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Originally Posted by Evergreen6
I'm not sure any of us know exactly what data elements are collected by OnStar and when. We also do not know exactly what data they may access at a point in time, versus record and warehouse over time.
They help locate stolen vehicle only for active subscribers with Stolen Vehicle Assistance. They may also attempt to locate a vehicle without a subscription when there is a warrant or court order to do so. So it is possible, however, they do not know the stolen/recovered status of a vehicle unless they have contact with law enforcement. You can tell them your vehicle is stolen, but until law enforcement confirms, they won't do anything. When they do, they only provide data and assistance to law enforcement.
Is it possible OnStar knows where all the stolen GM cars are? Maybe, but probably not. Thieves who play for keeps will disable tracking. GM isn't about to undermine their subscription model by giving this data out or assisting owners of stolen vehicles if they do have it. Pay to play.
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The main rub seems to be the impact on individuals insurance premiums by using gm collected data. I would think the insurance companies would also have a significant interest in the data available from stolen cars that they paid out claims for. Whether or not the owner subscribed to On-Star or not, if the data is available regarding a stolen car, it seems strange the insurance companies would pay for data collected on a car, yet not that interested in paying for data on stolen cars that they had insured. Maybe they have, but I would think they would push for greater use of that data in some form to mitigate claim losses. Just a thought.