Your car might know more about you than your partner—What data are cars collecting? Modern cars track far more than driving habits, quietly gathering personal data most drivers never realize they’re sharing. You likely see your car as a simple way to get from one place to another, built for convenience and reliability. But modern vehicles are far more than transportation. They are connected devices that continuously collect and transmit data every time you drive. From your routes and driving behavior to in-car preferences and even smartphone activity, today’s cars can quietly build a detailed profile of your habits, often without you ever realizing it. What data are cars collecting? Today's modern cars are collecting far more information than most people realize. New vehicles effectively operate as smartphones on wheels. They can monitor your driving behavior, including acceleration, braking, steering, speed, and more. Some models also record which in-car settings and preferences you use, and even store locations you’ve saved, which can reveal your regular routes and destinations. In addition, the data collected is not limited only to “vehicle performance”. Depending on the vehicle's make and model, data collection may include external camera or sensor images, your personal identifiers such as name or contact info, and other profile information. It does not mean that all the data is transferred straight to the manufacturer, and not all of it is readable by humans. This also does not mean anyone at a car manufacturer can check your data. It is usually stored in bulk without a direct link to an individual, and depending on the brand and model, some personal information may be stored only in the vehicle. According to research, cars are “the worst product category for privacy” because they collect more personal data than necessary and often do so without