Lane keep assist might simply be off for you. It was off for me when I got mine. There's a button in the lower left of the steering wheel that has a little graphic of a 4Runner departing a lane. Try pressing it a couple times and see what lights turn on and off in your dashboard. If the system is on, you'll see the same graphic light up in your dashboard. If you've never had that graphic in your dashboard all along, it was always off from the start.

The forward collision assist alerts very rarely for me, and I've had two false alarms (nobody in front of me) for the one time when things were getting a bit close but still under control (I was paying attention but three pairs of numbnuts were turning left at a no left turn sign which was there because it would result in people stopping on the railroad tracks like I did, they got honked at profusely).

I don't know anything about the 2020 4Runner system, but I do know several of the other ones I've seen do record, but locally. The Corvette even puts it on a SD card so you can access it easily.

I have a bit of experience with computer security and can tell you some scary things, I didn't enable my Toyota Sense because I knew things about it I didn't like. But NONE of the systems I've came across uploaded video, they just kept it locally.

Now, if you get into a wreck, can that video be legally obtained? Probably, just like the black box data containing telemetry. That doesn't bother me however as I don't drive like an idiot. I actually have my own dashcam setup (front and back) to capture those that do drive like idiots.

Which brings me to my last point. If you think you're NOT being video taped while driving because you don't have a camera in your car, you are increasingly wrong.

Points to take away:
1. In car telemetry and video tracking isn't a bad thing.
2. We need to start demanding gapped systems between car controls and over the air (OTA) system connections. I know it's nice being able to unlock or start your car with a phone app, but you'd really be surprised how easily that can be abused.

How is a camera in your car any different than a camera in the car behind you. Or cameras on the sides of buildings or in the street. Or on your phone in your pocket.

How did the line get drawn with the dash cam?

Just a quick note on the corvette. That system is designed for you to be able to record laps when you’re on a track. I think others use it occasionally to watch what valets are doing with the car, but the purpose has never been part of a safety system like the Suburu or the T4R. I think it’s an option on the ‘vette as well, and you have to activate it/turn it on.

They’re very different systems

Valid point. The Camera's on the buildings are not following me. I do realize more and more people are installing them in their car for various reasons. I would not mind installing one myself that is I own and only I have access to.

The one in the vette is awesome. My friend turns his on (Z06) when he is at the track

And that's the issue in a nutshell. The camera is in your car, yet you can't see the data. You can go to the dealer and have them delete it and that's about it.

The car has its own data connection; is the video data being sent somewhere without your knowledge or consent? We already know the location, speed, steering, braking, gas mileage etc. is being sent.

Well this thread is entertaining. You do realize how much data a camera uses to record and then that would have to be uploaded to Toyota right? There is no chance they are paying for tens of thousands of vehicles to send video to their servers. Should of just bought a used one if you were concerned about all these features. I'd be more concerned about the cell phone you carry around with you...

I was waiting for someone to make this argument

If real time driving video was being uploaded to Toyota's servers, it would only logically be doing so for as long as you're paying for it. It would take so much cellular data to do it that there's no way Toyota would do it for free. They're only going to be getting so much money out of you to do it when you buy the 4Runner, even if it's a "free" service.

Aggregated or semiaggregated driving data may be another story. The sort of data that might be sent to insurance companies and whatnot. Toyota might make enough money selling that to cover the bandwidth indefinitely because it would be much less data and they could probably get away with polling it on a weekly or monthly basis, but it's still a drop in the bucket compared to uploading video.

The cameras and other sensors are just for the basic functions of the TSS. They're just the eyes. You don't remember everything you see with your eyes, but as long as you're paying attention your eyes influence how you interact with the world. This is what computers are good at. All they do is pay attention.

You anti-safety features people are ridiculous. Ill trade you my 2019 if you don’t want any of those features.

Do you think that someone who gets in a crash starts their car and thinks “guess ill go crash into some people and things today?” Nope, they are just as arrogant as you, thinking that they are immune to an accident because of their “superior” driving abilities. You don’t control what goes on in the environment around you. Safety features are good regardless of how great you think you are. If they are never needed, great, if there save you or someone else’s life, that’s also great.

I’ve personally had someone run out in front of me while driving my girlfriends Subaru that has all the “nannies” and it applied the brakes and stopped the car before I even had a chance. And if we are gonna be arrogant about our abilities, I have never been in an accident and fly a $50 million fighter for my day job so I’d say I have pretty good decision making, reflexes, and SA of what’s going on around me at any given time. That didn’t stop someone from darting out in front of me.

And I am tired of people like you that try to force this shit on me when I dont want it. It should be an option like Subaru offers. I pay attention, I dont **** with my phone when driving. I dont give a shit what you fly, I will buy what I want, not what you think I should have. Are you one of those people who tell me how much ammo and what kind of guns I should have? Probably.

Ypur right about the cell phone. I do not download any app because it wants access to contacts and pictures. I cannot avoid everything today, it is impossible. Toyota themselves stated that they collect, research and share the data. How they uploading it ? Who knows. maybe when it goes into service? Random? I dont know.

Would you be okay with your jet having nannies that get in your way the majority of the time?

Lol. Hey, I said you could trade for my 19. No one can track you to your bunker in it. People have been crashing things long before the cell phone existed. Clearly you won’t though because you didn’t notice the big ole camera on the windshield.

I live in the free states. Get out of NY (And the west coast) and you can have as much ammo and guns as you want.

You signed paperwork for this...


Separate from the event data recorder (EDR), which records and stores data from qualifying vehicle crash events, the Vehicle Control History (VCH) on Toyota vehicles records and stores certain vehicle data based on select driver inputs, such as hard acceleration or braking, or upon the activation of certain vehicle dynamic control systems such as antilock braking system (ABS), traction control (TRAC), vehicle stability control (VSC), and the pre-collision system (PCS). In the United States, VCH was first equipped on the 2013 Toyota RAV4 and has been subsequently introduced into other Toyota and Lexus models. Most recently, in addition to VCH data, additional PCS operational data (PCS-O) and image data (PCS-I) may be recorded and stored. The image storage capability may record under certain conditions such as if the system has automatically applied the vehicle brakes. PCS-O and PCS-I data became available with the launch of Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), a grouping of advanced active safety features equipped on many Toyota vehicles generally available in 2017. Multiple dynamic tests with a 2017 Toyota Corolla were performed that caused the VCH, PCS-O, and PCS-I data to record. Both sets of data were then compared to the test driving sequences. The testing, data, and analysis is presented to illustrate the usefulness of the data in understanding and analyzing certain real-world dynamic events.