How to Check Your Car for a GPS Tracker

Surveilex Guides · Updated October 2026

Small GPS trackers are cheap and easy to hide, often stuck to a car with a magnet. Here is how to check your vehicle thoroughly.

Where trackers are usually hidden

• Wheel wells and behind the bumpers
• Underneath the car, on the frame, often held by a magnet
• The OBD-II port under the dashboard, where plug-in trackers draw power
• Under the seats and in seat-back pockets
• In the trunk, under the spare tire and in the glovebox

1. Do a visual check

Use a flashlight to look in each of the spots above. Trackers are usually small black boxes, about the size of a deck of cards or smaller. Check the OBD-II port under the steering column for any plug-in device you don't recognize.

2. Use the magnetic probe

Most hidden trackers are attached with strong magnets. On the K19+, press and hold GS and turn the knob down until all bars disappear. Hold the magnetic probe within about 8 inches (20 cm) of the surface and move it in a slow grid over the wheel wells, bumpers, underside, trunk and under the seats. The alarm sounds at level 3 and above.

Your car has metal and magnets of its own, so focus on readings that are strong at one small spot rather than across a whole panel.

3. Scan for transmitting trackers

Active GPS trackers report their location over the cellular network. Switch off your phone, attach the antenna, set sensitivity to level 1 and scan around the car. Many trackers only transmit every few minutes, so keep scanning for 5 to 10 minutes, or drive briefly and scan again, since some trackers send updates when the car moves.

4. If you find a tracker

• Photograph it where you found it before removing anything.
• If you feel unsafe or believe you are being stalked, contact local police first. Removing the device can alert whoever placed it.
• If the car is leased, financed or a company vehicle, check whether the owner installed a tracker legitimately.

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