Should You Pay A Subscription Fee For Your Car? New York Says No

It seems that everything these days requires a subscription. Want to watch your favorite sports team play? Subscription. Want to catch your favorite TV show? Subscription. Order dinner? You guessed it. Subscription.

Now, that practice has invaded even the cars we drive, but New York wants to put a stop to it.

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Subscriptions in Cars??

You heard that right. Certain automakers have begun to include subscription plans to their vehicles, only unlocking certain features once you've paid the fee. Many of these aren't luxury features either, they're necessities for keeping drivers safe.

From Automatic Collision Detection to seat warmers, everything that manufacturers don't consider "essential" may get thrown behind a paywall. This, obviously, has made a lot of people very angry who (rightfully) assume when you buy a car, you get what's in the car. The only "subscription" you should be paying after the vehicle's paid off is the gas you fill the tank with.

New York Says No

In opposition to this, Senator James Skoufis (D) has sponsored Senate Bill S5708. This is a bill that would do away with the practice entirely. In essence, it would prevent manufacturers from charging a subscription for anything once the vehicle has been officially sold.

If a manufacturer is to break this clause, they will be charged two hundred fifty dollars per point of sale for each violation, which should provide some incentive. Most recently, the bill has passed the Senate and the Assembly, and awaits the final decision from Governor Hochul.