Cheap car stereo bought on Amazon came loaded with hidden spyware apps

A Honda Civic owner bought a low-cost touchscreen car stereo on Amazon and checked what software it carried. According to a Reddit post covered by The Drive, it came with a call recorder, Baidu location services and a hidden script that put unwanted apps back after they were deleted.

What was found

A head unit is the screen that replaces a car's factory radio. This one runs on Android, like a tablet. The owner reportedly used the AI tool Claude to dig through it, the way some people do with smart TVs.

• A call recorder.
• Baidu location services, an app tied to a Chinese tech company.
• A voice assistant that reportedly used about a third of the unit's processing power, even when idle.
• A script that reinstalled two Chinese music apps, QQMusic and Ximalaya, plus an app store, if they were removed.

The owner removed all of it and replaced it with software they control. The Reddit post explains how.

Why it matters

The concern is simple. A stereo that records calls and tracks location could expose both without you knowing. Vendors do not say what is inside these units. They are often sold under made-up, all-caps brand names, so even the seller may not know what is installed.

What to do

If you plan to buy a cheap head unit online, the steps in the alert box above cover what to check before and after you install it.

What is not known

The story does not name the brand or model. It also does not say whether any calls or location data were actually sent anywhere. This is one owner's report, not a test of every cheap unit. Anyone who already owns one can use the same checks.