MetaTrak Tracker Installation

What Is MetaTrak?

MetaTrak — also written Meta Trak, and frequently mistyped as Metatrack — is the vehicle tracking range from Meta System, an Italian automotive electronics manufacturer established in 1973. They’re not a tracking start-up: Meta System supplies telematics as original equipment to manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, SEAT, Skoda, Cupra and Yamaha, which is why the hardware is built to factory standards rather than aftermarket ones.

In the UK the range is Thatcham Research certified and monitored from an NSI-approved secure operating centre running 24 hours a day, with a direct line into police control rooms. If your vehicle moves without authorisation, that centre is alerted, calls you to confirm, and works with the police to recover it.

One genuinely useful design detail: MetaTrak units talk to each other wirelessly rather than being hardwired module to module, and the GPS doesn’t need a clear view of the sky. That gives us far more freedom in where we hide the unit — which matters, because a tracker a thief finds in ninety seconds isn’t a tracker.

The MetaTrak Range We Fit

We supply and fit four MetaTrak systems: the MetaTrak S5, the MetaTrak S7, the MetaTrak Deadlock and the MetaTrak Deadlock PRO. If you’ve been quoted an “S5 Plus” by someone else, the MetaTrak Deadlock is the equivalent system — Meta simply brand theirs the Deadlock rather than calling it an S5 Plus. Which one you need usually comes down to what your insurer has asked for and whether you want the vehicle immobilised as well as tracked. If you’re not sure, call us and read us the wording from your policy — we’ll tell you straight away which category it wants.

MetaTrak S5 VTS — Thatcham S5

The standard S5 system, supplied with two ADR driver recognition tags. The tag lives on your keyring; if the vehicle moves without one aboard, the monitoring centre knows immediately — even if the thief has your actual key. This is the tier most insurers specify on prestige and high-value cars. Immobilisation can be added as an option.

MetaTrak Deadlock — Thatcham S5 with immobilisation (the MetaTrak S5 Plus equivalent)

If another installer has quoted you an S5 Plus, this is MetaTrak’s version of it — a Thatcham S5 tracker with immobilisation, which Meta brand as DEADLOCK. Everything the MetaTrak S5 does, with DEADLOCK immobilisation built in. The vehicle immobilises itself automatically every single time you switch the ignition off, and won’t start again without an authorised tag present. You can also deadlock it remotely from the app. This is the one we point people towards when the car is a keyless-theft target.

MetaTrak Deadlock PRO — Thatcham S5

The Deadlock system with added OBD port protection. The OBD socket is how a lot of modern thefts actually happen — plug in, program a blank key, drive away. Deadlock PRO shuts that route down as well as the ignition.

MetaTrak S5 Deadlock E-TEC — Thatcham S5, for EVs and hybrids

The newest unit in the range, engineered specifically for electric and hybrid vehicles. It’s designed to avoid direct interference with the vehicle’s ECU, which is what causes warning lights and dashboard faults when the wrong tracker is fitted to an EV. If you drive electric or hybrid, this is the one to ask about.

MetaTrak S7 ATS — Thatcham S7

The standard insurance-approved tracking tier, without driver recognition tags. It detects unauthorised movement and is the sensible choice where your policy asks for tracking cover but doesn’t specify S5. There’s also an S7 Caravan version with movement detection built for touring caravans.

MetaTrak DEFCOM TRAK — motorcycles

Thatcham S7 tracking combined with a Category 2-1 alarm, built for bikes. See our motorcycle tracker page for how we approach bike security generally.

MetaTrak also make Shield, a self-monitored multi-vehicle tracker. It’s a useful thing to own, but it is not Thatcham approved and won’t satisfy an insurer who has asked for an approved device — worth knowing before you buy one online.

MetaTrak FAQs

Is MetaTrak Thatcham approved?

Yes — the S5 and S7 units in the range are Thatcham Research certified. The exception is Shield, MetaTrak’s self-monitored tracker, which is not approved and won’t meet an insurer’s requirement. Worth noting that Thatcham certification and insurer acceptance aren’t quite the same thing, so always tell your insurer exactly which category has been fitted.

What’s the difference between the S5 VTS and the S5 Deadlock?

Both are Thatcham S5 with driver recognition tags. The VTS tracks and alerts; the Deadlock also immobilises the vehicle automatically every time you switch off, so it won’t start again without a tag present. The VTS tells you the car is being stolen — the Deadlock stops it moving in the first place.

Is the MetaTrak Deadlock the same as an S5 Plus?

Effectively, yes. “S5 Plus” is the term the trade uses for a Thatcham S5 tracker that also immobilises the vehicle. MetaTrak don’t use that name — theirs is called the MetaTrak Deadlock, and the Deadlock PRO adds OBD port protection on top of it. So if you’ve been quoted an S5 Plus elsewhere, the MetaTrak Deadlock is the same class of system under a different brand name. Both are certified Thatcham Category S5.

Does MetaTrak work in Europe?

Yes — UK and European coverage is included as standard, so you’re covered if you take the car abroad.

Do I have to pay a subscription?

Yes. The subscription is what pays for the 24/7 monitoring centre, the police liaison and the SIM in the unit — without it you have a box in your car and nobody watching it, and you lose your insurance compliance. Your first subscription period is included when we fit it, and it renews annually after that. Call us for current pricing on the category you need.

Can I move it to my next car?

Any remaining subscription can be transferred to another vehicle through an approved installer, though there’s a removal and refitting charge for the work. It doesn’t transfer to a new owner if you sell the car with the tracker in it, so factor that in when you come to sell.

Is MetaTrak suitable for an electric or hybrid car?

Yes — the S5 Deadlock E-TEC is built specifically for EVs and hybrids and is designed to avoid direct ECU interference, which is what causes dashboard warning lights when an unsuitable tracker is fitted. Tell us your make and model and we’ll confirm what suits it.

Do you come to me?

Yes — we’re a mobile service based in Cheshunt, fitting at your home or workplace across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London. Your car stays with you throughout.