Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 4, 2026

Lugnut ("we", "our", or "the app") is a car maintenance and recall-alert application for iOS. This policy describes what information the app handles and your choices.

Summary

• Your vehicle and service data is stored on your device by default.
• We do not sell your personal information.
• VIN decode and recall checks use NHTSA public APIs — we send only what's required for those lookups.
• Analytics are optional and can be turned off in Settings.

Information we collect

Information you provide

• Vehicle details (nickname, year, make, model, trim, VIN, license plate, mileage)
• Service records (dates, mileage, costs, notes, receipt photos)
• Recall alert history fetched for your vehicles

This data is stored locally on your iPhone using Apple's SwiftData framework unless you enable iCloud device backup (which follows Apple's backup policies).

Information sent to third parties

• NHTSA — When you decode a VIN or check recalls, the app sends the VIN or vehicle make/model/year to U.S. government APIs operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. See NHTSA's privacy policy.
• TelemetryDeck (optional) — If analytics are enabled, anonymous usage events (e.g. "service logged", "vehicle added") may be sent to TelemetryDeck. No VIN or license plate is included. You can opt out in Settings → Opt out of analytics.
• Apple — In-app purchases are processed by Apple. We do not receive your payment card details.

Information we do not collect

• No account or sign-in required
• No advertising identifiers for third-party ad networks
• No sale of VIN, plate, or service history to data brokers

Camera and photos

With your permission, Lugnut can access the camera to scan VIN barcodes and the photo library to attach receipt images to service records. Images stay on your device unless included in your iCloud backup.

Notifications

With your permission, Lugnut sends local notifications only — no push servers or APNs device tokens. Reminders may fire when a mileage-based service interval is within 500 miles, or when registration or insurance expiry is within 30 days. Pro users may also receive local alerts when background recall checks find new NHTSA campaigns (timing depends on iOS background refresh).

Children

Lugnut is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

Data retention and deletion

Delete the app to remove local data from your device. Uninstalling clears the on-device database. Data in iCloud backups is governed by Apple's backup retention.

Your choices

• Opt out of analytics in the app Settings
• Deny camera, photo, or notification permissions (features requiring them will be unavailable)
• Contact us to ask questions about this policy

Changes

We may update this policy as the app evolves. The "Last updated" date at the top will change when we do. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

Questions about privacy: [email protected]