Industry briefing: GM pays $220 million over driver data sold to insurers, and NHTSA looks for ways to get more recalls repaired

GM settles over Smart Driver data for $220 million

General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to settle claims brought by the attorneys general of 35 states and the District of Columbia, the Michigan and Maryland attorneys general announced on October 29. The states said that from 2016 to 2024 GM enrolled millions of drivers in its Smart Driver program, collected location and driving data such as hard braking, hard acceleration, speeding and trip times, and sold it without clear consent to data brokers, who passed it to insurers. Some insurers used it to help set rates, in some cases raising premiums.

According to the states, most drivers were signed up at the dealership, sometimes by employees who accepted the terms for them, and the OnStar app told more than 370,000 drivers they were not enrolled when they were. GM ended Smart Driver in 2024. Under the settlement GM must get affirmative, express consent before it collects or shares driving and location data, limit the driving data it collects, run a data privacy program with internal and outside assessments, and train and oversee dealers so no one is enrolled without consent. A GM spokesperson told Engadget the deal covers a product the company ended in 2024.

What it means for owners: the Michigan attorney general says the settlement includes no payments to individual drivers; a separate nationwide class action seeking damages is still pending. Engadget notes that earlier in 2026 the FTC barred GM from sharing certain consumer data with third parties for five years. When you buy any car, read what connected services you are signing up for before you agree, and ask the dealer to show you how to turn them off. Badger works without an account, keeps your records on your phone and does not sell data.

NHTSA meets on how to get more recalls repaired

On Thursday, November 5, NHTSA holds a public meeting in Washington called Recalls Next: Technological Innovations and Safety Recalls. According to the agency’s Federal Register notice, it will review recall completion trends and look for better ways to reach owners, explain the risk and get cars repaired. Topics include owners of used cars, outdated owner addresses, digital messages, connected cars, mobile repair and over the air software updates. The meeting is in person only and will not be streamed or recorded, but anyone can send written comments to docket NHTSA-2026-2014 at regulations.gov until December 5, 2026.

What it means for owners: nothing changes yet. Two of the problems the notice names, used cars that changed hands and recall letters sent to old addresses, are exactly how owners miss a free repair. Do not wait for a letter: enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls a few times a year, especially after buying a used car. Our guide explains how to check any car for open recalls.