Drivers are most likely to object when a recurring fee appears to unlock hardware already installed in a car. They are more open to paying for services that deliver ongoing value—such as connected navigation, security features, or software capabilities—especially when the fee is optional and the terms are clear. “In-car subscription” covers all of these arrangements, but they are not equally useful or equally easy to justify.
Why in-car subscriptions trigger backlash
The central dispute is about what the customer believes they have already bought. If a vehicle contains heated seats but access requires an ongoing payment, the fee can feel like a charge for permission to use existing equipment. A connected service is different: it may depend on cellular connectivity, cloud systems, or continuing software support. Those costs do not automatically make a subscription worthwhile, but they give the recurring charge a clearer rationale.
Automakers also have an incentive to develop digital revenue after a vehicle sale. S&P Global Mobility’s July 2023 report describes automakers including General Motors and BMW expanding subscription efforts. It also notes the tension: companies may seek usage data and a more integrated digital experience, while customers may see duplication, loss of choice, or a service that does not merit another bill. S&P analyst Yanina Mills put the risk simply: “When everything becomes a subscription, it becomes overkill.” S&P Global Mobility’s report
What the consumer evidence says
The available surveys do not produce one universal measure of backlash. They asked different questions of different groups, and the findings should be read with those limits in mind.
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| Finding | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 30% | In S&P Global Mobility’s 2023 survey, respondents willing to pay a monthly subscription for heated seats or a heated steering wheel. The report says comfort features with lower perceived value—particularly features long associated with upper trims—were less attractive as subscriptions. |
| 82% | Among roughly 4,500 S&P survey respondents who had experienced a free trial or subscription on a model-year 2016-or-newer vehicle, the share who said they would definitely or probably consider subscriptions with a future new-vehicle purchase. This is a previously exposed subgroup, not all car buyers. |
| 89% | S&P reported this satisfaction level for paid safety upgrades such as high-beam assist and driving-video recording. It is a satisfaction measure, not a willingness-to-subscribe figure for comfort features. |
| 89% and 85% | S&P reported that 89% of current connected-service subscribers resubscribe and 85% of respondents would recommend their connected service to a friend. These figures concern the report’s connected-service populations and questions, not all drivers. |
| 28% | S&P respondents who either did not know connected services were available or said a dealer had not offered or mentioned them. |
Together, these results suggest that experience and the feature itself matter. Prior exposure may make a buyer more receptive to services, while a feature perceived as already paid for—or one that is rarely used—can be a harder sell. The figures do not establish that most drivers want every service to be subscription-based. S&P Global Mobility, July 2023
Phone integration, data and the value test
When a phone is already a substitute
Built-in navigation and infotainment face a straightforward comparison: many drivers already rely on phone apps. In McKinsey’s online Mobility Consumer Pulse Survey, fielded in December 2022 with 30,978 participants across 15 markets, 85% of surveyed owners who had Apple CarPlay or a similar service preferred it to the automaker’s built-in system. That result is about owners with access to such a service, not every vehicle owner. It helps explain why a driver may resist paying for an automaker’s version of something a phone already does. McKinsey’s survey discussion
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Data sharing needs a clear exchange
A connected feature may collect vehicle or usage data, so customers can reasonably ask what they receive in return. In S&P’s 2023 survey, 37% of respondents worried about security issues, while 32% did not understand the value a connected service would provide from shared data. These are distinct concerns: one is about risk, the other about an unclear benefit. S&P Global Mobility
McKinsey’s 2022 survey also found that 43% of EV buyers preferred subscription flexibility for in-car connectivity services: 24% favored monthly fees and 19% were willing to commit annually for a small discount. This indicates a preference among surveyed EV buyers for flexible payment structures; it is not evidence that all buyers want subscriptions, or that they prefer them for hardware access. McKinsey
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BMW’s heated-seat example—and its limits
BMW’s heated-seat proposal became a shorthand for the controversy because it seemed to charge for access to installed hardware. But the arrangement was not the same in every market. Cars.com reported that BMW said heated seats specified by US customers would remain operational for the life of the vehicle, while describing a separate paid-access offer in the UK. Cars.com also reported that BMW withdrew an earlier annual fee for Apple CarPlay after customer backlash. Those accounts describe market-specific policies and historical events, not a single global BMW rule or current price list. Cars.com’s account
In 2026, TechRadar reported BMW head of product communications Alexandra Landers describing heated-seat and steering-wheel subscriptions as “probably not the best way to start with it.” The report said BMW continued to consider fees for digital functions, including driver-assistance and camera features on future vehicles. This is secondary reporting of BMW’s position, not a current eligibility or pricing guide for a particular car. TechRadar’s 2026 report
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Why automakers may keep pursuing subscriptions
Automakers can use subscriptions to offer features after purchase, make some capabilities optional, or deliver services that rely on continuing connectivity and software. S&P’s account of GM’s proposed native infotainment direction described removing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto interfaces from that system. GM cited reducing complexity and duplication; the change could also give the company access to usage data that it cannot obtain in the same way when drivers connect through third-party apps, S&P reported. The trade-off is a potential customer-satisfaction risk if drivers lose an interface they prefer. S&P connected-car services research lead Fanni Li said: “GM cannot get consumers’ usage data from the infotainment system if users only connect via third party apps like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.” S&P Global Mobility
Connected services can also perform well with customers who have tried them. S&P’s reported renewal and recommendation results point to a distinction between opposition to a subscription model in principle and satisfaction with a service that a customer finds useful. The same report quotes Mills: “Consumers are welcoming to the idea of subscriptions, because it gives them exposure to features or technology that they may not have had in the past.” That openness is conditional on the offer, not blanket approval of recurring fees.
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How to judge a specific in-car subscription
Before accepting a trial or paying to unlock a feature, compare the offer on its own terms. Eligibility, price, renewal and cancellation rules vary by market, vehicle and model year; historical reported prices are not current quotes.
- Identify what the fee unlocks. Is it access to installed hardware, an ongoing connected service, or software such as a driver-assistance capability? A recurring fee is easier to evaluate when the service genuinely requires ongoing delivery.
- Check for a substitute. A phone may already provide navigation or media functions. Compare the automaker’s service with what you actually use, not just the feature list.
- Match the payment period to your use. Consider how often you expect to use the feature. A monthly charge for something seasonal or rarely used can cost more than its practical value to you.
- Compare recurring and one-time options. Check whether the feature is available as a one-time purchase, included in a trim, or offered only as a subscription. Do not assume the same choices exist across markets or vehicles.
- Read the trial and renewal terms. Confirm when billing begins, whether renewal is automatic, how cancellation works, and whether access ends immediately or at the end of the paid period.
- Verify vehicle and market eligibility. Confirm the exact model year, equipment, country and account requirements with the automaker or dealer before relying on a feature being available.
- Ask what data is collected and what you get back. Look for a clear explanation of the service’s data use, security practices and customer benefit.
A useful test is whether the service’s continuing benefit is clear enough to justify its recurring cost. For hardware already in the car, the key question is whether the buyer was led to expect access as part of the purchase. For connected or software services, weigh ongoing usefulness, alternatives, flexibility and data terms rather than treating the word “subscription” as the whole story.
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