Goodbye to subscriptions in your car – New York seeks to ban monthly payments for features already installed
New York wants to put an end to subscriptions inside the car, and the thing is that, even if it sounds strange to you, many brands are charging to activate things that the vehicle comes with from the factory (and that you might not even want).
We are already subscribed to everything, series, music, supermarkets… and now also, of course, cars. Brands have found a way to charge every month for functions that are already installed in the vehicle. Basically, you buy a fully equipped car and then they tell you that if you want to use the heated seat you have to pay a monthly or yearly extra.
Well, New York has said enough, the state Senate has just approved a law to stop this and has prohibited manufacturers from producing cars with subscriptions to activate. No heated seats, no remote start, no safety systems.
Some brands decided that some safety functions would be paid, for example the automatic crash notification system (ACN) that alerts emergency services automatically if you have a crash, something so important and that could save so many lives… paid… what a nerve!!!
“We have a technology that can save lives, but they want to charge for it.” Don Fountain (lawyer specialized in product defects)
Senator Skoufis is the one who has decided to put an end to this practice, because he believes that brands have already crossed a very clear line.
“If the manufacturer installs something in the car, a subscription has never had to be paid to use it.”
And paying a fee for something your car comes with (for which you have surely already paid a large amount of money…) is not fair for anyone.
The law has already passed through both state chambers and only needs the governor, Kathy Hochul, to sign it. If that happens, automakers could face fines for charging for services based on already installed hardware.
Of course, the industry wants to defend its position, and they say it is not a scam, but for customers to pay for what they need (soon we will have to pay to be able to plug in the power outlet…)
“If we add equipment, there are two options: we raise the price of the car for everyone or we let the customer activate the function whenever they want” Mohawk Chevrolet.
(How about offering the price inside the car because the car is already expensive enough to pay extras?) According to him, the software, the updates and all the maintenance behind those functions cost money, and that is why they turn it into a service. Sure… even though the seat is there, warm and ready to work from day one.
If New York approves the law, it could be the beginning of a national change. And watch out, because this directly affects the plans of other giants who have already been heavily criticized for wanting to charge for similar systems, and is it that everything costs money? And above all, in this market is everything allowed?
“The moment they try to stick safety stuff behind a paywall? Nope. Nobody should be ‘unlocking’ airbags like it’s DLC. If carmakers really want to play that game, the easiest fix is for people to stop buying their cars. Nothing wakes a company up faster than a parking lot full of brand-new models nobody wants” said a user.
If the law goes forward, New York will be the first state to put a serious stop to this business model and some will have to rethink their business model.
Do we really have to pay a subscription for something that is already inside the car?
© 2025 Unión Rayo
© 2025 Unión Rayo

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