Most passenger cars today come with electronic black boxes that monitor and record data from various systems in the event of a crash, AutoWeek reports. However, it's a fact that's not exactly sitting well with some would-be buyers of brand new vehicles—especially in the case of one car in particular.

As a general rule, the electronic data recorder (EDR) boxes are meant for safety, not for violating privacy. "Wired into airbag sensors, yaw and stability sensors, anti-lock brake and traction controllers, electronic throttle controls and engine monitors, EDRs soon will collect a bewildering amount of data in keeping with pending federal regulations aimed at standardizing information available from the devices," the report said. "Those regulations, finalized earlier this year and set to go into effect Sept. 1, 2012 (on 2013-model-year vehicles), specify exactly how much and what types of information must be collected and saved electronically in the event of a crash or airbag deployment."

The report said that what had started as a simple tool for safety engineers is now a key component that "provides data to protect companies from safety-related lawsuits and to assist law-enforcement officials investigating car accidents." These boxes only begin working around the time a crash is either imminent or has already occurred.

One car in particular, the 2009 Nissan GT-R, takes it a step further, however. In addition to the EDR, it features a vehicle status data recorder (VSDR), a separate box that runs constantly, collecting information such as wheel and engine speed—this one can't be deactivated, the article said. It's meant for mechanics and engineers to monitor a car's various systems and use the data in the event of servicing, repairs, and warranty issues.

You probably see where this is going. That last bit, the "warranty issues," has a few owners already up in arms. Nothing is stopping Nissan from, say, voiding a car's warranty or refusing to pay for a repair, just because the system decided that some particular aspect of the way the car was driven wasn't to the company's liking. There's too much to report in one post, so check out the full article for more details.