Is (value of) anti-theft device received in class action settlement taxable as income?

[johnsonr]

According to "Are legal settlements taxable?" at https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/legal-issues/legal-settlements-taxable/L..., "Legal settlements are often taxable".

As part of a class action settlement with a car company, I received an anti-theft device.

Is that considered taxable income?

[Opus 17]

I would say no, because:

Compensation for injury or property damage is not taxable unless the compensation is more than the cost of the injury or property.  I would say in this case that the car has lost a considerable amount of resale value (or was worth less than you paid) because of a defect in its design, and the value of the free antitheft device is far less than the lost value of the car, so the theft device is not taxable.