracker associated with the vehicle. “So how [did the] Finance lady have the location on the 7th, and how did she try to turn on repossession mode on it?” the Reddit user wrote. When questioned separately, the salesman who sold the Honda denied that any tracking device had been installed. “Why do you need to know?” he allegedly said.

The poster added that the salesman’s conduct after the sale also raised concerns. According to the account, the salesman also attempted to “get w her thru text” while she was seeking repairs for ongoing mechanical issues before the car was stolen. The dealership had reportedly promised to fix any problems if the vehicle was returned within 1,000 miles.

The salesman to the rescue

Then, the situation took an unexpected turn, according to an update. “GUESS WHO FOUND THE CAR,” the same guy, “WHO SOLD US THE CAR,” the user wrote. The same salesman who sent the texts and denied there was a tracking device claimed he found the Honda while driving for Lyft at an apartment complex near where it had gone missing.

Comments pointed out that some dealerships install third-party GPS tracking devices, particularly on vehicles sold through dealership-arranged financing. “Many car places are adding a tracker and trying to charge extra for it,” one commenter wrote, explaining that such devices are often connected through a vehicle’s OBD2 port rather than factory systems like OnStar. Another commenter claimed finance companies sometimes require trackers as part of loan agreements, and that hardware may remain installed even if the buyer refuses to pay the added fee. Either way, trackers must be disclosed at the time of purchase.

Several commenters advised the buyer to document all interactions and raise concerns through official channels rather than confronting dealership staff directly. “The dealership has nothing to gain from taking your car,” one commenter reasonably pointed. “You should mention to the investigator that you suspect there may be a tracker on it from the dealership. The investigator can then follow up with them to see if there is one and if it’s still active.”