Not sure if this is the right forum, but here goes.

Just bought a 2024 CX-5. MyMazda offers a lot of nice features. However I am concerned about it sending data to Mazda, and then on to ....? I know I can disable MyMazda and call Mazda and have the default data transmission stopped and the TCU disabled. However I am wondering who is getting the data besides Mazda. If its just Mazda then maybe less reason to be paranoid. Any experience here?

 

I can't see any reason why Mazda would want to share its own vehicle data with anyone else.

 

I read the fine print of the privacy section. Even when MyMazda is not active the fine print says they collect a lot of vehicle performance data (e.g. braking, accel, speed, etc) and send to insurance companies. Undoubtedly they get paid for the data.

 

Yup, Mazda is like most automakers in that the siren song of money to be made from data harvesting is just too strong to resist. The company’s privacy page makes this clear. But Mazda is a bit different from others in that they also make it clear that an owner can call them and have the vehicle’s TCU turned off. Just understand that if you do so, you will lose access to Mazda Connected Services that include things like remote start, remote lock and unlock, Mazda Roadside Services, emergency 911 calling from the vehicle, service and maintenance alerts, and more.

Personally I am more concerned about my privacy in the current age. I don’t need every step of my driving behavior recorded (yes, they do this) and get a surprise in the form of an insurance rate hike because some algorithm didn’t understand what was happening at a given moment in time. And, yes, this has happened often. The automakers insist this data is made anonymous before it is sold. But buyers get your vehicle VIN number and it isn’t hard to determine who the owner is since GPS location data is included and they know where you drive to every night. Besides, I have a cell phone and Triple A.

Mazda’s U.S. privacy page at this link:

https://www.mazdausa.com/site/privacy-connectedservices

 

I've already contacted Mazda CS and had the TCU disabled. I don't want my or my wife's driving behavior recorded. I was wondering how Mazda gets the driving data to my insurance carrier. If the VIN is associated with the data then everyone gets it, including my insurer. VIN's are public record. I did ask my agent about it, and she assured me all insurer's are looking to get their hands on all driving data, however they can. Mine is nothing special.

The MyMazda Connected Services are nice, but nothing I would pay for beyond the 3 year free period. So doing without is no big deal. Been doing without for a long time. It's like the SD nav card. The third party SD cards cost less than one tenth the cost of Mazda's. And they work just fine, the drawback being the maps are frozen to the 2021 maps (unless one wants to pay $85 to upgrade .... ) but 2021 is fine by me. Apple CarPlay also works just fine. The latest and greatest is not necessary. And both of us carry cell phones. We also have AAA, insurance carrier throws in 50 miles of towing (AAA is 5 on the cheap plan), couple of credit cards offer towing as does the bank. So plenty of options there. And if I am unconscious upside down in a ditch eventually somebody will summon help.

When I called Mazda CS to disable the TCU, the agent also sent me a link to opt out of the marketing Mazda does with 110 companies. All the usual suspects, plus a lot I'd never heard of. Interestingly when I used the link to run thru the process of opting out, I was able to opt out of 55 of the companies Mazda does business with. The remaining had the opt out feature "temporarirly unavailable". The agent warned me they will make me work for it. She said I'd have to use the link day after day until eventually the opt out is completed.

 

The automakers usually don’t sell data directly to insurers. It usually goes to a data aggregator - like Lexis Nexis - first. Then they sell the info to insurers and others. You can request a report on your info from Lexis Nexis. It’s spooky show much detail they have.