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Comment by steelframe | Hacker News Reader

When it came time for me to buy my most recent car I made a list of requirements. If I couldn't find a car that meet them I was resolved to not bother buying a car at all. The requirement at the top of the list was, "It doesn't spy on me." I ended up finding one that checked all the boxes once I removed its Data Communications Module (DCM) fuse.

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Depending on the manufacturer, you won't want to take it to the dealer without factory resetting first. Infotainment connects via WiFi initiated by technicians and will upload all stored data if it's there. And that's of course if you aren't using integrated apps like Android Auto or other third party apps, which also takes the data. I was a software engineer on these systems at one time and it's one of the bullet points of why I left. It's an uphill battle.

The philosophy is that it's no longer the customer's car after they buy it and drive off the lot.

Despite the fact that I have free oil changes with the dealership I still do my own oil changes for exactly this reason. Thanks for the reminder about the factory reset though, in case I need a warranty repair in the future.

Not gonna share your results? Only one?

I guess I was just trying to keep my comment short and on-topic rather than blab on about my car. Anyway I also wanted the ability to use gasoline for road trips, a manual transmission, emergency brake activated with a cable, knobs and buttons for the controls, ability to shut off or disable the center display, AWD, hatchback, plenty of get-up-and-go, made by a manufacturer with a reputation for reliability, broad availability of parts and places where I can get it repaired, reasonable price, and relatively small size to fit in cramped spaces in the city. I ended up with a Toyota GR Corolla.

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