Automakers Lock Features Behind Subscription Paywalls

Carmakers increasingly charge monthly fees to unlock hardware features already installed in vehicles, drawing consumer backlash and proposed state limits.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Auto Parts

Automakers Lock Features Behind Subscription Paywalls

Live Poll

Should car features already built into your vehicle require a monthly subscription to use?

Automakers including Tesla, BMW, and Toyota are increasingly locking features already built into vehicles behind monthly subscription paywalls. New York lawmakers are considering a ban on carmakers locking built-in hardware behind subscriptions.

Why it matters

Subscription systems let companies set subscription prices as they see fit, shifting costs onto owners of vehicles they already paid for. The practice has prompted public pushback and legislative attention in the United States.

Tesla charges $99 per month for its Self Driving package, while Toyota's Connect+ costs $9.95 per month. In a Cox Automotive survey, about 75% of people said they were unwilling to pay subscriptions for most features on their next vehicle.

The players

Tesla

Tesla is an electric vehicle maker whose Full Self-Driving Supervised package is subscription-based.

BMW

BMW is a German luxury automaker that locked heated seats behind a monthly paywall before scrapping the subscription following customer backlash.

Toyota

Toyota is a Japanese automaker that offers subscription services including Connect+ and the RAV4's Drive Connect.

The details

Automakers lock features already installed in vehicles behind subscription paywalls, using pre-installed hardware and wiring. BMW required customers to pay $18 monthly for heated seats in 2022 before scrapping the subscription after backlash.

2022: BMW introduces a monthly heated-seat subscription, later scrapped after backlash.
2026: Toyota offers the RAV4 Drive Connect subscription.

Roadmap

Automakers are extending subscription models beyond BMW's 2022 heated-seat experiment, which was scrapped after backlash, to brands like Tesla and Toyota. The trend marks a shift toward monetizing features already built into vehicles rather than selling them as one-time purchases.

Drivers may face monthly fees to use features such as heated seats, remote start, or driver assistance systems already built into their vehicles. Buyers weighing a car should factor recurring subscription costs into the total price of ownership.

The takeaway

Before buying, check whether features you rely on, such as heated seats or remote start, require a recurring subscription and factor those costs into your budget.