Reviewed by the AtozInsuranceusa editorial team.
Yes. Your connected car can share driving data that affects insurance prices or coverage decisions. The effect depends on who gets the data, your consent, the insurer’s rules, and state law. Buying a connected car does not prove that your insurer gets your trips.
Data can reach an insurer through a program you join or through a company that supplies insurance reports. These paths differ. A carmaker’s app, an insurer’s app, and your car’s built in modem may each have separate settings.
Driving data can help you earn a discount. Some programs can also raise your rate. Before you agree, ask what the program tracks, who gets it, and whether your price can rise.
The FTC’s GM and OnStar case shows why consent matters. In January 2026, the agency finalized an order settling allegations about the collection and sale of location and driving data without clear notice and consent. The order restricts GM’s sharing with consumer reporting agencies. It does not ban all car data sharing across the industry.
This guide explains the main data paths and gives you a plan to check your settings and reports. It offers general data. Your policy, program terms, and state rules control your own situation.
How can driving data reach an insurance company?
Start with the source. Who recorded the trip? Next, find the recipient. Who got the record? Last, check the use. Did the insurer use it to price a policy, assess an application, or review a claim?
Those questions matter more than the label “connected car.”
Through an insurance program you choose
Usage based insurance uses mileage or driving behavior to help set prices. Insurers may collect data through a phone app, a device that plugs into the car, or vehicle technology.
The NAIC identifies measures such as miles, trip times, location, quick acceleration, and hard braking. Each insurer chooses its own measures within the rules that apply.
Before enrolling, request the terms for your state. Ask whether the first discount lasts, how the insurer scores trips, and what happens if you leave.
Through vehicle data and consumer reports
A separate path involves reports that insurers obtain from outside firms. The CFPB lists LexisNexis Telematics OnDemand as a source of driving behavior data for auto insurance pricing.
The same CFPB page describes C.L.U.E. as a claims data exchange. A claims history and a driving history serve different purposes. Do not assume that one report shows both.
Ask which reports the insurer used. A news story about a car brand cannot confirm what appears in your own file.
Through insurance linked to the car itself
Some products use the car’s own records to price insurance. Tesla says its insurance can use driving behavior and Safety Score in eligible states. Its California product does not use Safety Score to determine the monthly premium.
Check your state and product before assuming that another owner’s experience applies to you.
What driving data can a connected car collect?
A connected car exchanges data through a network. Telematics refers to technology that records and sends vehicle or trip data.
Collection does not prove sharing. Sharing does not prove that an insurer used the data. Keep those three stages separate when you review a privacy notice.
| Data type | What it may show | Question to ask |
| Mileage | How far the car travels | Do you use actual or estimated miles? |
| Trip times | When trips start and end | Does late night travel affect my price? |
| Speed | Speed during a trip | What measure counts toward my score? |
| Braking | Sharp drops in speed | How can I question a wrong event? |
| Acceleration | Fast increases in speed | Does this affect my insurance rate? |
| Location | Trip routes or destinations | Who gets location records? |
| Phone handling | Possible phone use in an app program | How do I mark a passenger trip? |
These are possible measures, not a list of data that each car collects. The NAIC describes several vehicle measures. Progressive’s app also collects data about handheld phone use.
Ask about the purpose of location data. A company might collect it for trip maps or another use rather than a driving score. Read both the privacy notice and the insurance terms.
Can driving data raise your insurance premium?
Yes, some programs can raise your rate. Others follow different rules. Do not treat a discount offer as a promise that your price cannot rise.
Progressive’s Snapshot page says about 2 out of 10 drivers receive an increase. It also reports average annual savings of $328 among customers who renewed and earned a Snapshot discount. The savings figure covers that group, not all drivers who enrolled. State and program terms apply.
Use those figures as one insurer’s program results. They do not predict your own bill.
How should you compare the possible cost?
Request two quotes with the same coverage: one with tracking and one without it. Compare the total price for the full policy term.
Here is a hypothetical example:
| Quote | Six month price | Detail to check |
| Policy without tracking | $900 | No driving program discount |
| Policy with a starting discount | $810 | Price may change after review |
| Another insurer without tracking | $840 | Same limits and deductibles |
The starting discount saves $90 against the first quote. Yet the third quote costs only $30 more than the tracking offer. Your choice should reflect both the price and the terms.
These figures illustrate a comparison. They are not market averages or quoted rates.
Does a higher renewal prove data caused it?
No. Ask the insurer to explain the change. Request a breakdown of the base price, discounts, mileage, and any driving score adjustment.
A tracking discount may shrink while other parts of the bill change. Compare the old and new policy documents before blaming a single trip.
What did the GM and OnStar order change?
The FTC’s final order imposes a five year ban on GM sharing covered location and driving behavior data with consumer reporting agencies.
During the order’s 20 year term, GM must also provide specified consent and data controls. These include ways for consumers to request data, seek deletion, and limit certain collection, subject to exceptions. Emergency services represent one exception.
For a GM owner, the practical step is to check current controls and request records if needed. For other owners, the case highlights questions to ask their own carmaker.
Avoid assuming that an old feature still operates today. Also avoid assuming that the order applies to each automaker. Check current notices for your exact vehicle and service.
Do companies need your permission to share data?
Consent depends on the data, the company, the purpose, and the law. Insurance rules and privacy rights vary by state.
The GM order requires specific consent practices for GM, with exceptions. It does not create one consent form that covers each connected car.
Treat a dealership setup as a chance to ask questions. Do not rush through a screen because a salesperson says it is part of activation.
Before selecting “agree,” ask:
- Does this activate remote features, insurance tracking, or both?
- Who gets my driving records?
- Can I refuse insurance sharing while keeping other services?
- Does the consent cover each driver in my household?
- How do I withdraw permission?
- What records will the company keep after I leave?
Save the notice and your choices. A screenshot with the date gives you a record to use if you later ask for help.
How can you check whether your car shares data?
Review the car, its app, and your insurance account separately. One setting may not control all three.
1. Check the vehicle screen
Find the menu for privacy, connectivity, location, or data sharing. Read each option before changing it.
Write down the settings and take photos while parked. If a label lacks detail, ask the carmaker to explain what that switch controls.
2. Check the carmaker’s app
Look for driving feedback, insurance offers, connected services, and privacy choices. Open the terms for any feature that mentions a score.
Ask whether the car sends data without the app. Do not assume that removing the app also stops the vehicle’s modem.
3. Check your insurance documents
Search your policy emails and account for “telematics,” “driving score,” “usage based,” and the program name.
Ask the insurer to confirm your enrollment status. Request the date, the method of enrollment, and the terms that applied.
4. Request relevant consumer reports
If the insurer used an outside report, ask for the company’s name and the report type. Request your records through that company’s official consumer channel.
Review the dates, vehicles, mileage, and driver details. Check for trips that do not match your use. Keep a copy before submitting a dispute.
Does deleting an app stop data sharing?
Do not rely on app deletion alone. It may leave a separate vehicle connection or insurance enrollment in place.
Ford’s privacy notice states that deleting its app without also completing a master or factory reset does not disable sharing from the vehicle. Follow Ford’s current instructions for your model rather than applying that procedure to another brand.
Ask the relevant company to explain these separate steps:
- Stop future collection.
- Stop sharing with outside recipients.
- Leave an insurance program.
- Request deletion of stored records.
- Remove account access when selling the car.
Also ask which services a change affects. Read the owner’s manual before changing vehicle settings. Use official support instructions rather than removing hardware.
Keep written confirmation of your request. Check the settings again after the company completes it.
What happens if you leave an insurance tracking program?
Leaving does not always restore the price you had before enrollment.
Progressive says Snapshot participants lose their participation discount when they opt out. In some states and cases, later withdrawal can lead to a surcharge at renewal. Driving data already shared may also affect the renewal rate.
Before leaving any program, ask for a written explanation of:
- Your current price without the program.
- The date the change takes effect.
- Any effect from records already collected.
- Any equipment return requirement.
- Whether collection stops or continues for another purpose.
Compare another policy if the new terms do not suit you. Confirm the replacement policy’s start date before ending existing coverage.
What can you do if driving records contain errors?
Start with the record, not just the score. Identify the trip date, vehicle, driver, and event you question.
For an app issue, use the correction process. Progressive says its app offers a way to correct trip data when it records a trip for both people traveling together. Other programs may use different steps.
For a consumer report, use the reporting company’s dispute process. The CFPB explains that consumers can dispute inaccurate or incomplete records with the reporting company and the firm that supplied them. The FCRA requires a reasonable investigation at no charge.
Send a clear request. Include the report entry, why you question it, and supporting records. Keep copies and confirmation numbers.
Ask the insurer whether a correction changes its decision. A successful dispute does not itself promise a lower rate.
What rights apply if an insurer uses a consumer report?
An insurer must provide an adverse action notice when a consumer report partly or fully supports a qualifying unfavorable decision. Examples include denying insurance or increasing a charge.
The notice must identify the reporting agency and explain your rights. You can request a free report from that agency within 60 days of getting the notice.
This rule concerns consumer reports. Do not assume each change from an insurer’s own tracking program triggers the same notice.
Ask which data source supported the decision. If you need help, contact your state insurance department. For privacy or reporting issues, ask the relevant regulator which complaint process fits.
Is crash recorder data the same as trip tracking?
No. An event data recorder, often called an EDR, records certain technical details around a crash. NHTSA describes a brief window measured in seconds rather than minutes.
Routine connected car tracking can record trips across a longer period. A crash recorder and a driving score serve different purposes.
If an insurer requests vehicle data after a crash, ask which system it wants to access and why. Read the request before signing it.
Our guide on what to say to an insurance adjuster after a car accident can help you prepare a clear account of the event.
Who should think carefully before joining?
Focus on your actual trips and the program terms. Age, income, or a clean driving record alone cannot show whether tracking will save money.
Drivers who work late hours
If you leave work at midnight, ask whether trip time affects the score. Request an explanation of how the program treats your usual schedule.
Do not change a safe route or rush home to improve a score. Compare a policy without tracking if the terms do not suit your routine.
Households that share a car
Ask whether the score follows a driver, a phone, a vehicle, or the household. Agree on a habit of checking trip records while parked.
Correct errors promptly. Also review what happens when you add someone to your car insurance if another person often drives your vehicle.
Retired drivers and drivers with few trips
Ask about minimum trip requirements and how the program measures mileage. Compare a tracking quote with other available options.
Our car insurance guide for seniors offers more points to review when choosing coverage.
Drivers with a tight budget
Plan around the full bill rather than the first discount. Ask what the renewal price could include and how payment fees affect the total.
A lower first payment can feel useful, but compare the full term cost before you agree to tracking.
How should you compare insurance without unwanted tracking?
Request matching quotes. Keep liability limits, deductibles, drivers, mileage, and vehicle use the same.
Then ask each provider:
- Does this quote require driving data?
- Does it include a temporary enrollment discount?
- Can a driving score raise the price?
- Do you obtain outside driving reports?
- Can I buy the policy without the tracking program?
- What happens if I later withdraw?
You can use our car insurance comparison page to start comparing options. Confirm the final coverage and data terms with the licensed provider.
Choose a policy whose price and privacy terms you understand.
Frequently asked questions
Can my car share data if I never installed an insurance app?
Yes, a car can have a separate built in connection. That does not prove an insurer gets the records. Check the carmaker’s settings, sharing notice, and recipients.
Can one hard brake raise my insurance rate?
Do not assume one event caused a change. Ask how the program combines events, miles, and trips into a score. Review your renewal breakdown and question any event that you believe contains an error.
Can I buy car insurance without joining a tracking program?
Ask for a quote that excludes optional tracking. Compare its full price with the tracking offer. Confirm that the quoted discount does not depend on later enrollment.
Does refusing data sharing erase old records?
Do not assume it does. Ask separately about future collection, outside sharing, stored records, and deletion. Each request may have different terms or limits.
Can a passenger trip count against my score?
An app can misidentify a trip. Check your trip history and use the provider’s correction process. Ask how the program distinguishes driving from riding as a passenger.
Does California use the same connected car rating rules?
Do not assume another state’s program applies. For example, Tesla says its California insurance product does not use Safety Score to set monthly premiums. Confirm current rules with your insurer or the California Department of Insurance.
What should you do next?
Check the source, recipient, and use of your driving data. Review consent before joining a program. If a price change concerns you, ask for the records and a clear explanation.
Compare total costs with equal coverage. Keep copies of your choices and correct errors before your next renewal where possible. AtozInsuranceusa encourages you to confirm both coverage and data terms with a licensed insurance provider so you can choose with confidence.
References and sources
- FTC final order concerning GM and OnStar vehicle data.
- NAIC explanation of usage based insurance.
- CFPB guide to C.L.U.E. and Telematics OnDemand reports.
- FTC guidance on insurance consumer reports and adverse action.
- Progressive Snapshot program results.
- Progressive Snapshot questions and program terms.
- Tesla explanation of its insurance product.
- Ford privacy notice and vehicle data controls.
- NHTSA explanation of event data recorders.
