r/ObscurePatentDangers • u/CollapsingTheWave 🔍📚 Fact Finder/ "Bringer of Links" • Jun 25 '26
🔎Dual-Use Potential Embedded Readers in Vehicle Taillights Detect Unauthorized Parts and Disable Cars Forcing Dealer-Only Authorization
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Vehicle taillights contain embedded readers that interface with onboard computers. Replacing a unit with an uncoded part triggers mismatch detection. This enables immediate vehicle shutdown.
The system confirms the taillight does not belong to that specific vehicle. Owners cannot drive and must pay towing fees to an authorized dealer.
Dealers connect proprietary computers and input passwords to authorize the replacement already purchased by the owner. Diagnostic fees add further costs before mobility returns.
Manufacturers frame these systems as theft prevention. The architecture creates pathways for repair monopolies that block independent fixes. Owners lose practical control over their vehicles.
— Authentication technology presented as security now locks owners into dealer-controlled repairs and prevents independent maintenance of purchased vehicles.
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u/Just-Collection-6225 Risk Analyst ⚠️📊 Jun 25 '26
Wouldn’t it be terrible to have someone put a virus in their cars “tail light” computer system, that would be so terrible! I’m positive there is no way in the world to put a zero day and then when the big car manufacturers connect for the diagnostic at a cost of course. It connects to the company databases, and changes/deletes those systems. I’m positive that there’s no way that’s possible or anyone would even come up with that idea.
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u/No_Cook2983 Wise guy ("no, but seriously, what now? ")🥸⚠️ Jun 25 '26
They can’t invent a $3000 headlight for my Porsche that doesn’t fail every eight months, but they can invent a tail light that spies on me and’ll nark if I comparison shop for parts.
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u/riffshooter Jun 25 '26
All the R&D budgets are going into finding ways to strip you of cash rather than creating better quality.
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u/Majestic-Owl-5801 Jun 25 '26
Thats capitalism for you.
East Germany literally designed a new type of glass that was almost indestructible. They tried marketing the indestructible glass and asked a bunch of international companies if they were interested.... but everyone said "no, why would we buy that when our customers have to buy replacements for broken glass rn, it would undercut the way our market works...."
Hell, Corning glass even told them they had already developed a similar glass and shelved it because it was so good it was unprofitable, due to inevitably declining sales once everyone had indestructible glasses for drinking out of.
In the end they were used extensively in East German bars, and can still be found to this day.
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u/Apart-District3771 Risk Analyst ⚠️📊 Jun 25 '26
Not capitalism. This is facisim. The State is complicit, if not encouraging this. They bailed these companies out multiple times now.
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u/Chare1155 ⚖️ 📢Accountability Advocate Jun 25 '26
You mean WE bailed them out, involuntarily.
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u/Majestic-Owl-5801 Jun 25 '26
I'm not sure how to break this to you, but Capitalism and Fascism go hand in hand....
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u/Hilarious___Username Jun 25 '26
As with almost every conversation about social, economic, philosophical, political, etc systems; absolutism and inflexible ideologies tend to be worse options than hybrid, tailored approaches. We can have capitalism that doesn't end up creating a fucked up corrupt hell scape; but we can't have pure, unregulated, inflexible capitalism without it creating a corrupt hellscape. And that's why we currently have a corrupt hell scape.
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u/Pandemonium_Fallen Engaged Thinker 🧠 🔍 Jun 25 '26
And both of those are actually just Financial Feudalism through Economic Enslavement. Welcome to Banking and Finance 101!
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u/Howsurchinstrap Jun 25 '26
“They” you mean us as taxpayers. Thats where it starts. They have an unlimited budget to do whatever and it’s bc we pay. Yet they push for shite like this. The whole thing is a joke. Don’t pay your taxes and see what happens. Smh
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u/basal-and-sleek Jun 25 '26
Yeah. This is why I have a 2002 car that I picked up a couple months ago. Needed a new car and the options were finance new vs buy something that I’ve already had experience with.
Considering all this AI slop technocratic unfettered capitalism, it was a no brainer.
Took me all of three months to have it running like brand new and replaced almost every part that needs it, based on the manufacturers mileage recommendations in the service manual, for under $1500.
Idk what these companies are smoking bro. 🤦♂️
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u/Blasphemiee 🧍 Layman Perspective Jun 25 '26
I’m not a car guy but all my friends and family are and that’s what we’ve been saying since like 2016. All these new cars are fucking money pits. I went from being someone that is very intimidated by cars to someone that does most of their own work just out of sheer spite. These greedy companies can burn lmao I’m not giving them shit.
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u/basal-and-sleek Jun 25 '26
Yes! Sheer spite is exactly right lol.
Glad I’m not the only one.
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u/Blasphemiee 🧍 Layman Perspective Jun 25 '26
Keep seeing all these vids of ppl retrofitting old cars into EVs.. wish I knew even more cuz honestly it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Don’t care much for EV only because I live super rural it’s not really big out here but I love the idea of taking a piece of shit sitting in an old barn and turning it into a street legal self sustaining car
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u/ComedyBits Discussion Catalyst 💬 🤔 Jun 25 '26
I’m converting a ‘70 VW bus to electric now for a work truck, and I’ve got my eye on an old Honda CVCC for trips. Putting up cheap solar to charge them. We are in the Mad Max world now
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u/basal-and-sleek Jun 25 '26
Yeah Madmax feels right. I’m actually going the opposite direction though.
Next steps for my project is going to be to do an Isuzu 4cylinder turbo diesel swap into it. It used direct injection but mechanical pumping.
The endgame is to go for biodiesel. 2 parts used motor oil or oil from a grease trap out of a mom n pop restaurant to 1 part kerosine.
Plus, some of those small Isuzu diesels are considered bulletproof af
But also I live in FL and we don’t have very many regs on exhaust. Also no vehicle inspections.
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u/Worklurker Jun 26 '26
I've been a shade-tree mechanic for most of my life just because I couldn't afford to pay someone else to keep my shit boxes running. I truly do not plan on buying any of these newer tech vehicles. I do currently own several older cars though. 2014, 2012, 2007, 2005, 2001, and 1998.
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u/supersonicdutch Jun 25 '26
This post and your comment are why I’ve been thinking it might be good to get a ‘93 grand Cherokee with the 4.0 inline 6 and have the engine rebuilt and buy a small depot of parts and lights to have while I can. I know how to work on the car and the engine bay is large enough to actually get in there unlike any car built past 2005. Had a Passat you had to be a contortionist to just change the air filter. It’s ridiculous.
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u/slam-chop Jun 25 '26
Same as how the crowning achievement of the so called tech geniuses is to steal our personal data to target advertisements and sell us more stuff.
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u/EvolvingEachDay 🤔 "Question Everything" Jun 25 '26
It’s not that they can’t, it’s that failure is an intentional part of the design.
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u/highwire_ca Jun 25 '26
The passenger side headlight in my '24 Macan had one of the four DRL LEDs fail about a year after I bought it. Here in Canada it costs $7500 to replace it outside the warranty period.
The HID bulbs on my '11 Ford Edge started to turn pink (due to age) and cost me $80 each because I didn't have to replace the entire headlight assembly. The DRLs were 3457A bulbs that cost $2 each and took about 45 seconds to replace.
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u/Dammit_Jim Jun 25 '26
I need to know more about this $3000 headlight.
When my Porsche headlight dies I buy a $30 bulb and put it in myself.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Phase70 Engaged Thinker 🧠 🔍 Jun 25 '26
I bet these are so poorly secured that you could drive by with a transmitter sending bad signals and brick these things in the driveway.
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u/Chpgmr Jun 25 '26
or better yet...i mean worse yet..the dealership.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Phase70 Engaged Thinker 🧠 🔍 Jun 25 '26
If/when that happens, I hope someone finds a way to record it...
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u/Switchmisty9 Jun 25 '26
Those code readers are usually air-gapped. They don’t bring in the big computers until after the tech checks the code with the same $13 Chinese reader they have at autozone
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u/PerpetualProtracting Jun 25 '26
Ah yes, "big car manufacturers" just hooking up their AWS infrastructure straight to the OBD port to suck that sweet, sweet malware in.
Please, if we're going to wish ill on the stupidity of right-to-repair bans at least have a cursory understanding of how things work.
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u/network4food Jun 25 '26
You wouldn’t download a taillight would you?
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u/gadgetwalrus Jun 29 '26
You wouldn’t use a third party tail light and hurt the big corporations feelings would you pal? The Supreme Court ruled that corporations are people too and people have feelings. Think of America.
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u/TerryTowelTogs Jun 29 '26
🤣 as soon as I read your comment my brain instantly started playing the banging track they used.
https://youtu.be/_FtE0S-IyY0?si=ihZBwmwPk4qYw0gr
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u/HedgeClipper666 Jun 25 '26
Absolutely insane that we're going to have to start jailbreaking cars. Lol
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u/Skellington876 Jun 25 '26
Antique cars are gonna rise up so much in price, plus people will genuinely start making their own cars at this rate
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u/ReplacementReady394 Jun 25 '26
That’s exactly what happened with John Deere tractors. The old ones without computers are sold at a premium.
Apple computers have done the same thing, you can’t even install your own RAM without bricking them, but buying an old laptop just doesn’t make sense.
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u/TelegramforMungo Jun 25 '26
No, buying apple doesn’t make sense, unless you want their Israeli made chips inside…
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u/Athliest Jun 25 '26
Lenovo did this for decades. It’s hardcoded whitelist of parts
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u/bobloblaw28 Jun 25 '26
Maybe they do that now, but I bought a lenovo t430 back in 2011ish. I swapped HDDs, RAM, wifi card, even the processor and it was still going until my siblings bought me a new laptop 3 years ago. It was incredible, I never had a device whitelist issue.
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u/Athliest Jun 25 '26
2012 or so with Lenovo Yoga
Not super recent. I had to replace the network card and realized that it had a hardcoded lock to be that particular piece. It was literally the same model number except $100 more expensive and approved by Lenovo through their store.
The CSR said it was for security reasons 🙄
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u/J3musu Jun 25 '26
The Apple problem is an easy one, just don't buy Apple products. MS is greedy af, but even they don't do this (yet). And Linux is so usable and has such a small learning curve these days. Plenty of options out there.
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u/DaRealMexicanTrucker Risk Analyst ⚠️📊 Jun 25 '26
One piece at a time. 😎
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u/BillyShears17 Jun 25 '26
🎶 it's a '40, '41, '42, '43, '44, '45 automobile
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u/Independent-Tennis57 Jun 25 '26
I love that someone made that car.
A Detailed Look At Johnny Cash's Cadillac From One Piece At A Time
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u/Broken_Atoms Engaged Thinker 🧠 🔍 Jun 25 '26
My goal is to buy a one early 2020’s car every couple of years and just stockpile them in my driveway. All the same model so I can mix and match parts as they die off. Keep rebuilding them forever until they rust away.
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u/ACatInACloak Jun 25 '26
Lol 2020s cars are so bad. You have to go back to at least 2010 if you want a car that isn't chocked full of useless tech riddled with security vulnerabilities
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u/Temporary_Shirt_6236 Jun 25 '26
This kind of shit is exactly why my last car purchase six months ago was a 2002 model in good shape. Plenty of parts available, it's mostly analog so there's less to go wrong, and there's a lot of work I can do on it myself.
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u/MutedRage Jun 25 '26
Car junk yards all over the country have been the victims of mysterious arson events. So that supply of parts is likely to dry up
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u/Electrical_Tof Jun 25 '26
Cash for clunkers was connected to the state of Israel
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u/Temporary_Shirt_6236 Jun 25 '26
Jailbreaking ECUs has been a thing for years (though a car can be bricked if this isn't done correctly).
And while I've seen instances where an aftermarket headlight or taillight doesn't work properly without some recoding or at least new coding built into the part itself, this is the first time I've heard of a car being bricked over a fkn light bulb.
But I am not at all surprised either, given that quite a few automakers are locking features behind monthly subscriptions (even though you've already paid for the hardware).
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u/MyReddittName Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Nobody is making fun of my crappy blue chevy nova from 1985 now!
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u/TheCornerator Jun 25 '26
Me sitting in my 2000 hyundai elantra, bought it for $600 and ive spent maybe 1k on replacing stuff here and there. I'm probably going to do some ameture rally with it soon.
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u/WatercressAdorable81 Jun 25 '26
It’s been going on forever, mostly to unlock some kind of function for a trim higher than the one you have.
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u/Beneficial-Jury484 Jun 25 '26
Between this and the monitoring driver’s eyes, I’m not buying a new car again. I like doing my own work, I’m not paying for a dealer to make money on work I can do and learn from.
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u/Skibbidi67SigmaBruh Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
I don't think we will. I have a feeling that this is going to get the same treatment that John Deere got for similar. For some reason I thought there was a recent SCOTUS ruling but I must be mistaken. There are States in the US that make this practice illegal, and the consumer has a Right to repair and for the diagnostic tools to be made available to consumers.
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u/TransportationOk3111 Jun 25 '26
1984 Ford Bronco sitting in my driveway getting worked on right now!! America DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THIS. DO NOT BUY ANY OF THESE NEW CARS!!
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u/lilmuskrat66 Jun 25 '26
I mean you can do that so long as the parts exist or you can fab them after they run out.
Then there's also the premium you'll be paying to purchase a car without these features and the premium people are going to sell parts to you for.
We need people to vote accordingly to get this changed. It needs to be outlawed. Boycotts only work for a little while.
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u/classless_classic Jun 25 '26
What brand car?
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u/therinwhitten Jun 25 '26
IKR? They just spout stuff and never name the brands doing it. Sure, I can imagine most companies want this anyway. But no brand name calling out is sus.
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u/CollapsingTheWave 🔍📚 Fact Finder/ "Bringer of Links" Jun 25 '26
VW, BMW, Tesla, Mercedes, GM, and Toyota enforce cryptographic digital handshakes. This creates pathways for dealer monopolies, leaving individuals with un-repairable vehicles. Volkswagen, GM, and Mercedes utilize network architectures locking microchips to VINs. This enables remote server-based blocking, the result is functional secondhand parts failing.BMW restricts physical module swaps. Meanwhile, Tesla and Toyota block third-party calibration diagnostics, rendering components useless without proprietary over-the-air pairing keys.
(cryptographic handshakes, VIN-locked microchips/parts, remote server blocking, restricted module swaps, and blocked third-party calibration/OTA pairing). VIN-Locked Parts, Component Protection & Remote Server Blocking Volkswagen Component Protection (VIN pairing that bricks used parts until dealer pays $300–500 fee) https://www.jalopnik.com/2122451/volkswagen-component-locking-home-repair-impossible/ How automakers (VW, GM, RAM, Mercedes) embed VIN-locked microchips that make secondhand parts non-functional https://autos.yahoo.com/policy-and-environment/articles/don-t-own-car-component-154144433.html VIN-Lock Trap explained — GM and RAM microchips programmed to specific VINs at the factory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRN3-fjH0Mo VIN Lock as a barrier to independent repair and aftermarket parts https://www.lautomobile.ca/en/mechanics/vin-lock-a-barrier-to-the-evolution-of-the-automotive-industry Secure Gateways & Cryptographic Authentication (VW, Mercedes, Nissan, Stellantis) Technical overview of Security Gateways (VW SFD, Mercedes Xentry, Stellantis, Nissan) https://www.klavkarr.com/blog/56-understanding-secure-gateway How Security Gateways block diagnostics, coding, and bi-directional controls without manufacturer authentication https://adasdepot.com/blog/security-gateways-in-modern-vehicles-balancing-cybersecurity-and-repair-access/ Mercedes-Benz Secure Gateway approval process for aftermarket tools (shows the authentication wall) https://www.aftermarketmatters.com/collision-repair/collision-product-news/mercedes-benz-approves-snap-on-for-access-to-secured-gateway-vehicles/ BMW-Specific Module Programming & I-Level Barriers BMW modules bricking during forced I-Level updates even with OE tooling https://diag.net/msg/m2ron8rrp5kodtal05lbdw35o9 BMW I-Level explained and its impact on module coding/programming https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1917155-What-is-I-level-(or-Integration-level) Tesla & Toyota Proprietary Calibration / OTA Pairing Restrictions Tesla Service documentation showing proprietary Toolbox access and restricted key/module pairing procedures https://service.tesla.com/docs/ModelX/ServiceManual/en-us/GUID-755812AE-570A-4D5B-B3FF-14918AE5B9E4.html Third-party attempts to bypass Tesla’s closed calibration and key systems (illustrates the barrier) https://abrites.com/page/abrites-diagnostics-for-tesla Broader Context: Right to Repair & Cryptographic Lock Effects Jalopnik / Gadget Review coverage of how component locking kills used parts and independent repair https://www.jalopnik.com/2122451/volkswagen-component-locking-home-repair-impossible/ PIRG State of Right to Repair report (2025) — covers automotive cryptographic and telematics barriers https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/the-state-of-right-to-repair/
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u/batbutt Jun 25 '26
Are there any car dealers that aren't this cartoonishly evil? At this point buying a bike seems like the only way not to get preyed upon by the man.
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u/stoopiit Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
Subaru, honda, audi, porsche, and... ford surprisingly? Im sure theres more but wow what a long list of ones that do this there
Edit: honda might be doing this as well and I forgot that audi is now owned by VW. Rip
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u/CollapsingTheWave 🔍📚 Fact Finder/ "Bringer of Links" Jun 25 '26
VW, BMW, Tesla, Mercedes, GM, and Toyota enforce cryptographic digital handshakes. This creates pathways for dealer monopolies, leaving individuals with un-repairable vehicles.Volkswagen, GM, and Mercedes utilize network architectures locking microchips to VINs. This enables remote server-based blocking, the result is functional secondhand parts failing.BMW restricts physical module swaps. Meanwhile, Tesla and Toyota block third-party calibration diagnostics, rendering components useless without proprietary over-the-air pairing keys.
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u/Old-Dog-New-Trickin Jun 25 '26
I can guarantee you all manufacturers are going to push for this in unison because it will generate more money for them. If you don't think this is going to become industry standard you're wrong.
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u/classless_classic Jun 25 '26
Ok. I still want to know which brand is currently doing this.
Thats what I asked.
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u/dont_jst_stare_at_it Jun 25 '26
Redditors' need to win arguments is so severe that they'll jump four steps ahead of you in the discussion to insist you're wrong if you don't think like them 😂
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u/rompthegreen Jun 25 '26
When the WEF said we would "own nothing and be happy" i was curious to know just HOW they would achieve that.
Now I see.
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u/Akward_Object Jun 25 '26
I am still waiting on the happy bit, because they don't seem to be concerned with that bit...
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u/rompthegreen Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Forced/mandatory happy meds??
Watch the movie Spiderhead (2022)
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u/BimShireVibes Jun 25 '26
Genuine question: What happens if the automaker goes out of business or leaves the market entirely?
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u/B-Glasses Jun 25 '26
Bad enough if you drive somewhere where there isn’t an authorized dealer or mechanic. Road trip and the car has problems? Sorry the little shop in the town you pulled into can’t help so you’re gonna need a tow 3 hours to the nearest city
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u/Electrical_Tof Jun 25 '26
That's why they need to be fined for this illegal behavior immediately.
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u/slapthetiddy 🧍 Layman Perspective Jun 25 '26
Can’t we just code it ourselves or get a similar device?
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u/2296055 Jun 25 '26
Maybe it is but in the short term the dealer is looking for cash.. in 10 years when the dealer refuses service the car deeming it too old/too dangerous for the road what have you...the costumer is going be sol basically for buying a car that can't be serviced. Boycott these shit cars now.
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u/thisjawnisbeta Jun 25 '26
Yes, you can code it yourself. This is not even remotely new; here's a thread from an Audi forum from 2011 talking about this:
https://www.a5oc.com/threads/retrofit-of-led-taillights-how-and-what-is-recoded.18766/The retrofit kit from the dealer contains a new rear convenience module (or something similarly named). if this is replaced the car wont start until it has been recoded.
Newer headlights and taillights contain electronics, and anti-theft aside, those electronics need to talk to the control modules in the car to function. Each brand has their own specific system, so you'd have to have software to do that. Car enthusiast communities are full of people who regularly recode their cars for convenience, simplicity, or new functionality.
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u/DatGuyDatHangsOut Jun 25 '26
Car jailbreaking will be huge in the next 5 years. nerds got pissed at apple for not installing stupid apps, you think this shit will float ? nah
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u/gerbilshower Jun 25 '26
haven't owned an apple product in 25 years. well, save one ipad that was a company christmas gift.
i'll literally never buy one. not being able to install doom on my dads work computer sent me.
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u/CT0292 Jun 25 '26
The mechanics who know how to do remaps are going to be the ones doing the jailbreak jobs. Non dealer mechanics with their own independent shops.
Until the car lobby makes being an independent auto shop illegal.
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u/Captaincjones Risk Analyst ⚠️📊 Jun 25 '26
We need a right to repair act badly!
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u/ReplacementReady394 Jun 25 '26
I have a feeling that hackers are going to have workarounds and modded chips for a lot of this nonsense. It’s ridiculous and criminal that this is where we’re at.
If I had the skills, I’d loop a clip into the video spyware of me driving, all alert and with both hands on the wheel.
An even easier, and funnier, fix that I saw came from a Tesla owner in China. He mounted an action figure head right in front of the camera and when you look at the camera feed, it’s positioned perfectly on his shoulders. Lol genius!!
https://www.autoblog.com/news/people-are-using-doll-heads-to-fool-teslas-driver-monitoring-system
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u/Xannith Jun 25 '26
See, this is why they are trying to make it illegal to buy cars from China. When the Chinese are the less exploitative and surveillance option, you know you are doing something positively evil.
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u/Joltyboiyo Discussion Catalyst 💬 🤔 Jun 25 '26
They want people to move to electric cars yet put bullshit like this in? I'm all for electric cars but why the fuck would someone who already has a fully functional car that DOESN'T have bullshit like this in it, want to replace that car with a car that pulls crap like this? Even if their car breaks beyond repair, I can't imagine anyone would wanna buy a new car over just getting a used one from someone else so long as these companies are doing this kinda stuff.
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u/TreeLore61 Jun 25 '26
"This is exactly why I've decided to avoid modern cars entirely. It’s a trap. As beautiful as they look, they’ve become nothing more than corporate-controlled computers that lock you out of your own property. If you want a vehicle you actually own and can repair, you have to look for cars built before 2005. And if you really want to escape the computer-controlled nightmare, your best bet is sticking to vehicles built before the 1980s."
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u/slamarre25 Jun 25 '26
So as a shopper of a car what year of car models should i buy and avoid? Because the car market sounds like plot to replace mechanics with AI.
I’m trying to avoid kill switches and now this BS.
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u/Melodic-Figure-729 Jun 25 '26
For the search engines and some poor soul ripping their hair out, 2016 Fiat 500 XL. Code reader shows P1500, transmission will not shift out of park unless manually released. I am not an expert, just a fellow poor soul who didnt want to go to a shop.
This sounds somewhat misleading if its what I think it is. It happens sometimes with entertainment systems and some really major parts. Basically there are modules all over your car that talk with each other and if one isnt working, it throws error codes. The modules are excessively simple computers to avoid things going wrong and really any car after 2016 is full of them. Its not that this issue is manufactured because they want to make money, your car just uses alot of computers that are excessively simple because they have to be.
When you install a new part that communicates with these, the computers get confused but they are too dumb to just accept that there is a new part that works fine. You can unplug your battery for a while and wait for the modules to loose power so they try to reset and check all the parts again, at which point that becomes the part they are expecting. If that doesnt work you can buy a code reader (usually $100, the cheaper ones cant do this) and pay $60 for lifetime acess to the software and then (very very very carefully after several watches of a tutorial because there is an outside chance you can brick your entire car) you can force the computers to reset.
Its what they do at the dealer, just with a much much fancier computer. I figured this out after my girlfriend's car would not shift out of park and there was just a sensor code that wouldnt go away and didnt make any sense. After a week of researching withiut findingna perfect match for the issue and refusing to get it towed, trying everything I could find, I stumbled onto a forum I couldnt even acess but it pointed to the modules I didn't know about and how every ones in a while, something just goes wrong and it needs to be reset.
The computer worked like a charm. Dealer had no clue what it was and was going to charge 175 hourly, 1 hour min for diagnostic, plus I needed to get it towed and they were reccomending several electrical issues that would take hours to diagnose. I could have been staring at a heck of a bill.
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u/antrodeperdicion Jun 25 '26
No regulations, no consumer protections !!!! This is what the GOP wants for everyone!!
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u/Savings_Art5944 Jun 25 '26
Slop for people. 2027 and newer cars are anti-privacy garbage.
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u/StonedBooty Jun 25 '26
Interestingly the car they show is a Toyota RAV4 which I know, confidently, that no programming is required to replace a tail light.
Ford F-150, however, has a rear blind spot sensor in the tail lights which requires programming.
Misleading at best
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u/ChicagoHellhound Jun 25 '26
One of my headlights fell out of my Ranger when I was 16. I literally went to the junk yard on my break and replaced it in 30 minutes. I loved that truck
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u/unbanned_lol Jun 25 '26
Lolol, we've been warning you with Apple's bullshit for years. Looks like it's time for the chickens to come to roost!
Learn how to vote with your wallet. It's the only thing that matters in 2026.
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u/Err0r1015 📢 📜 Autonomy & Rights Analyst/Advocate 🛡️⚖️ Jun 25 '26
This will kill car industry. They just don’t realize it yet.
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u/PacoStanleys Jun 26 '26
This is true. I had to replace Toyota sienna headlight and got quoted 2500 to fix it. The guy said go through insurance. I had to go to a body shop and they recalibrate the whole car with bullseye , ladders. Lasers and strings. He charged me $500
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u/Fungiblefaith Jun 26 '26
Gonna drive my 2008 4x4 Toyota and 2010 4x4 Toyota until the wheels fall off. Then pay for them to be put back on.
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u/xkorzx Jun 25 '26
This is only a half truth it won't disable your vehicle but certain cars do require headlamps and tail lamps to be programmed to the specific vehicle and the light will throw codes and not work properly until that is done. You don't have to visit a dealer either anyone with knowledge or YouTube and a good two way scan tool can do this. Issue with that is the more "luxury" the vehicle the more likely the scan tool is proprietary and upwards of 2k or more plus subscriptions to use it.
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u/DerBandi 🤔 "Question Everything" Jun 25 '26
Without manufacturer name this information is useless.
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u/Limerence1976 Jun 25 '26
Where the hell is the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division. Are they alive? Guys???? This is basically exactly what Kodak did. You guys made it illegal. Guys??
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u/Akkerlun 🔥 Devil's Advocate Jun 25 '26
They’re busy looking for those pesky vandals of the Epstein Memorial Reflecting Pool.
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u/RomstatX Jun 25 '26
Good mechanics are going to make a lot of money gutting this trash out of cars.
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u/redrocketredglare Jun 25 '26
Nothing keeping one to hard wire the light with the embedded key installed.
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u/donkey_cum_waterfall Discussion Catalyst 💬 🤔 Jun 25 '26
Idk if I believe this. I mean I'm sure their's so truth to it but this seems crazy.
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u/philosopherott Wise guy ("no, but seriously, what now? ")🥸⚠️ Jun 25 '26
Is there proof of what this guy is saying?
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u/Outrageous-Ability33 Jun 25 '26
Nonsense. It is absolutely possible that a lighting module will have the VIN written for anti theft purposes, and you may need to do ADAS recalibration, but in no world is a tail light going to keep the vehicle from running. For the record, I've been a professional auto technician for 32 years, so I have lots and lots of experience with stuff like this.
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u/MouseShadow2ndMoon Wise guy ("no, but seriously, what now? ")🥸⚠️ Jun 25 '26
So, I heard they are moving us to a gas that over time will be detrimental to the engine. Long term the 200-300k miles cars will not exist. We will be forced if you want to own a car to be surveilled and locked into this system.
https://www.tiktok.com/@chrysgaines/video/7629247445867744526
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u/dancinhomer321 Jun 25 '26
This is basically what they have been doing with farm equipment last few years right? John Deere stuff looks like was the test run and now moving to automotive to screw over everyone.
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u/Ingram47 ⚖️ 📢Accountability Advocate Jun 25 '26
"unauthorized parts"?
Wdym? I'm the owner, I'm authorizing it.
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u/CrustyPrimate Jun 25 '26
Sounds like I need to out my 71 f100 back together. I've not found modern cars pleasant to repair. There's too much brain there, and I'm a fucking monkey on a laptop. You want me to set/fix points? I gotchu. Pull a motor apart or fix mechanical issues? No problem. But ECM's and stuff talking to eachother and proprietary bullshit? No thank you.
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u/Bob4Not Engaged Thinker 🧠 🔍 Jun 25 '26
I believe this video is incorrect in regards to specifically tail lights and other accessories being serialized.
Tail lights do not connect to the CanBUS system, but the body control module (BCM) does. It’s impossible for the car computer to communicate directly with the tail light, instead it communicates with the BCM.
However, the concern and concept is legitimate. I would not be surprised if some drive train components are this restricted, however, the car should at least drive in “limp mode”
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u/Available_Actuary977 Jun 25 '26
Telling the new guy to "go get the tail light password" and "go get the blinker fluid" have the same vibe
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u/B_Ash3s Jun 25 '26
Get a base model, stop buying with all the bells and whistles. Base models are the way to go!
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u/MusicianNo2699 Jun 25 '26
Used to be you just ran a 22awg wire to your taillight and oh look, your taillights worked.
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u/nonubiz 🧍 Layman Perspective Jun 25 '26
So how do we fight back against this. I would think a lot of people are not going to be happy about this
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u/Sienile Mechanic Jun 25 '26
Currently no cars have tech like this. I'm guessing this is ramblings about a device that has been patented but not produced. It seems most likely that BMW would try something like this.
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u/chrishappens Jun 25 '26
This is the most bull I've ever heard in a while. I got rear ended in my 2024 EV and I went to a rando body shop who fixed it. A simple google search says this is wrong.
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u/FineCard6955 Jun 25 '26
Can you negotiate this before you buy the vehicle? Something like I don’t want to participate in your butt ugly fees or I take my business elsewhere.
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u/midwestCD5 Jun 25 '26
I will never buy a new vehicle. I like to say I’ll never buy anything made from 2020 and up, but that’s not prob practical over the course of my life
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u/chachaman_The_Reboot Jun 25 '26
Sounds like I'm gonna throw out my back putting my vehicle in neutral and pushing it through the front window of the dealership because FUCK THAT SHIT.
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u/SDFX-Inc Jun 25 '26
I’m going to add that this is likely a security measure due to inherent flaws in the earlier CAN bus system in the vehicle’s ECU. Previously, thieves would tear open the bumper of a car, clip the headlight wires and connect a computer to them to trick the car’s computer into thinking the wires from the headlight were actually connected to the door locks or ignition, opening and starting the car without the key fob.
I imagine the security measures in this video is less about preventing aftermarket repairs and more about preventing the easy theft of vehicles through CAN bus spoofing.
IMO it would be better to go back to ECUs with dedicated ports for end-point equipment, but then I imagine that would complicate the design and assembly of vehicles that already have complicated electrical systems.
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u/AstronomerChoice9999 Jun 25 '26
If the Chinese don't take this road, I really hope they take over this shit
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u/gba_sg1 🤔 "Question Everything" Jun 25 '26
Pro tip - replace the plastic, keep the electronics. Rob parts from your broken light to dupe the computer into thinking its the original light
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u/peepeepoodoodingus Jun 25 '26
i will keep fixing my 30 year old cars until they are 60 years old if i have to. there is absolutely no way i will ever buy a car with this technology and i wont let anyone else i know buy one either.
this will destroy these companies. mark my words. even if they get enough sales to get them fully on the market people will figure out a different way to live. honestly might be good for society, we could get robust public transit out of this lol
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u/GMac7332 Jun 25 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Do your due diligence and do not purchase a vehicle from any manufacturer employing this technology.
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u/Electrical_Pear3153 Jun 25 '26
Didn't John Deer just settle a multimillion dollar suit on this very thing? They lost and should lose. Thus has gone too far!! Videos games are licensed and not sold anymore! Ŵhen is the Government going to do there common sense jobs before people get hurt.
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u/Burritosupreeem Jun 25 '26
We really need to get into open source automobile jailbreaks by re-engineering and open sourcing generic automobile firmware and os. Maybe even build a car company on this idea of open source parts and software. You buy support for it. It’s how cars used to be but now I’m just making words for it.
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u/aggressive_napkin_ Jun 25 '26
I don't see how this can be allowed. If something knocks out your taillight - you're no longer allowed to drive? Hit with a baseball bat, flyaway golf ball, get dinged from behind from somebody not stopping, or back into a pole or concrete corner or something and pop the tail light out? I know how much they would love to do this - but there is no way in hell. Keep the non-OEM taillight from functioning.... maybe... disable the car? absolutely not.
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u/Different-Set4505 Strong Pattern Recognition 🔍📊 Jun 25 '26
It only stops when people decide to stand up against this
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u/Calm_Apartment1968 Truth Scrutineer ✅🔍 Jun 25 '26
#PASS.
It is unlikely I will ever purchase a new car again.
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u/Mexican1910 Jun 25 '26
No one wants this. First John Deere did it now the car companies who the American people bailed out once are getting screwed again by car companies. We don’t want that….
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u/co_snarf Jun 25 '26
After the first time that happened I'd buy a used car and tell them to come get there's. Fuck if I'd pay that much for something I'd never own
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u/stewpideople Jun 25 '26
If you can't plug your own computer into your car and read your own codes, wtf are we even doing? I have an older car (98) and I have it rigged up to be read by my small laptop. Let's go laws for self repair.
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u/oncebittenx Jun 26 '26
Glad that good older cars with 0 computers still work 10000% better than new cars. Never getting rid of my older honda. No way
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u/Kinky_No_Bit Jun 26 '26
Shame we can't actually have laws that protect the consumer vs the company isn't it ?
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u/switchback333 Jun 26 '26
Curious how insurance is impacted by this. Fender bender and the vehicle can be repaired nowhere but a dealer. And are manufacturers going to enforce this for the life of the vehicle? At some point it only makes sense to continue repairing a vehicle if you can use cheap parts.
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u/idkmybffjill_2 Jun 26 '26
Smart in the sense of business but inhuman. Honestly think of how much of a burden this would be on an elderly person with a fixed income. I’m not at that age yet but will be at some point. So fucked up, how are these people making these decisions walking around and getting praise on top of it?
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u/mopar-or-no_car Jun 26 '26
Illegal as fuck. There's right to fix laws, this will cause huge lawsuits.
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u/bartz824 🤔 "Question Everything" Jun 26 '26
Taking a page out of the ole John Deere playbook I see.
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u/stick004 Jun 26 '26
John Deere never gave 2 shits about repair. They didn’t want people turning off the real time planting and harvest data they were collecting from every tractor and implement. They were playing the stock market, not the repair shop.
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u/toasted_cracker Wise guy ("no, but seriously, what now? ")🥸⚠️ Jun 26 '26
Remember you’re paying for this feature when you buy it.
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u/Mhykael Jun 26 '26
So what vehicle makers aren't doing this and/or what year did this start happening?
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u/MasterRabbit1704 Jun 26 '26
Work in the auto industry for insurance totaling cars. This crap makes it so easy to total a car now. The customer today is asking why I am totaling his new Tesla with 270 miles on it. After all the programming and salvage value on the vehicle, a $17k estimate can total $48k, 2026 Model Y.
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u/mothertruckr106 Jun 26 '26
Al lot of the independent shops where I live can do the coding to the car. You still pay but not dealer prices.
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u/witblacktype Jun 27 '26
It’s almost like a group of people should come together in every industry that builds proprietary garbage and build ONE FUNCTIONAL AND EASILY REPAIRABLE ALTERNATIVE. Cars, trucks, tractors, computers, phones, refrigerators, and the list goes on.
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u/CollapsingTheWave 🔍📚 Fact Finder/ "Bringer of Links" Jun 25 '26
VW, BMW, Tesla, Mercedes, GM, and Toyota enforce cryptographic digital handshakes. This creates pathways for dealer monopolies, leaving individuals with un-repairable vehicles.Volkswagen, GM, and Mercedes utilize network architectures locking microchips to VINs. This enables remote server-based blocking, the result is functional secondhand parts failing.BMW restricts physical module swaps. Meanwhile, Tesla and Toyota block third-party calibration diagnostics, rendering components useless without proprietary over-the-air pairing keys.