Connected-vehicle evidence practice
Vehicle Forensics for National Civil and Criminal Matters
Forensic acquisition and analysis of infotainment, telematics, ECU and CAN bus data, dash cam recordings and Tesla vehicle logs for personal-injury, product-liability, criminal-defense and insurance matters.
The engagement
A vehicle is now a distributed evidence source
A modern vehicle records evidence across several distinct systems. Infotainment stores paired-phone data, contact and call history, navigation destinations, recent locations, Bluetooth device names and, on some platforms, message or notification artifacts. Telematics services can exchange driving events, location traces and vehicle-state records to and from the manufacturer's cloud. An event data recorder or another control module may retain limited pre-event or event data when its model-specific trigger and retention conditions are met. Dash cams and factory-integrated cameras hold their own recordings on internal storage or SD media.
The examination scopes what is present on the specific vehicle at issue, preserves each source with hash-verified imaging where the tool set supports it, and reconciles the vehicle-side record against the manufacturer's cloud record where the record allows. Reports are written for personal-injury, product-liability, criminal-defense and insurance matters, and the opinion distinguishes what the vehicle recorded from what the surrounding cloud recorded.
Potential sources include Ford SYNC generations, Stellantis Uconnect, GM Infotainment, Toyota Entune, Honda's HondaLink and Acura variants, Hyundai and Kia (Bluelink and UVO), Nissan, Volkswagen and Audi MMI, BMW iDrive, Mercedes-Benz MBUX, Tesla vehicle logs, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto sync-side artifacts, and factory and aftermarket dash cam systems on internal storage or SD media. Availability is confirmed for the exact make, model, year, firmware and retained state before acquisition.
Scope
Infotainment forensic acquisition
Supported acquisitions across Ford SYNC, Uconnect, GM, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Kia, Volkswagen and Audi MMI, BMW iDrive, Mercedes-Benz MBUX and Tesla infotainment where the tool set supports it. Coverage of navigation history, paired-device history, call and contact records, media, and application-layer artifacts.
Telematics and connected-services examination
Analysis of manufacturer telematics records (FordPass, Uconnect Access, OnStar, Toyota Connected Services, HondaLink, Bluelink and UVO, Tesla mobile) where the record supports it. Reconciliation of vehicle-side and cloud-side records.
ECU, EDR and CAN bus data
Event Data Recorder downloads under CDR-tool support (Bosch CDR and equivalents), ECU DTC and freeze-frame data, and CAN bus captures during targeted testing where the matter and safety posture support it.
Dash cam and factory-camera analysis
Factory dash cam and integrated-camera recordings, aftermarket dash cams (single, dual and multi-channel), SD-card imaging, container-integrity analysis and event-timeline reconciliation against telematics and infotainment records.
Tesla vehicle log analysis
Examination of available gateway or diagnostic logs, Sentry Mode and Dashcam media, Tesla mobile-app records and manufacturer-produced records. Potential fields such as state of charge, driver interaction or driver-assistance events are reported only when present and interpretable for the vehicle and period.
Product-liability, criminal-defense and personal-injury reporting
Reports scoped to the retaining side's questions, with the vehicle-side evidence stated in the units the matter needs (time, speed, brake state, steering angle, throttle percentage, location, connected-device identity).
Chain-of-custody and preservation programs
Field preservation of vehicles under counsel-approved conditions, storage protocols for post-collision vehicles, EDR-download consent handling and documented custody transfers.
Methodology
How a vehicle forensics matter runs
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Retention and vehicle intake
Retention letter, conflict check across OEMs and telematics providers, and a scope note stating which vehicle systems the examination will address and under what preservation conditions.
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Preservation and acquisition
Acquisition of supported infotainment sources with available integrity values recorded, EDR download under supported CDR procedures, SD-media imaging for dash cams and paired-device forensics where authorized.
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Reconciliation and analysis
Vehicle-side records reconciled against telematics-service subpoena returns and paired-device evidence. Time-zone conventions stated. Alternative explanations for a given event addressed on the record.
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Report and testimony
A written report and, where the matter reaches it, deposition and trial testimony bounded by the report.
Evidence commonly examined
Evidence reviewed
- Infotainment images from supported vehicles and their SD media
- Telematics-service subscriber records produced under subpoena
- EDR downloads under CDR tools and OEM procedures
- Dash cam SD media (factory and aftermarket) and internal-storage images
- Tesla vehicle logs, gateway logs and mobile-app records
- Paired-phone forensics from iOS and Android where authorized
- Court orders, protective orders and any vehicle-specific ESI protocols
What you can expect
What you receive
- Written report scoped to the retaining side's technical questions
- Event-timeline appendix reconciling vehicle, telematics and paired-device records
- EDR appendix stating tool version, retrieval method and validation
- Deposition and trial testimony bounded by the report
- Rebuttal declaration on an opposing vehicle expert's report where relevant
- Court-facing demonstratives sourced to the vehicle and cloud records
Frequently asked
Common questions
Which infotainment platforms are supported?
Ford SYNC generations, Fiat Chrysler Uconnect, GM Infotainment, Toyota Entune, Honda and Acura, Hyundai and Kia, Volkswagen and Audi MMI, BMW iDrive, Mercedes-Benz MBUX and Tesla infotainment where the tool set supports the specific model year and firmware. Support depends on model year and firmware and is confirmed against the specific vehicle before the engagement is accepted.
Can Tesla vehicle logs actually be preserved?
Potential sources depend on vehicle generation, software, condition and retention. Available gateway or diagnostic logs, Sentry Mode and Dashcam media, and mobile-app records can be preserved under a documented procedure. Manufacturer-held records require an authorized disclosure path directed by counsel or the account holder.
Do you work only for personal injury, or product liability and criminal too?
The technical scope can support personal-injury, product-liability, insurance or criminal-defense matters. A conflict check runs before the engagement is accepted.
How does infotainment data hold up on cross?
Infotainment evidence is grounded in vendor-documented artifact locations and tool-supported extraction. The report cites the tool version, the extraction method and the artifact source so a rebuttal examiner can reproduce the extraction.
Can an EDR download be run at a body shop or does it require the vehicle in a lab?
Where safety permits and the CDR tool set supports the specific vehicle, EDR download can be run on site under counsel-approved conditions. Where the vehicle is unsafe to power or where the specific model needs bench work, the vehicle or ECU is moved to a controlled setting.
Related capabilities
Related services
Talk with an examiner
Discuss the matter and the next step.
Call to discuss timing, scope and the safest way to share information. Do not send evidence or credentials by email.
24/7 hotline: 1-800-868-8189