A man is going viral on TikTok after sharing what he thought was a strange moment during a trip to his local O’Reilly Auto Parts.
Joe Hobbi (@gottaknowjoehobbi) says he stopped by the store to pick up a replacement blinker light. When an employee looked up his vehicle by license plate, Hobbi says the system returned more than just the car.
According to him, it also showed his personal details, including his name, address, and engine size.
“All that stuff,” Hobbi says. “I just thought it was a little weird.”
The clip has sparked questions about how much information auto parts stores have access to and whether that kind of lookup is typical. As of this writing, the video has nearly 2,000 views.
Why Are They Holding Onto His Personal Info?
It might feel strange, but what Hobbi ran into is actually pretty common.
Auto parts stores, including O’Reilly’s, are fairly open about the fact that they keep records tied to your car so they can pull up the right parts quickly. When an employee enters a license plate or VIN, the system can link that vehicle to past transactions or a customer profile. That’s how it can surface details like your name, address, phone number, and email addresses almost instantly.
The store’s privacy policy said it gathers customers’ data from previous visits, when you participate in promotional offers, or even sign up for an O’Reilly account job alert. In other words, if you’ve ever willingly given your information at checkout, signed up for a rewards program, or had a part looked up before, there’s a good chance it’s already in their system. Over time, that builds a record tied to both you and the vehicle.
Of course, O’Reilly isn’t keeping customers’ personal information for fun. Having it on file makes it easier to get the right part for your specific car without having to start from scratch every time. It also helps with returns and exchanges and tracking what you’ve already purchased from the store.
O’Reilly’s also says it uses that data to manage rewards programs or keep internal records to “make strategic decisions concerning our business operations.” In some cases, it can be used to flag fraud or prevent transaction issues.
That said, it’s not always obvious to customers how much is being stored until a moment like this. Seeing it all pop up at once can feel invasive, even if it’s part of how these systems are set up to work.
But while it might seem surprising, it’s generally standard practice. Doing so is less about keeping tabs on customers and more about making it easier to match people with the right parts and services.
Viewers Torn On Auto Shops Collecting Personal Data
Drivers who saw Hobbi’s video seemed split on whether the situation was helpful or unsettling, with some pointing out there’s a tradeoff built into how these systems work.
One commenter laid it out clearly, noting both sides.
“In [Texas], businesses have access to your state-level registration data. On the positive side, it allows you to walk in and give them your plate number, and they can verify the part is the correct one for your vehicle,” one viewer wrote. “On the negative side, it allows them access to your vehicle data without your consent. My understanding is, it’s not anything other than publicly available data, so I’m not terribly concerned about it.”
Others said none of this really surprised them, given how much personal information is already floating around online.
“I[n] today’s times, everyone’s information is out on the internet for anyone to see,” another person wrote. “There’s no getting around it.”
A few commenters took it a step further, leaning into broader concerns about data collection.
“[You] know those black cameras [you] see everywhere the government told you exactly what they were doing,” one man said.
Some viewers tried to piece together how a store would even have access to that kind of information in the first place.
“Probably got it from a source linked to a CarFax data source,” one TikTok user guessed. “CarFax receives information from dealerships, repair shops, vehicle inspections/emissions, [and] any participating entity.”
Others pointed out that it’s not limited to a single retailer and that similar systems exist across the industry.
“I got there and AutoZone, and they have all my vehicle info because I’m a rewards member,” one woman shared.
Motor1 has reached out to Hobbi via a direct message on TikTok and to O’Reilly Auto Parts via email. We’ll update this if we hear back.
@gottaknowjoehobbi O'reilly auto part and part of the government?
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