S.O.S button?

What happens if you never use it to contact the call center to opt-out? I've got no interest in using this feature and thought, since most of the time the LED on mine is red it deactivated it's self after the trial period for the WiFi (which I didn't renew) ran-out?

 

Yeah it will stop functioning after that. But Toyota will track your truck and how you drive regardless of what you do. I have no issues with that but some people are, they come here on their cellphones and complain about it.

 

That’s what I thought. Toyota can track me all they want. My work truck has a GPS tracker on it, which I was very opposed to at first, but now I can see the usefulness of it. Thankfully the company I work for is pretty hands-off in how much they check it.

 

I just want to let you know that whether or not you activate, cancel or deactivate that S.O.S button you are being tracked.

New/Newer vehicles with advanced technology get away with more things even your phone is not allowed to do. They have not been scrutinized like our cellphones. Vehicles continuously track you all day and share your data with every company that opts in, ie: ( starbucks, insurance, city,, department stores...etc) you drive by on a daily basis. When you purchase your car you waive your rights.

Why I know this because it's what I do for a living as a digital Examiner. Unless you drive a old pre Bluetooth/ wifi car, you are selling your data daily no matter what you choose to activate.

 

Once the service expires (ie post year 1 with no opt in), and the truck is stolen.. how do you leveredge the vehicle tracking? Is there a number you call, or do the police just contact Toyota?

 

Call police, call insurance, get a new truck. It sucks but if they want to steal it, they are going to steal it. It only takes minutes to disable GPS.

 

Ok if it only takes minutes to disable GPS, how do ya do it? I think that’s what most of us are trying to figure out, how to not be monitored and tracked

 

I seen that the truck had wifi and the safety connect, I honestly didn't want anything to do with it. I have a hot spot on my personal phone and work phone, if ones data doesn't work so good the other usually does. I'm not about paying a bill for another service every month either. I don't even have Cable Tv so in vehicle wifi seems like a dumb expense to me. maybe if you have kids and want them to use devices to shut them up its for you. must be nice for kids these days, we had to play the License plate game and punch buggies when I was a kid.

I have just ignored those things from day one I never set up the wifi trial or the safety connect. I'm guessing once the trials have expired since I have never set them no one will ask me about the service or for payment.

Edit
Looks like I found something on the Toyota app.
I bought my Tacoma July 29, 2020
I have 1 day of trial left on safety connect
So they are counting down from the day I bought it on that service even though I never started the trial.
Seems I have 2Gb or 60 days of wifi trial still.

 

I'm not a thief. Just pull it up on YouTube. It's what thiefs do. Also, you do.relize that your car has a imbedded GPS that is not user accessible, not even by police unless they physically open your head unit and extract it. That S.OS. button is for your ease of use and to get you out of sticky situation. Regardless if you learn how to disable your vehicle sos button, you are still being tracked.

Your car is a traveling Hotspot. It collects and distributes your info all the time as you drive. That's how you get relevant ads. You can't opt out unless you just don't by a new car and drive a 1980s toyota.

The car even knows how much you weigh. The moment you merge your Bluetooth with the car, it's even more intrusive. In fact even if you say "no" it's still knows your Bluetooth address and ip. It will automatically distribute it to all the wonderful businesses in your area.

 

Using the app and shutting off all those tracking and information sharing features was one of the first things I did. A missile launch replacement button (with sound effects) would be awesome.

 

As a 911 dispatcher, these are hit or miss. I dont know if different manufacturers use different companies, but I have had Onstar call several times, and only twice that I can recall, were they accurate. One, it was pinging in an abandoned garage (the car wasnt there...we never actually located it), another had a 500 meter radius. Which is ridiculous.
As others have said, if you have a smartphone, you are being monitored anyway. It really doesnt make a difference if you're being monitored by your truck, or your phone.

 

Paranoid much?

If Toyota wants to know where I buy groceries, gas and where I like to dine, I’m fine with that.

That said, I don’t pay for nor have I ever activated the connected services on my Taco. Like someone else said, I have work and personal phones which can do everything I need them to.

I do use Bluetooth and have a Sirus subscription. To date I’ve never noticed any ad’s directed to me.

 

exactly, Google knows everyplace you go already anyhow if you have a smartphone. These services are just ways to extract $$ form suckers. I can even argue against the SOS thing. if you have a crash you can call 911 and if you can't someone will see it or come along the road, see and call for you. we got by like that for decades.

 

I agree with all I never activated it and never will. We have roadside assistance with the 3 year warranty why not use that instead of that SOS button. Not only that the SOS button does not work if if you are off road as Toyota will no go and get you out unless on the main roads so guys think about that before you activate it.

 

I agree with most everything said.. except "Toyota" isn't coming to get you .. period. They just assist local authorities with locating your GPS coordinates.