Hi there. Lexus included a $500 aftermarket fee on the leasing proposal. Apparently it’s a swat GPS tracker. Is this a necessary device and can it be removed by the dealer? I would feel uncomfortable knowing Big Brother is watching. What is the purpose of having it installed? Is it to track inventory? If so, shouldn’t they be eating that cost? Thank you.
It’s like LoJack it aids theft recovery and some insurance will give a discount for it. Tell them you want it removed.
Hello there. The dealer is saying that it can’t be removed (BS). It’s a $500 add-on that is unnecessary.
Apparently, some dealerships install systems on every vehicle on their lot to prevent theft before the cars are sold. They then try to sell you the already-installed system to earn back some of the money that they have already spent to protect the vehicle.
If it’s a 2020 ask them to bring in another car that doesn’t have it.
It’s a 2019 and limited stock unfortunately. I will give an ultimatum to the dealership.
Had this happen on a BMW during my current lease. They did not tell me it was on the car and caused warranty issues down the road when electronics started to fail. Corporate had no problem denying warranty work and the dealer didn’t take any responsibility.
Oh man that sucks. I personally feel uncomfortable with a dealer installed tracking device on my car. Feels like a criminal or having an ignition interlock device installed.
My guess is that they install it as an anti theft deterrent for new cars sitting in the lot and then try to pass that cost onto the customer as additional revenue.
Where are these devices usually installed in the car? Do they really have the potential to screw up other vehicle electronics?
The device on my vehicle was connected to the battery in the trunk (electronics system battery) and yes it caused multiple failures to the electronics system and battery. Nightmare 6 months with the car. My advice would be to have them remove it and document the removal in case of any issues down the road. Never thought of this as a thing to worry about when leasing a car until this one.
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They are installed as a source of extra revenue for the dealer. Don’t get fooled by them saying they installed to protect their inventory. I am sure their inventory is insured and if a car is stolen I doubt the dealer wants it back as it will likely be damaged. The dealer would just prefer a payout. They install them for the revenue. I have seen some charge as much as $1k for it. Tell them it is a deal breaker because it is a waste of money on your part.
I don’t want it to be a dealbreaker considering there aren’t many of these cars around. Apparently I found out that this dealership puts them on all the new cars. The swat tracker started to become introduced to her three years back in. I understand that it’s marketed as a safety precaution for the vehicle and they probably make dollars on dimes for it. Like you said, and easy revenue mark-up. I know that the salesman has dug deep to accommodate this overall offer, so I’m trying to be civil about it. At this point I’d rather him just remove the damn thing and keep the price as is. I’m just a bit skeptical of “devices” like this in the age of big brother.
Since it’s basically connected to the battery, Do you think that it was perhaps wired incorrectly and shorted the other electronics over time?
Anything is possible. I believe my main take away was that trackers can cause a lot of issues down the road since they weren’t designed to be on the cars in the first place. Also be aware of the implications of aftermarket parts on your warranty…although there are laws to protect consumers from warranty denial due to these parts it’s very hard for the consumer to prove they didn’t cause the failures and from my experience requires a good fight or opening your wallet.
Good point about the aftermarket part.
GPS trackers initially drew much favorability to car dealerships that allowed customers to finance with bad credit. It was a way of letting them switch off the vehicle if payment defaulted and repossess. Investment insurance if you will.
I just don’t understand the importance or significance of installing them arbitrarily when many new cars nowadays have remote services that allow you to check the car via app anyway. If you can track your car through a manufacturer’s app, there’s really no purpose in having a GPS tracker.
I guess some people are alright with it, but I don’t like being nickeled and dime especially for something that’s not worthwhile. I’m thinking that dealerships are getting them to protect their cars before sale from theft, and then trying to roll that cost onto buyers.
Maybe I’m thinking into this too much, but when I see swipe GPS tracker on the lease break down, the red flags start to fly.