Which Cars in Australia Have a Built-In Dash Cam? The 2026 List

More new cars now come with some kind of camera recording built in. That sounds like good news, and often it is! The catch is that "built-in dash cam" can mean very different things from one brand to the next. Some cars record every drive. Some only watch the car while it is parked. Some need you to buy an app or a dealer accessory first. And some cars that have a dash cam overseas arrive in Australia with it switched off.

The short answer: Only a handful of cars sold in Australia record the road while you drive, straight from the factory. Tesla, XPeng, Polestar 4, Leapmotor, Deepal E07, Zeekr X and some Jaecoo and Omoda models do. Others, like the Zeekr 7X and BYD Sealion 8, have a Sentry Mode that only watches the car while it is parked. BMW and Mercedes-Benz sell paid add-ons. Toyota sells a genuine dealer-fitted camera. Most other brands, including Hyundai, Kia and most of the BYD range, have nothing that records at all.

We spec, supply and support dash cams, and we have written detailed guides for many of these cars. This page brings it all together in one place, with a link to our full guide where we have one. For the basics of keeping a car covered while parked, see our parking mode guide.

Dash cam, Sentry Mode or accessory: what is the difference?

Before the list, it helps to know what you are looking at. Carmakers use three quite different things, and they are often lumped together.

• A built-in dash cam (also called a driving recorder or DVR) records the road while you drive. This is the one that helps most after a crash, because most incidents happen on the road.
• Sentry Mode (or a parked surveillance mode) uses the car's cameras to watch the car while it is parked and locked. It saves a clip when it senses something suspicious. It does not record your drive.
• A genuine accessory or paid add-on is something you buy on top of the car, like a dealer-fitted camera or a software unlock. It is not standard, even if the brand name is on it.

A car can have one, two, all three or none of these. So when someone says their car "has a dash cam", it is worth asking which one they mean.

The list: which cars in Australia record, and when

This is based on each carmaker's Australian material where we could find it, plus Australian motoring press and owner reports where that is all there is. We have said which is which. Features change with trims, build dates and software updates, so always check your own car.

Pro Tip: Several of these cars need you to supply your own USB drive or memory card. No card, no footage. If your car has a built-in recorder, check today that a card or drive is actually fitted and recording.

Cars people think have one, but do not in Australia

These are the ones we get asked about most often.

• Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. These brands offer a factory "Built-in Cam" in Korea. We could not find it on any Australian model, including the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Ioniq 9, EV3, EV6, EV9 and GV60.
• Geely EX5. Overseas cars have a driving recorder and Sentry Mode. Australian cars arrived without them switched on, and Geely Australia's January 2026 software update added Android Auto and other features, but not those two.
• Most of the BYD range. Only the Atto 3 has a factory dash cam. The Dolphin, Seal, Sealion 6, Sealion 7 and Shark 6 have an empty camera housing.
• MG IM5 and IM6. UK owners report a factory front camera. MG Australia's material does not mention one, so we cannot confirm it here.
• Also no factory recording that we could find: Volvo EX30, EX40 and EX90, Polestar 2 and 3, MG4, MG S5, MG ZS Hybrid+, Smart, GWM and Haval, Nissan Ariya, Toyota bZ4X, Omoda E5 and Jaecoo J5.

What to check before you rely on a factory system

If your car does have something built in, these seven questions tell you how much it will actually help.

1. Does it record while you drive, or only while parked? Most useful evidence comes from the road.
2. Does it switch itself on? Some systems need you to turn them on every time you drive or park. The day you forget is the day you need it.
3. Front only, or all around? Many factory recorders only film the road ahead, which misses rear-end crashes and tailgaters.
4. Does it record continuously, or only save events? Some only keep a clip when the car detects a crash, so a near miss or a road rage incident may not be saved.
5. Is the resolution published? Many carmakers do not say. Parking cameras are built to help you park, not to read number plates.
6. Where does the footage go, and how do you get it out? A USB drive or card you can hand to an insurer is easiest. Footage locked inside the car's screen is harder.
7. Is it paid, or could an update change it? Some features are subscriptions or app purchases, and software updates can add, change or remove them.

Why a dedicated dash cam still earns its place

Built-in systems are getting better, and some of them do things a normal dash cam cannot, like 360° views and phone alerts through the carmaker's app. But most of them still fall short in at least one of the ways above.

A dedicated dash cam records every drive automatically, front and rear, at a resolution built for reading number plates. With a hardwire kit, its parking mode arms itself every time you switch off, and it protects the car's 12V battery with a cut-off. The footage sits on a memory card you control, and it works the same way no matter what the next software update does.

For many owners the best answer is both: keep the factory system for what it does well, and add a dash cam for everything it does not. Our dash cam buying guide is a good place to start, and for EVs, our guide on whether a dash cam will drain your EV battery answers the most common worry.

Built-in dash cam FAQs

Which cars in Australia have a built-in dash cam?

Cars that record the road straight from the factory include the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, the XPeng G6 (some trims) and X9, the Polestar 4, the Leapmotor C10 and B10, the Deepal E07, the Zeekr X and 009, the BYD Atto 3, and some Jaecoo J7, Jaecoo J8 and Omoda 9 trims. Features vary by trim and software version, so check your exact car.

Is Sentry Mode the same as a dash cam?

No. Sentry Mode watches the car while it is parked and saves clips when it senses something suspicious. A dash cam records the road while you drive. Some cars, like Tesla, have both. Others, like the Zeekr 7X and BYD Sealion 8, only have Sentry Mode, so nothing records while you are driving.

Can I add a dash cam to a car that already has one built in?

Yes. A dedicated dash cam works alongside the car's own system. Many owners keep the factory system for its 360° view or phone alerts and add a dash cam for front and rear recording on every drive and proper parking mode. Mount it so it does not block the car's own cameras behind the mirror.

Will a dash cam void my car's warranty?

Not on its own. Under Australian Consumer Law, a manufacturer cannot void your whole vehicle warranty simply because you fitted an accessory, though it can decline a claim for a fault the installation itself caused. A professionally installed dash cam using a fuse tap or a proper hardwire kit is the lowest-risk approach we recommend. If you want certainty for your car, ask the carmaker or your dealer in writing first.

Not sure what your car has?

Tell us your car, the year and the trim, and we will tell you what it records and whether a dash cam would add anything. If your car is not on this list, ask anyway, because we add to it as we check more cars. Reach out to Michael or Harrison through our contact page.

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