Protect your data before selling your car

Car with multiple icons hovering over it

When you’re selling your car, the last thing you want is for personal data and information to fall into the wrong hands. Here are a few steps you can take to clear out all your personal data before listing your car online. Like we all learned as kids. Don’t forget to wipe.

Remove Phone Contacts

Go through your phone contacts and delete any that are stored on your car’s infotainment system. If you have any contact information stored in other places, like your glovebox, make sure to remove that as well. Check your owners manual, most cars have ability to remove all phone contacts at once.

Delete maps and addresses

Any address or map data stored on your car’s navigation system should be deleted. This way, someone who buys your car won’t be able to track your previous locations. Although we all love Google Maps our history can be used against us so make sure to clear all navigation history.

Clear mobile apps

If you have any mobile apps that are connected to your car, make sure to log out of them and delete any personal data associated with them. This includes things like your parking location, music preferences, and more. This one can be tedious but also very important. Look through all your apps and make sure that you remove permissions and access. Uninstalling and reinstalling is always a great way to make sure that it is reset.

Scrub garage door codes

If your car has a garage door opener, it likely has a code that is unique to your home. Make sure to erase this code so the new owner won’t be able to access your garage.

Remove digital content subscriptions

If you have any digital content subscriptions (like satellite radio or streaming services), make sure to cancel them before selling your car. That way, the new owner won’t have access to your account and personal information.

Conclusion

Whether you are selling your car or just finished a rental be mindful to remove all of your personal data from the vehicle. Consult your owners manual to confirm the proper methods for your specific vehicle. There are also some great resources on YouTube to help guide you step by step in removing your information.