- A Texas lawsuit claims Toyota sold driving data without the owner’s consent or knowledge.
- RAV4 owner says Toyota’s data-sharing program raised insurance premiums, not discounts.
- The lawsuit could potentially lead to class action status for affected Toyota owners nationwide.
A growing number of car manufacturers have come under fire over the past year for allegedly selling the driving data of owners to insurance companies. In January, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton started an investigation into Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, and FCA for these shady practices. Now, a Toyota owner has sued the Japanese company in Texas, alleging his driving data was sold without consent.
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Read: Carmakers Are Snitching On You And Selling Your Driving Data To Insurers
This case could prove to be a major headache for Toyota, particularly if the plaintiff gets his wish for a jury trial.
What’s the Data, Anyway?
According to plaintiff Philip Siefke from Eagle Lake, Florida, Toyota, Progressive, and Connected Analytic Services collect data that can contribute to a “potential discount” on the auto insurance of owners. However, it can also cause insurance premiums to be jacked up.
Impacted Toyota models that can track driving data include most 2018 or newer Toyota models. Siefke has owned a 2021 RAV4 XLE since March 2021 with a ‘telemetry’ tracking device. It can reportedly gather information about location, fuel levels, the odometer, speed, tire pressure, window status, and seatbelt status.
According to Siefke, he first became aware of Toyota having important driving data when he attempted to sign up for an insurance policy with Progressive in January. Shortly after selecting to opt out of the data sharing program during the online sign-up process, a pop-up window appeared, informing Siefke that Progressive already had his driving data up to January 20, 2025. He called them and was told they had received this information from Toyota.
Siefke called Toyota next, and according to him, they revealed that when he bought his RAV4, he signed up for a trial program that would share his driving data. He claims that at no point was he informed that his data would be sold to third parties.
Now, Siefke is looking to take the issue further. He’s seeking class-action status for his lawsuit, hoping to represent thousands of other Toyota owners whose driving data may have been shared with insurance companies without their consent.
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