Wait, Automakers Can Shut Off Connected Car Features At Any Time? Yes—and They Are

Motor Trend

a day ago

Whether its an app on your phone digitally linking you to your vehicle at all times or a button on the overhead console capable of reaching first responders or concierges, connected services are ubiquitous in new cars. Every major automaker offers roadside assistance, emergency response, an app, and more, much of it standard equipment that includes a free trial to get you hooked. What happens, though, when you car is a few years old? How long will those often subscription-based connected services continue to work or be supported by automakers? It may not be as long as you think.
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What's A Connected Service?
Connected services is a catch-all term for everything your car can send and receive over the internet. It includes features such as automatic 911 call-outs after an accident, roadside assistance after a breakdown, over-the-air (OTA) software updates, vehicle health reports which can be sent to your dealer, wi-fi hot spots in the vehicle, and phone apps that allow you to connect to and even control some of your car's functions.
They're also big business. Most connected services require a paid subscription once the free trail (usually three months to a year) runs out. As more and more of them are added to your dashboard, automakers hope to make billions of dollars annually just on subscriptions. That doesn't mean older vehicles will be supported forever, though.
The 3G Sunset
This has already begun to affect older cars with 3G modems handling their data connections. Back in 2022, the last 3G networks in the U.S. were shut down as telecoms moved to 4G, LTE, and 5G. This was, of course, out of the automakers' control, but it meant older vehicles were cut off from connected services as their cars could no longer connect to the cellular data network. Newer vehicles with 4G, LTE, and 5G modems weren't affected, though it's only a matter of time before the 4G network is similarly retired. Some automakers offered to replace 3G modems with 4G modems, but were not required to do so.
Acura Cuts Off Access
Technological obsolescence isn't the only thing owners of older models have to worry about, either. Automakers can decide at any time not to support older hardware and software, as Acura has just announced.
In a notice posted to its MyGarage portal on May 29, Acura informed owners of multiple models built in the last 12 years their access to AcuraLink connected services will be cut off on July 21, 2025. The notice covers vehicles going back to the 2014 model year which were built with 3G modems and already cut off, but also vehicles as new as the 2022 model year which feature 4G and newer modems and can still connect to the cellular data network. The notice covers:
2014–2020 Acura RLX
2014–2020 Acura MDX
2015–2020 Acura TLX
2016–2018 Acura RDX
2016–2022 Acura ILX
2017–2022 Acura NSX
This means customers who bought a brand-new 2022 Acura NSX Type S for $171,495 are now being cut off from connected services right alongside someone who owns a 2014 MDX SUV. A customer who buys a certified pre-owned 2019 TLX listed on Acura's CPO website today will see their services cut off in less than two months' time.
This means everything from roadside assistance to recall notices (these would, of course, still be physically mailed to customers) to scheduling a dealer appointment, automatically calling 911 after a crash, help locating a stolen car, sending a destination to the navigation system, and even just locking and unlocking the doors from the app will stop working.
Acura says in the notice prorated refunds will be issued to affected subscribers. There is no mention of upgrading older modems to modern hardware. There is also no reason given for the decision to cut off owners of relatively new cars. We reached out to Acura asking for an explanation and received this response:
"As of July 21, 2025, AcuraLink services for certain Acura models will become inactive. This includes the ability of these vehicles to connect to the AcuraLink mobile app. While only a limited number of customers currently in a paid subscription are affected by this change, we apologize for the inconvenience and will provide them a pro-rated refund for any unused portion of their subscription."
How Can They Do That?
While it's arguably bad customer service, there's no law or contractual obligation requiring automakers like Acura to continue supporting older models with outdated hardware and software. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Scroll far enough down the AcuraLink terms and conditions and you'll find this entry:
'We reserve the right to terminate these Terms or to cease to offer AcuraLink or any of the Connected Vehicle Services at any time on written notice to you, including by email or posting on the MyGarage website, for any reason or no reason.'
Yep, the mile-long terms and conditions you clicked 'agree' on (maybe without reading) when you signed up for AcuraLink allows the company to turn off the service at any time for any reason.
Acura isn't alone in this kind of legalese. We checked the terms and conditions for connected services offered by other major brands like GM OnStar, Hyundai Blue Link, NissanConnect, and Toyota Connect and all of them have similar provisions allowing the automakers to cut you off at any time, for any reason including none at all. We've reached out to all them as well as Acura to ask how long they'll support connected services on older vehicles. We'll update this story if we get any responses.
It Doesn't Have to Be This Way
While they can't control what telecoms do, there's little stopping automakers from supporting older models with software and hardware updates. Tesla, a pioneer in the vehicle app space, still supports the original 2012 Model S with software updates and certain hardware updates 13 years later. How long the company will continue to do so is anyone's guess, but it demonstrates automakers can design their vehicles to accept updated modems, onboard computers, and software if they want to.
It's not just the disruptors, either. Audi, back in 2020, promised its infotainment computers would be designed to be replaced with newer units to extend the usable life of its cars, though it doesn't talk about that anymore.
Will Cars Ever Be Backwards Compatible?
Anyone who's ever touched a device with a computer chip in it knows that device will eventually be obsolete. Cellphones, even if they still work fine, will eventually stop receiving software updates. Right or wrong, this is the way of the world. The average American, though, keeps their car for much longer than they keep their phone, and the average age of a vehicle in America is nearly 13 years old. Meaning, a lot of people could potentially be affected if other automakers follow Acura's lead in cutting off cars newer than the average. And that's not to mention those who own used examples of older models.
Whether automakers continue to support their old models and whether they choose to design new models with backwards compatibility in mind is an open question. This is, after all, the industry that came up with the idea of 'planned obsolescence' to sell more cars. Concerted pushback from angry customers is likely the only thing that'll stop an automaker from cutting off connected services, at least until the cell network moves on again.