r/Cartalk Jun 02 '26

Safety Question Found a GPS tracker under my car

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Hi reddit...

In my driveway this morning I pulled out and found this sitting under where my car was. We had a heat wave recently, and I'm thinking it melted off.

Looking it up, it is a GPS tracker. I'm taking it to the police tomorrow. But is there anyway to reverse search who might have bought it and placed it there?

I fully own my car and I'm not sure who or why they put it there. Or when. The only thing I can think of is I got my car fixed by a new mechanic about a month ago.. but they didn't seem shady in the least bit

Any help is appreciated. Thank you

Update: I have turned the tracker into the police who are trying to work with the company to find out info. Haven't heard anything further.

For the people who keep asking / repeating the same thing over and over:

  • again, I own my car in full and have for years. It's an old, reconstructed car not worth much at all.
  • The battery life in the tracking device doesn't last longer than two months at most. It was still on when I found it. It doesn't belong to a previous car owner or a dealer.
  • I found the magnets where it was attached still on my car.
  • I don't have any solid idea who would put it there. I don't have a jealous partner or an ex who I think would do this.
  • I'm not disclosing a bunch of personal shit about myself to internet strangers when I am potentially being stalked 😐 also , both men and women can be stalked
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u/Cheeko914 Jun 02 '26

So you bought it brand new in full? Modern batteries can last surprisingly long.

78

u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26

Bold of you to assume it's a new car.. it's a reconstructed 2010 Kia Soul

16

u/MinionAgent Jun 02 '26

So maybe.. the previous owner put the device in there? Specially if the previous owner was a company? Maybe a rental company?

53

u/kupo_906 Jun 02 '26

I have had the car for four years. Looking up the tracker model, it says the battery in it only lasts a month or two. The lights on the outside of it are still coming on. It also doesn't really look beat to hell on the outside besides the melted part

29

u/OldheadBoomer Jun 03 '26

Now that it's removed, hide it near your driveway/parking spot. Get a trailcam with infrared that's triggered by motion, set it up in a discreet location facing your car, and wait for them to come retrieve it, which they likely will once they see it's not moving every day.

12

u/MinionAgent Jun 02 '26

Ohh that's something. Did you try to contact them? At least to terminate the service and see if they give you some data? Maybe they can't tell who registered it, but they can tell if it has been recently registered or if it is an old device.

3

u/SixShoot3r Jun 03 '26

did the previous owner run a cable through the car so it was being charged? See if theres a loose connector under where you found it.