Modem/Telematics in Sport Trim - Is it actually there?

[Dtox]

I've been doing a lot of research on telematics and it appears the Sport does NOT have a modem/telematics. If true, this would make it the ONLY known vehicle that still does not have one in 2026. HOWEVER....

Even though the connectivity page on Nissan's website indicates the Sport has none of the features associated with a telematics unit (i.e. unable to download updates), for some reason, Google Gemini absolutely insists the Sport has the physical modem, but it is just turned off from the factory.

Has anyone independently verified with their own eyes (or at least own hands) that it is or isn't there?

Aside from privacy, there's a security aspect that makes this appeal to me. Also, I don't like the idea of a lithium battery pack living deep inside my dash over the long term. Point is, if I don't get any of the benefits of the unit, I certainly don't want any of the risks. Anyone know for SURE if the Sport is free of the modem? It's a real pain to get rid of it if it's indeed in there.

Lithium battery pack removed from telematics by forum member Citrus. More info can be found in this thread:
https://www.nissanzclub.com/forum/t...you-are-and-all-other-usery-information.1620/

 

[jacksonmagnet]

Just posted in another thread about this, I have a 26 sport, dont see options for it on infotainment settings or info section.

 

[MattJ2020]

The what now?

 

[Dtox]

The what now?

The Telematics unit is a little box, smaller than a CD player, that every auto manufacturer has installed in their vehicles for the past decade or so. Some even longer, like OnStar. It's like a computer modem which connects your home computer to the internet, except it uses a cellular signal instead of cable or fiber to connect your car to the internet.

Here's some highlights off the top of my head. I'm leaving out a bunch but you'll get the picture:

From the consumer perspective, it allows your vehicle to receive automatic software updates from the manufacturer. It can generate a WiFi hotspot for you, it can let you press an SOS button to have you vehicle call emergency services, and if your vehicle is stolen, the police can use it to track it down.

From a dealer perspective, they can use it to send you alerts that certain services are due on your car: "Time to change your battery". Anything the vehicle's computer can see, THEY can see. If they need to repo your car, it's another way for them to know where to find it. Not sure if they have the authority to use it to disable the vehicle in a repo situation, but the capability is there.

From a manufacturer perspective, it allows them to track all of your driving data and sell it to Lexis Nexis who, in turn, sells it to insurance companies who can use it to raise your rates based on your driving habits or even deny claims. This tracking can be turned off through the menu or app, but it will cause a warning message to pop up every time you start your vehicle.
plus, if it can be turned off remotely, it can be turned back on remotely as well.

From the government's perspective, telematics serves link to allow them to do all kinds of fun big-brother stuff: From the government mandated kill switch to spying. You name it. Even if your car doesn't have a driver-facing camera yet, it already has a microphone. Never forget that.

From a hacker's perspective, it turns your car into a target. A "hacker" could be a dude in a basement all the way to a foreign government. Whether they single you out, or use the power of AI to crack the network code and brick all vehicles simultaneously, the sky is the limit. If your vehicle as safety features like lane assist or automatic breaking, I'm sure those could be controlled as well. If your car has cameras (interior or exterior) I'm sure those could be watched, too. With the speed and power of AI to write and crack code, anything is possible (or soon will be).

Honorable mention to the lithium battery pack stored inside the telematics unit. Those are just ticking time bombs. Now, imagine in the future when these cars are 10 or 20 years old parked outside in the summer heat. Maybe they will be just fine. Time will tell.

These reasons are why a lot of us don't want one in our vehicles. Some are easier to remove than others. Some can't be removed because they are so tightly integrated into the vehicle's systems that it will throw codes and/or disable your bluetooth, front speakers, etc.

The fascinating thing is, the Nissan Z Sport may be the very LAST vehicle that doesn't ship with one from the factory.

Here's a thread featuring Z drivers trying to get rid of theirs: https://www.nissanzclub.com/forum/t...you-are-and-all-other-usery-information.1620/

 

[sarge]

I have a 24 Sport and don’t have any telemetric stuff on mine either. I went thru to turn them off using info from the forums here and couldn’t find any.