Mazda’s complimentary three-year trial of Connected Services is nearing its end for some customers. A few owners have expressed their dissatisfaction on social media about the prospect of paying a $10 monthly fee to maintain access to features such as remote start, following notifications that their free trial will expire in 60 days.
Mazda has been transparent about providing its Connected Services as a free, three-year trial for new car purchasers, initially launched in 2019. The company has previously extended this trial period, but it now appears that these extensions are coming to an end, and some owners are reluctant to start paying, particularly for the remote start feature that was previously integrated into key fobs. Motor1 reached out to Mazda for a comment.
The automaker informed CarScoops that it has been promoting Connected Services since 2019 as a complimentary three-year trial that transitions to a subscription model upon expiration, including extensions offered to some customers. Beyond remote start, the service package includes remote keyless entry, vehicle health information such as fuel levels, service alerts, vehicle finder, automatic 911 calling, and more.
Mazda is among several automakers that are expanding subscription services in vehicles, charging for features that used to require a one-time payment at the point of sale, like remote start. BMW attempted to charge for heated seats but faced significant backlash due to low acceptance rates. Despite this, Toyota, Audi, and even Mercedes, which criticized BMW for its subscription approach, are still attempting to impose recurring fees for certain features.
Software and internet connectivity have facilitated companies' control over the ownership experience, enabling automakers to restrict hardware features to those who subscribe to the software, creating an unusual contrast in new vehicles priced at $30,000 or $40,000.
