Jay Yarow, CNBC executive, shared on social media the startling story of his old Tesla Model X, which was sold for parts in the USA and eventually contacted him from Ukraine.
However, if you are already thinking of a scenario similar to that of Super Car, we are sorry to disappoint you, because at the end of last year Jay traded his Tesla Model X for parts in the US.. The situation, like many others, happens, especially after you find yourself with a seriously damaged car and in fact our protagonist has now left his Tesla behind.
Except that a few months ago, the car reappeared online and started sending notifications to his smartphone. The Tesla app showed that the car was in southern Ukraine.pointed out the paths he took to get to Jay, and even pointed out that the new owners were listening to Drake’s songs through his Spotify account, which was still connected.
Here is an unusual situation. I had a Tesla, I smashed it, it was smashed. And now it is… in Ukraine? And someone out there is listening to Drake on my still logged in Spotify account. pic.twitter.com/ymW2psyvz6
— Jay Yarow (@jyarow) August 10, 2023
Where this story may make some of you smile, it actually raises a potentially serious issue, given that the credentials for accessing internet services remain embedded in the vehicle’s electronics and can be used by anyone who subsequently buys a vehicle from us.
A CNBC search of the incident revealed that after the car was listed for scrap, it was put up for online auctions by Copart. This site is known for buying and selling damaged Tesla vehicles from all over the United States. These are vehicles damaged before be declared by the insurance company as a “total loss” and potential new buyers are informed about the shortcomings associated with these vehicles.
In the USA, these cars cannot legally circulate, but in some other countries, including Ukraine, the restrictions are less strict, so Copart sells damaged vehicles in 11 countries excluding the US..
So, after the restoration of the Tesla Model X, which Jay Yarou gave for spare parts, someone from Ukraine bought a car at an auction that began contact Jay to say hello and tell him where he’s been.
At this point, it’s unclear how much was paid for this car, as neither the junkyard nor Copart have made any statements about it, but it’s funny that, at the end of this peculiar story, Tesla representatives provided instructions on how to unlink the car from the previous account.
This procedure may limit the ability of the new owner to use some of the applications integrated into the system, and importantly, it is not performed remotely by Tesla, leavingopen the door to potential privacy theft for all those owners who, unaware of this situation, will find themselves in the same situation as Jay.