Going to the mechanic is often full of unexpected surprises. You go in for a simple oil change, and you’re told that your car needs new air filters, new tires and a new battery. That’ll be $5,000. 

But when one woman went in to get a tire change, she never anticipated what the mechanic would find. Below, you’ll find a story that she shared on Reddit detailing how a GPS tracker ended up attached to her vehicle, as well as some of the replies that concerned readers shared.

Mechanics often spot things on vehicles that the driver would have never noticed

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual image)

When this woman went in for a routine tire change, she never anticipated that a GPS tracker would be found on her car

Image credits: Alessio Merighi (not the actual image)

Image credits: varyapigu (not the actual image)

After confronting her roommate, the woman shared an update on the situation

Image credits: ThrowRAaway0

Vehicle owners often place trackers on their own cars to prevent theft

The idea of finding a GPS tracker on your car that you didn’t know about is terrifying. But these devices aren’t inherently bad. In fact, many people choose to attach them to their vehicles for a variety of reasons. According to Rewire Security, one of the main reasons why someone would attach a tracker to their car is to prevent theft.

These devices can sometimes alert an owner immediately if a vehicle has been broken into, and if it’s stolen, the owner will be able to keep an eye on the car’s location. Today, some anti-theft devices can even immobilize the car if it’s been hot-wired, making the thieves unable to drive off with it.

In the same vein, some car owners use geofence alerts to ensure they know exactly what’s going on with their vehicle. This allows drivers to set a “digital fence” on a certain area of the map. And if the car exits that area, the owner will immediately be informed. This can be helpful when multiple family members share the same vehicle, but none of them would need to take it into another city, for example.

Some people even use these trackers to monitor their own driving behavior, keep track of historical data and reports from their car and reduce their insurance premiums. These trackers are also crucial for rental car and car sharing companies.

But attaching a tracker to someone else’s vehicle is illegal

However, it’s a completely different situation when the owner of the car finds out that someone else has been tracking their vehicle. This is a violation of privacy and trust, and it’s illegal to put a tracking device on a car that you don’t own. 

And upon finding a tracker, removing it is not as simple as taking it off and throwing it away. BrickHouse Security recommends immediately going to the police after finding a tracking device on your vehicle, as deactivating it or removing it will alert the person who placed it there, which may potentially put you in danger. “It’s better to ensure that you have protection on your side,” BrickHouse Security notes.

If you suspect that someone may be tracking you through your vehicle, it’s important to know how to find the device first. Spy-Spot suggests first doing a visual inspection of the vehicle. Take a flashlight and look on the outside of the car, underneath the vehicle and even inside the car. 

Some of the most common places trackers will be attached on the outside of the car are the bumper, the wheels, under the hood or the undercarriage. Inside the vehicle, they’re commonly placed in the diagnostic port, under seats, underneath floor mats or in the trunk or hatchback. 

If you don’t find a device immediately, unfortunately, that does not guarantee that there’s nothing there. Spy-Spot notes that GPS bug detectors can also be used on the vehicle to see if anything is hiding. These detectors will start buzzing and lighting up once they get closer to a tracker, so they can be extremely beneficial in locating a hidden device.

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We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you have reacted if you were in this woman’s shoes? Feel free to share, and then if you’d like to check out another Bored Panda article discussing similar issues, look no further than right here.

Later, the woman responded to commenters and provided even more information

Concerned readers shared their thoughts on the situation, as well as advice for the woman

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