How a GPS device is installed and the true operational costs involved can make the difference between an asset that protects your inventory and a liability that drains your resources. While hardwired and OBD-II plug-in trackers are popular in the market, they carry hidden risks and substantial costs that can lead to voided warranties, vehicle electronics failures, service department bottlenecks, and ultimately, damaged customer relationships and CSI scores.
Is your current GPS solution inadvertently creating more problems than it solves? It's time to consider the significant advantages of a truly wireless approach.
Let's break down what hardwired and OBD-II GPS installation really costs your dealership.
Every hardwired or OBD-II GPS installation follows the same costly workflow:
Consider a dealership managing 300 tracked vehicles:
Hardwired and OBD-II GPS devices don't just cost you an average of$22k+ in initial installation expenses—they systematically undermine your dealership's financial health long after installation. These invasive systems create an ongoing drain on profitability through warranty denials, electrical repair costs, service department inefficiencies, and permanently damaged customer relationships. Every time a technician taps into a wiring harness or plugs into an OBD-II port, they're introducing serious risks to your bottom line:
Vehicle manufacturers often issue Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) warning against unauthorized modifications to wiring harnesses. Improperly installed hardwired devices can provide grounds for denying warranty claims on related electrical components, leaving the dealership or customer footing the bill for repairs. OEMs invest heavily in complex, integrated systems and are wary of aftermarket devices interfering with them.
Modern vehicles are packed with sensitive electronics governed by intricate networks. Tapping into wires or occupying the OBD-II port can introduce electrical noise and shorts, voltage fluctuations, or data conflicts. This can manifest as random warning lights illuminating on the dash, malfunctioning components, or even drivability issues - problems that can be frustratingly difficult (and costly) for your service department to diagnose and fix.
When electrical issues arise from a poorly installed tracker, the service department bears the brunt. Diagnosing problems caused by aftermarket devices takes valuable technician time, potentially delaying other customer work and increasing internal costs.
Imagine a customer experiencing flickering lights or strange electronic behavior weeks after purchasing a vehicle. If the issue is traced back to a dealer-installed tracker, their satisfaction plummets. This negatively impacts your CSI scores, hurts your dealership's reputation, and jeopardizes potential repeat business and referrals.
These risks are amplified significantly with Electric Vehicles (EVs). EV electrical systems are exceptionally complex and highly integrated. Their battery management systems, charging components, and control modules are finely tuned and often less tolerant of external electrical interference. Tapping into an EV's wiring harness is particularly risky, making non-invasive, wireless tracking solutions the only truly safe option for your electric inventory.
This is where RecovR's purpose-built wireless GPS solution shines. By completely eliminating any physical connection to the vehicle's electrical systems or OBD-II port, RecovR circumvents all the risks associated with invasive installations:
Interestingly, the non-invasive wireless design also enhances security. RecovR's small, self-contained units are significantly harder for thieves to find and remove compared to typical plug-in devices that are easily located and unplugged from the OBD-II port. The safe installation method doubles as a more secure approach to tracking.
The ease of removal for RecovR is also a significant operational advantage. Unlike hardwired units, often permanently left in vehicles sold to customers who don't buy the solution or heading to auction or wholesale, RecovR devices can be quickly retrieved and reassigned to new inventory, bringing your potential losses down to zero.
Imagine a car carrier arrives. Your check-in team processes the vehicles, and as part of that standard process, places an active RecovR device in each one. Instantly, every new asset is visible and protected on your platform. No scheduling headaches, no installation delays, no service bay backlog -- just seamless, immediate protection that integrates effortlessly into your existing workflow.
Choosing a GPS tracking solution involves more than just features; it requires considering the total impact on your vehicles, your operations, your customers, and your bottom line. Hardwired and OBD-II GPS devices, despite their prevalence, introduce unnecessary risks and costs that can drain your dealership's resources.
RecovR offers a modern, intelligent alternative. Its wireless, battery-powered design delivers reliable tracking and rapid theft recovery capabilities without compromising vehicle warranties, interfering with sensitive electronics, requiring costly technician time, or creating post-sale customer issues. It's the solution that protects your assets, your CSI scores, your service department's sanity, and your dealership's bottom line. Plus, with RecovR, you can leverage our suite of solutions to help you optimize your car dealership operations for smarter key management and robust ID fraud prevention.
As dealerships like Rohrman Automotive Group have noted when comparing solutions, the difference is clear. Why continue with a method that costs significant time and money, requires skilled technicians, and leaves assets vulnerable?
Make the switch to a risk-free, hassle-free, wireless GPS solution with RecovR for Cars. Your service department, your technicians, your customers, and your bottom line will thank you.
