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Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 6, 2026

Dummy Mechanic AI ("we", "our", or "us") operates the Dummy Mechanic AI mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we collect it, how we use it, and who we share it with when you use our App.

1. Information We Collect and How We Collect It

We collect the following information, which you provide directly through the App:

• Vehicle information — year, make, model, VIN, and mileage you type in or scan for diagnostics
• Diagnostic queries — the symptoms or problems you describe in your own words to receive AI-powered repair guidance, and any follow-up questions you ask
• Photos you choose to add — images of a problem area or of a VIN sticker that you capture with your camera or select from your photo library and attach to a diagnosis or VIN scan
• Saved vehicles and diagnostics — items you save to your garage. When you are signed out these are stored locally on your device; when you sign in they are also stored on our servers so they stay in sync across your sessions and devices
• Device information — basic device type and operating system, used for app performance purposes

2. How We Use Your Information

• To generate AI-powered vehicle diagnostic results, follow-up answers, and translations
• To extract a VIN from a photo you submit for scanning
• To check your vehicle for safety recalls, technical service bulletins, and common reported issues, and to generate plain-English summaries of them
• To show repair tutorial videos and community advice relevant to your diagnosis
• To find car repair shops and parts stores near you when you ask
• To save and sync your vehicles and diagnostic history on your device and, when you are signed in, on our servers
• To improve the accuracy and performance of the App

3. Data We Share With Third Parties

To provide its features, the App sends limited information to the third-party services below. We ask for your explicit permission inside the App before any data is sent to our AI service for the first time, and you can decline. We do not send your name, email, or account identity to any of these services — only the specific data described.

OpenAI (AI diagnosis & summaries)

• What we send: the vehicle details you enter (year, make, model), the problem description and follow-up questions you write, the text of saved diagnoses you ask to translate, any photo you attach (including VIN photos), and the recall, bulletin, and complaint details we look up for your vehicle.
• Who receives it & why: OpenAI, L.L.C., an AI provider in the United States, processes this data through its API solely to generate your diagnosis, follow-up answers, translations, and plain-English recall summaries, then returns them to the App.
• Protection: OpenAI does not use data submitted through its API to train its models. See OpenAI's Privacy Policy and OpenAI's API data usage policies.

NHTSA (safety recalls)

• What we send & why: your vehicle's VIN, or its year, make, and model, to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to retrieve official safety recalls, technical service bulletins, and owner complaints for your vehicle. See NHTSA's Privacy Policy.

OpenStreetMap / Overpass (nearby shops)

• What we send & why: your approximate location (latitude and longitude) to the OpenStreetMap Overpass service, only when you ask to find nearby repair shops or parts stores, so we can return places near you. See the OpenStreetMap Foundation Privacy Policy.

YouTube / Google (repair videos)

• What we send & why: a search phrase combining your vehicle and the diagnosed problem (for example, "2015 Honda Accord brake replacement") to the YouTube Data API, operated by Google, to find relevant repair tutorial videos. See Google's Privacy Policy.

Reddit (community advice)

• What we send & why: a search phrase combining your vehicle and the diagnosed problem to Reddit's public search feeds, to surface real-world advice and common reported issues from automotive communities. See Reddit's Privacy Policy.

4. Data Sharing and Consent

We do not sell, trade, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. Personal data is only shared with the service providers listed above as necessary to operate the App, and data is only shared with our AI service after you grant in-app consent. You can withdraw consent and permanently delete your account and all associated data at any time using Delete Account inside the App, or by deleting the App.

5. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. You can permanently delete your account and all associated data stored on our servers at any time directly inside the App using Delete Account (in your Garage settings); this action is immediate and cannot be undone. You may also request deletion of your data by contacting us. For step-by-step instructions and details on what is deleted, see Delete Your Account & Data.

6. Children's Privacy

The App is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

7. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data. To exercise these rights, contact us at the email below.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the date at the top of this page.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
[email protected]