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Finding the best Turo car tracker for your car could not only give you peace of mind but also help you track down your car if you can’t get ahold of the guest. Having a car tracker has saved me so much time and given me peace of mind.
There are several Turo car trackers available from Bouncie, Vsyncs, Optimus, and Tile. Each of them has different pros and cons regarding subscriptions, visibility, and overall tracking. The Bouncie tracker is more popular, Vsyncs requires no subscription, Optimus is less visible, and Tile is the cheapest option.
We’ll cover some of the most common and, in my opinion, best Turo car trackers whether you have one car on Turo or an entire fleet. In addition, click here if you want to know more tips about being successful on Turo.
3 Different Types of Car Trackers
Before going over the list below, it’s important to know the different types of car trackers available for your Turo car or fleet. It’s also vital to know that Turo allows their hosts to install GPS trackers on vehicles.
1. OBD Port Car Tracker
Since 1996, every car (in the U.S.) has been required by law to have an OBD port. An OBD port is usually located right underneath your dashboard on the driver’s side. Unless you have a vintage or classic car listed on Turo, you should have a port.
These ports are used for emissions tests and to diagnose your car for any codes or problems by connecting to your car’s computer. Well, it can also be used for car trackers by simply plugging in a GPS tracker!
It sure is the easiest type of car tracker, but it’s not the perfect one.
2. Battery connected
Battery-connected car trackers provide the same data as the OBD car trackers but are instead connected to the battery terminals on your vehicle. Although it takes a few minutes to install compared to the OBD trackers, it is much less visible and less likely to be stolen by any sneaky car thief.
Most car thieves are aware of the OBD port in each car and may check it before stealing it. However, most hosts haven’t had a problem with their OBD port trackers and the same goes for me.
3. Bluetooth/Wireless
This is the newest and most unique form of a car tracker. Companies like Tile, Apple, and Samsung all have tracker devices you can buy for decent prices that don’t rely on your OBD port or battery connection to work.
One important note is that these Bluetooth/wireless trackers are not GPS, but instead Bluetooth. They rely on using the Bluetooth network of other people’s phones to track the device. It will help you find your vehicle, but won’t provide any statistics or real-time data about the driver’s driving habits.
Now you will know the differences between the trackers below!
The best Turo car trackers are:
Bouncie GPS Tracker
The Bouncie GPS car tracker is very popular among Turo hosts largely because of its ease of use and simple user interface. Bouncie, like many other car trackers we’ll go over below, is an OBD port tracker.
The Bouncie car tracker will provide in-depth data such as speed, address location, and any alerts for fast speeds, fast stops, tight turns, or possible impacts. In the unlikely event that your car is in a wreck, whether minor or major, Bouncie will send you a text message notifying you about the incident with the location.
One of my favorite but small features is when the car is returned, you can have it set up to notify you whenever it reaches your drop-off point. This a very handy feature if your schedule is busy!
Pros:
- Very easy to set up
- No battery needed
- Gives updated data every 15 seconds
- Very simple user interface
- Great safety messaging feature
- Reads engine codes
Cons
- Requires $8/month subscription
- Could easily be removed by renters
- Relies on the 3G network that is being shut down (they are working on a 4G device)
VYNCS GPS Tracker
Vyncs is another GPS tracker that is less popular than Bouncie. Vyncs, however, has been around since 2001 – more than 20 years already. This expertise has helped them release a tracker that can provide speed alerts, tight turn warnings, fast acceleration or deceleration,
Personally, I’ve used Vyncs longer than any other tracker for my Turo car and it hasn’t given me any problems. This car tracker allows you to view trips by day with any warnings based on the driver’s behavior.
The Vyncs, similar to the Bouncie, will show if there’s any engine light that’s popped up. For example, a guest called me one trip nervous that the check engine light came on. I merely hopped on the app and saw that it was a common code that was nothing to worry about.
Pros
- Relies on 4G network
- No monthly subscription
- Reads engine codes
Cons
- Could easily be removed by renters
- Updates every 1 minute or 3 minutes (depending on the version)
- The user interface is not as friendly
Brickhouse Security GPS Tracker
The Brickhouse Security GPS tracker is a battery terminal tracker from a company that’s been around since 2005. The subscription for this tracker will allow you to receive updates as quickly as every 5 seconds if you choose.
Brickhouse Security offers many other devices so they are a trusty brand. This GPS tracker also allows you to use Google maps to set up geofence areas to receive notifications when your vehicle enters or exits an area.
Overall, if you want a GPS tracker that is hidden from guests then this may be your best bet.
Pros
- Great bundle for multiple-car Turo fleets
- Not easy to remove as OBD trackers
- Low price
- Compatible with Google Maps
- Uses 4G network
Cons
- Longer install
- Subscription required
- 4G network limited to North America
Tile Pro
Viewing all of the data from every trip regarding speed, acceleration, and tight turns can cause more worry than needed. Several times I’ve seen guests go 90 mph+ from my tracking app but monitoring their driving habits unless they are dangerous, may not be fully necessary. That’s where the Tile Pro tracker comes in.
If all you are looking for is the location of your vehicle with no data on speed, engine codes, geofencing,
Pros:
- Cheaper than other trackers
- Doesn’t require a subscription
- Has a very large Bluetooth network
Cons:
- The battery may need to be replaced after a few months
- Doesn’t provide the vehicle or trip data
- Relies on other Tile users for updated location data
Are GPS Trackers Worth It?
In general, having a good Turo car tracker can help you identify your car’s location, engine codes, and driving behavior, or even find your vehicle if it is ever stolen. Guests may not always respond to your calls and messages, but using a tracker can let you know exactly where your vehicle is located.
It’s good to keep in mind that GPS trackers can often take a couple of days to start working fully and to configure, but they are an absolutely essential item to have if you have one or several cars on Turo.
