TL;DR
Get home appliances delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Miles Labs is selling a $99 OBD-II device that pairs vehicle tracking, driving alerts, vehicle-health information and emergency and roadside assistance in one app. The reviewer found setup straightforward and some alerts worked during a short test, but long-term reliability, battery impact and the company’s privacy claims have not been independently established.
Miles Labs is selling the Miles Plug, a $99 device that connects to a car’s OBD-II port and pairs location tracking, driving alerts, vehicle-health information and emergency response with a paid membership. The product is aimed in part at families with teen drivers, and the company says it does not sell customers’ vehicle or location data; those service and privacy claims have not been independently verified in the report.
The small, screen-free device uses GPS and cellular connectivity to send information to an app. Listed features include real-time vehicle location, trip summaries, speeding and hard-braking alerts, accident response and roadside assistance. An in-app chatbot, Miles Mechanic, interprets dashboard warning lights and provides maintenance guidance and estimated repair costs.
The reported price is $99 for the Plug plus $180 for a year of membership, or $279 total. A three-year plan costs $396 with the device included, equivalent to $11 a month when averaged across the plan. The source says plans are paid upfront and do not auto-renew. Miles says the service works with most gas and hybrid vehicles made from 2008 onward and some electric vehicles; customers can check compatibility before buying.
In a short hands-on test in a 2014 Toyota Highlander, the reviewer said setup was straightforward and the app correctly identified the car. The app recorded trips and delivered home-arrival and departure alerts; it also flagged hard acceleration and braking. The reviewer had used the device for only a few days and had not yet tested it with a teen driver, so the account does not establish performance over longer periods or across different vehicles.
One Device, Several Car Services
Miles is pitching a single subscription as an alternative to assembling separate family-location, roadside-assistance and vehicle-monitoring services. That could appeal to households seeking visibility into a new driver’s trips, while giving drivers access to vehicle-health information. Whether the bundle is good value depends on which services a customer already has and what the membership actually provides in practice.
The product also places a sensitive set of information—where a vehicle travels and how it is driven—inside a startup’s app. That makes the company’s data practices and ability to keep operating central to the purchase, not secondary details. A device may stop being useful if its app or connected service is discontinued.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A Familiar OBD-II Approach
Miles plugs into the OBD-II port, a vehicle diagnostic connector. The company’s founders describe the product as a shared tool for parents and teens, with each driver able to use a separate profile. Cofounder Matt McGovren said the goal was to help families stay “on the same team” through shared trips and alerts rather than hidden monitoring.
The source report compares Miles with Automatic Pro, an earlier OBD-II device that offered mileage, location and crash monitoring. Automatic shut down its service in 2020, according to the report. Miles’ founders say charging membership fees upfront is intended to support the business, but a subscription does not by itself establish how long the service will last.
Privacy concerns around connected cars are also part of the pitch. The report cites automakers’ collection and sale of driving data, including General Motors’ five-year ban on selling data to brokers. That history helps explain the appeal of a privacy promise, but it does not independently confirm how Miles handles information.
“We built Miles to support teens and parents together, and keep them on the same team.”
— Miles cofounder Matt McGovren, in a press release
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Privacy and Battery Life Untested
The reviewer’s test lasted only a few days, so long-term reliability, the effect on the car battery and the accuracy of the driving or maintenance guidance remain unclear. McGovren said the device sleeps when the car is off and advised removing it if the vehicle will not be driven for a while, but the report did not include independent battery measurements.
Miles says it will not sell vehicle, trip or location data and says users can download data, stop location collection and delete their accounts. The company also describes some data as end-to-end encrypted. The source does not provide an outside privacy or security audit, detail how long information is retained, or establish how emergency response works in different situations. It also does not establish the startup’s long-term financial stability.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Longer Testing Will Matter
Customers can check vehicle compatibility and review the membership terms before purchasing. A fuller assessment would require testing the Plug over a longer period, including battery use, cellular coverage, alert accuracy and emergency assistance. The source report says the reviewer had not yet added her daughter to the app, leaving the family-profile experience untested.
Readers considering the product should compare its upfront membership cost with services they already use and review Miles’ data controls and deletion options. The report does not give a separate timetable for independent testing, company updates or further product developments.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What does the Miles Plug do?
It connects to a car’s OBD-II port and uses GPS and cellular connectivity to provide location, trip records, driving alerts and vehicle-health information through an app. Miles also lists emergency response, roadside assistance and an AI vehicle-help chatbot among its features.
How much does Miles cost?
The reported price is $99 for the device plus $180 for one year, or $279 total. A three-year plan costs $396 with the Plug included. The source says plans are paid upfront and do not auto-renew.
Does Miles sell users’ driving data?
Miles cofounder Matt McGovren says the company will not sell vehicle, trip or location data. That is the company’s stated policy; the source report does not describe an independent audit verifying it.
Which cars are compatible?
Miles says the device works with most gas and hybrid cars from 2008 onward, as well as some EVs. The company offers a compatibility checker, so buyers should check their vehicle before ordering.
Has the Plug’s effect on a car battery been tested?
Not over a long period in the reported review. McGovren said the device sleeps when the car is not driving or on, and recommended removing it before a long period without driving. Long-term battery impact remains untested in the source account.
Source: rss
Cold & flu season Picks
humidifiers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
