My girlfriend drives a Camaro ZL1 and recently noticed a vehicle parked diagonally across from her outside a store. As soon as she got into her car, the other vehicle started up and drove away. There is no other specific reason to suspect she is being tracked, but the timing made her uneasy. What are the practical ways to look for a GPS tracker, and which areas of the car should be inspected first?
4 Answers
Electronic tracker detectors can help, but they generally work best when the device is actively transmitting. A tracker that only records locations and is collected later may not give off a detectable signal. If the device is battery-powered and temporary, the wheel wells, underbody, and other places that are quick to access are common areas to inspect.
Start with the easy-to-reach areas: underneath the car, inside the wheel wells, around the battery, near the trunk, and under the dashboard. Some trackers plug into the vehicle’s diagnostic port, while others are wired into the electrical system. A coincidence is also very possible, so the other car leaving at the same time doesn’t necessarily indicate a connection.
A nearby repair shop can put the car on a lift and inspect the underside for an attached device. This is usually more reliable than trying to search from the ground, and a mechanic may be able to spot anything mounted near the frame, wheels, or other accessible exterior areas.
Some trackers communicate over cellular networks in short bursts, so they may be difficult to detect continuously. If there’s a genuine safety concern, documenting anything suspicious and having a trusted mechanic perform a thorough inspection would be a sensible next step.
That makes sense. We’ll check those areas carefully, especially under the dash, even though there’s no indication that anyone entered the car.