At a Subaru dealership in New York, a technician thought he had outsmarted the technology. Unfortunately for him, an extra camera was keeping a close eye on things.
When a mechanic tries to hide something… and gets caught
On 31 December 2024, a customer dropped his car off at Curry Subaru’s workshop in Cortlandt Manor (a hamlet in New York State) for a simple service. Nothing very unusual. Except that an on-board camera reveals a scene that is as absurd as it is disturbing.
The footage shows a mechanic moving the car into the garage, performing a series of abrupt manoeuvres, before tackling a completely different problem: the vehicle’s surveillance camera. First, the man tries to disconnect it from the main unit. No luck, it’s still running. On his second attempt, the mechanic removed the camera’s USB access. He failed again.
Convinced that he had erased all traces of his act, the technician calmly returned to work. Unluckily, he ignores a crucial detail: a second camera, installed on the dashboard and connected to the OBD port, has filmed the entire scene. This camera captures everything, sound and image. You can even hear the mechanic mutter in frustration as he leaves the vehicle.
The video, posted on YouTube by the NewYorkDashCam channel, quickly attracted attention. The burning question is: why would this employee try to disable a camera?
Transparency or intrusion?
Some Internet users put forward the argument of privacy: an employee should not be filmed without his consent. They therefore believe that this act is legitimate and that the man was simply trying to protect his right to an image. Except that in New York, the regulations on capturing images inside private vehicles are vague. Taxis, on the other hand, are authorised to operate with on-board cameras.
Over and above the legal framework, this type of attitude fosters mistrust among all those in vehicles who, at one time or another, will have to entrust their precious car to professionals. What if it wasn’t a case of image protection? What was the mechanic trying to hide? Sloppy service? Irresponsible driving?
Many motorists are suspicious of car dealerships. It’s not up to us to judge the morality of such an act, but you should know that debates on the subject are quite heated. This kind of video is bound to inflame them once again.
Deactivating a camera is more than a simple gesture. It’s an involuntary declaration: “What I’m doing, I don’t want you to see”. For some workers, it’s an important act of protection. And for some customers, it’s yet another reason not to trust concessions. Everyone should choose their own comp!
I have a camera aas well. it was -40 outside and I wanted them to check/change the thermostat as I had no heat. They put the car inside where it was 70 above and left it for 5/6 hours. started the SUV and let it warm up. Of course there was heat. Told me nothing wrong, till I drove it 4/5 blocks and the engine temp when down to cold and no heat again? Had it all on camera. But still wanted to disagree with me. Told them I had it recorded, they hung up? 🙂 took it somewhere else. All was good after
I just use a piece of electrical tape over a suspected camera to stop possible unwanted surveillance.
I’m an American man. Tape fixes everything or it’s beyond repair.
Most of these cameras record audio. Without CONSENT, usually from one but sometimes more (potentially all) parties, recording of private conversations is highly illegal, regardless of topic.
Today’s dealerships are,,, in my opinion,,, are about making money!
Screw the customer, just take every cent they can.
I just ran into similar problem in Canada at a Ch****** dealership.
Can’t prove it,,, but I believe mechanic distroyed parts.
The parts less than 20,000 K but after he was done big rips in rubber boot.
Time to buy a Ford or GM