Wire thingie under dash?

[XpumpX]

Anybody know what this thing is? It has a fuse in it. 2021 RAM Laramie HK crew cab. It's just under the leftmost side of the dash, above the driver's left knee. I was fishing around and it fell down. It has about 8 inches of wire that allows it to hang below the dash panel. Thanks!

 

[John Kloehr]

Why would a dealer install a tracker on a new car? What exactly are they tracking?

I have heard several things:
* To recover their inventory on the lot or stolen under the guise of a test drive
* As part of a dealer-installed "security" package, often including etching the VIN into the various pieces of glass
*To recover the car if the buyer defaults on a loan
Can't speak for the truth of these, have heard these justifications.

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

Why would a dealer install a tracker on a new car? What exactly are they tracking?

I've heard 3 things,

Stolen vehicles on the lot

Package they try to sell for security

Lending institutions keeping track for when missed payments happen...

 

[XpumpX]

View attachment 206544

2 questions for the OP...

1-did you buy the truck new or used?

2-what model Tag do you have on in the pic?

Bought used, last October. Watch is just a galaxy watch with an aftermarket band, lol

 

[Brutal_HO]

I have heard several things:
* To recover their inventory on the lot or stolen under the guise of a test drive
* As part of a dealer-installed "security" package, often including etching the VIN into the various pieces of glass
*To recover the car if the buyer defaults on a loan
Can't speak for the truth of these, have heard these justifications.

I've heard 3 things,

Stolen vehicles on the lot

Package they try to sell for security

Lending institutions keeping track for when missed payments happen...

Pretty much this.

The suppliers of the devices often install them for free and the dealers just pay a small fee for the lot inventory tracking. They then try to sell them to unsuspecting buyers as said security or even sneak them into finance docs. They don't generally uninstall them due to labor costs. I caught our Kia dealer's finance guy trying to pull that sh*t with my wife's car and read him the riot act. At least they didn't hack any wires and it was installed directly (fused) off the battery under the hood.