Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

Removing the Modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 Hybrid

May 13th, 2026 | 14 minute read

Modern cars are computers on wheels - they have more sensors than you can count and are constantly phoning home with telemetry data like your location, speed, fuel levels, sudden accelerations/decelerations, video footage, driver attention data from eye monitoring systems, and hundreds of other data points. Cars have inward- and outward-facing cameras. They have microphones. They have always-on modems. It’s all enabled by default with difficult or meaningless opt-outs, and your data is monetized through brokers like LexisNexis or Verisk. This all brings a host of security and privacy issues - here are some over the years:

• In 2025 Subaru had vulnerabilities allowing anyone to remotely unlock customers’ cars, as well as access the real-time GPS location and location history of the car.
• Car manufacturers share your driving data with insurance companies, which then increase your premiums.
• In 2023 Tesla employees internally shared camera footage of naked customers and other sensitive images.
• In 2015 Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek famously took over a Jeep Cherokee with full control of the ignition, brakes, locks, steering, etc.
• Mozilla detailed how 25 car manufacturers scored abysmally on privacy and how they collect data including “sexual activity, immigration status, race, facial expressions, weight and genetic information.” They sell this data to third parties and use it to build profiles about you covering “intelligence, abilities, characteristics, preferences, and more.”
• Tesla had a vulnerability in 2017 that allowed anyone to remotely see your car’s location, manage other features, and even summon the car to themselves.
• The Car That Watches You Back details how cars are now serving you ads, as well as collecting vast amounts of data about you.

Now that we’re sufficiently motivated, what can we do about it? In this blog post, rather than relying on companies’ promises or meaningless opt-outs, we’re going to stop the data at the source by physically removing the modem (the DCM, or Data Communication Module) as well as the built-in GPS on my 2024 RAV4 Hybrid, so the car will no longer have the capability to send any telemetry data back home.

Will the car still be functional?

Yes. Depending on how different car manufacturers have wired their cars, how their software and firmware were written, etc., varying levels of functionality might be affected by removing the modem and GPS. For this car:

• Everything that relies on a data connection will no longer work. This includes things like over-the-air updates as well as Toyota cloud-based services and SOS functionality.
• This is a safety tradeoff - you’re disabling automatic crash notification and emergency calling.
• The car’s microphone is wired through the DCM, and in the absence of any other changes removing the DCM means the in-car microphone won’t work. However we’ll install a DCM Bypass Kit to restore all functionality and have a working microphone.
• CarPlay has a quirk: the phone uses its own GPS but also accepts a location signal from the car’s GPS unit. After removing the DCM, the car would get confused about its location. To work around this we’ll fully disconnect the car’s GPS.
• Removing the DCM and GPS may void parts of your warranty. Thanks to the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act, it cannot void the whole car warranty, only coverage related to the specific work you did.

No more Bluetooth

Important: Even after the modem is removed, if you connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth then the car will use your phone as an internet connection and send all the same telemetry data back to Toyota. However, if you use a wired USB connection then it does not do that, so I exclusively use CarPlay via USB.

Tools/parts needed

For this project you’ll need:

• A trim removal kit
• A ratchet, extension, 10mm socket, and 8mm socket
• A precision flathead screwdriver
• A Telematics DCM Bypass Kit

Removing the car modem

1. Push down on the leather of your shifter and remove the pin.
2. Remove the shifter top.
3. Use the trim tool to pop out the base of the shifter.
4. Use your hands to pop out the next panel.
5. Remove three 10mm bolts.
6. Pull on the light gray trim piece until it disconnects.
7. Pull the radio out, disconnect the plug, and put the radio aside.
8. Pull the next panel (the seat warming controls) out.
9. Take a photo of all the wiring connections, unplug all the wires.
10. You now have access to the DCM.
11. Removing the DCM requires maneuvering; there are two 8mm bolts on the right and one 8mm bolt on the left.