Man gets a surprise email saying his car dealer paid for a year of tracking service. He’s stunned what was hidden behind his OBD port the entire time

A TikTok creator says he got more than he expected after buying a new truck. According to ToTouchAnEmu (@totouchanemu), a welcome email from a connected vehicle service prompted him to search his truck for a device that he believes the dealership installed without clearly pointing it out during the sale.

In the viral video, the creator explains that he received an email from CarRx shortly after purchasing the truck. “So this company, CarRx, emails me and says, ‘Hey, your dealer paid for a year of our service. Congratulations. Just sign up on the website, and you’re good to go,'” he says in his post.

He decided to read the service’s terms before activating the account. He says the language raised privacy concerns.

ToTouchAnEmu looked and didn’t like what he found

After reviewing the documents, the TikToker questioned how the company could access those details. “They can track everything about your car. Everything. Location, mileage, braking events, all of it,” he says.

ToTouchAnEmu then said he searched online and concluded that an aftermarket tracking module might already be installed in his truck. According to the video, he checked near the vehicle’s OBD-II diagnostic port, where he learned that many aftermarket telematics devices are connected.

After removing a trim panel, he found what appeared to be a Y-shaped wiring harness leading to a concealed module. “Oh my God,” he says after pulling it into view.

Holding the device, he points to what he says is identifying information printed on the unit. “And that confirms it. It’s got an IMEI. And so That means it has a SIM card in it. It can track you anywhere.”

ToTouchAnEmu goes on to say in the post that the placement of the device caught him off guard. “The craziest part is that this was not sitting out for me to see, saying, hey, that’s your car. RX module. It was tucked away and hidden. They didn’t want me to find this.”

Dealer-installed GPS and telematics systems are commonly marketed for inventory management, theft recovery, and optional connected vehicle services. CarRx’s service agreements state that participating vehicles may use GPS and cellular connectivity to transmit vehicle data when enrolled in the service.

CarRx’s published terms and privacy policy state that its connected vehicle services can provide information such as vehicle location, mileage, driving events including harsh braking, and other operating data, depending on the service package. The company also explains how customer information may be collected, shared, and processed.

Even still, one ToTouchAnEmu viewer questioned whether the cost had already been included in the vehicle purchase, writing, “So my question is where in your sales contract did they charge you for it. Cause the dealer didn’t pay for it, you did.”

Another commenter claimed dealership-installed trackers are not unusual, saying, “people just now finding out there are trackers in your car. that’s how they find it when you stop paying. my husband installed them for years.”

A third viewer suggested the discovered device might not have been the only connected hardware in the vehicle, commenting, “That’s ignoring the giant one that has a console interface too.”