Read that title again. *Five months* after returning rental car, man still has remote control. Anyone renting a late model vehicle or buying a used one with “smart” controls needs to be aware that the previous renter or owner could still have access to the vehicle’s systems. That access could allow someone other than the current owner/driver to “remotely start and stop the engine, lock and unlock the doors, and track the vehicle’s precise location”, all from his or her phone.
This is a huge safety issue. Imagine driving in heavy traffic on the interstate only to have some “joker” shut the engine off. Vehicle manufacturers need to make disconnecting previous users from these online systems easy and obvious.
It makes one (almost) long for the days of the simpler engines pictured.
Read the article at Ars Technica