BMW to charge monthly subscription for...heated seats????

[SlugSlinger]

I wanted to add remote starting to my later model Chevy truck. I called the dealer and asked about the price. It was $350 to add the “system”. I queried what was the system? It was a software update and a new key fob.

I still don’t have remote start.

 

[Buddhaman]

What is the monthly fee? It might be worth it. A friend just got her Toyota stolen. (Apparently they are amond the easier to steal?)

A couple of weeks later the Lighthorse (tribal) police found it in the parking garage of the casino roller painted white and the underneath part of the dash as well as most of the rest of the car just torn completely up.

I know my friend would happily have retroactively paid for the tracking service when she saw that the vehicle was missing from her driveway.

That said, there are "monthly fee" tracking services that I could add to my cars very easily and, of course, ,I have not done so.

$8 a month or $80 a year. I could get an AirTag or other tracker for less.

 

[Fade2blue]

Just makes you wonder what the end game is. You know this is just a test and if successful they will keep pushing and roll out more "subscription based features" on their cars.

"Yes you bought the car but if you actually want to DRIVE IT that's $99 a month for us to unlock the starter"

You will own nothing and be happy

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Subscription and manufacturer specific warranties will be the wave of the future, with congressional help. For the past decade or so manufacturers have been trying to make it illegal for you to repair or modify your own vehicle, in part with help from the EPA. The last American Rescue Plan will make it mandatory for your car to have systems to monitor potential drunk driving and exhausted driving.

 

[ICanFixIt]

I plan to keep my 1963 Chevy pickup a LONG, LONG time. I can fix it if it breaks and it might even survive an EMP attack.

 

[Glock 40]

Here is another side to this nonsense. Subaru and Kia fighting right to repair remove features. Subaru buyers caught in right-to-repair fight over its cars in Massachusetts

 

[rlongnt]

Tesla has been doing this for a while.

 

[adamsredlines]

What options does Tesla charge a monthly subscription for?

 

[VarmintHunter59]

Several vehicle manufactures as well as Caterpillar and John Deere will one day charge for your vehicle computer updates. Most things pre 1996.

 

[joegrizzy]

Subscription and manufacturer specific warranties will be the wave of the future, with congressional help. For the past decade or so manufacturers have been trying to make it illegal for you to repair or modify your own vehicle, in part with help from the EPA. The last American Rescue Plan will make it mandatory for your car to have systems to monitor potential drunk driving and exhausted driving.

i've been thinking the big switch to EV's will run along with this. the first and most likely wear item to fail on a EV is the battery; and you can't really replace it yourself.

this means that used cars.....won't really be a thing. people will just buy a new one and scrap the old one. there won't be repairs.