Mazda Now Requires Monthly Subscription for Remote Start

Mazda’s complimentary three years of Connected Services is starting to end for some customers. A handful of owners have taken to social media to air their displeasure of having to pay a $10 monthly subscription to continue accessing features like remote start after being notified that their free trial would expire in 60 days.

Mazda has been upfront about offering its Connected Services as a free, three-year trial for new car buyers, first launched in 2019. It has extended that trial period in the past, but it now seems those good gestures are ending, and some owners aren’t ready to pay up, especially for remote start capability that was once built right into key fobs. Motor1 contacted Mazda for comment.

The automaker told CarScoops that it's been advertising Connected Services since 2019 as a complimentary three-year trial that would require a subscription once it expires, including the plans it extended for some customers. In addition to remote start, the suite offers remote keyless entry, vehicle health information like your fuel level, service alerts, vehicle finder, automatic 911 calling, and more.

Mazda is just one of several automakers expanding subscription services into vehicles, paywalling features that, in the past, required one-time payments at the point of sale, like remote start. BMW tried to charge for heated seats, but the acceptance rate was too low, and the company faced harsh backlash for the move. But that hasn’t stopped Toyota, Audi, and even Mercedes, which chided BMW for its subscriptions, from trying to charge people recurring fees for certain features.

Software and internet connectivity have made it easier for companies to exert control over the ownership experience. Allowing automakers to put hardware features out of the reach of those who don’t subscribe to the software is a strange dichotomy in new, $30,000 or $40,000 vehicles.