---
title: Stop renting me the seats I already bought
description: Carmakers want monthly fees for features already built into the car. Drivers should refuse, and regulators should pay attention.
date: 2026-10-30
section: business
authors: [maya-okafor]
format: opinion
tags: [cars, subscriptions, consumers]
image: ../../assets/news/car-dashboard.jpg
imageAlt: A modern car dashboard with a large touchscreen showing a subscription prompt.
imageCaption: Subscription prompts are becoming a standard part of new car dashboards.
imageCredit: "Illustration: Blakey / AI-generated"
---

The heated seats are already in the car. The wires are installed. The heating elements are sewn into the fabric. The only thing standing between you and a warm seat on a cold morning is a line of software, and a monthly fee.

This is the direction parts of the car industry are heading: building features into every vehicle, then charging owners a subscription to switch them on. Heated seats. Faster acceleration. Better headlights. Remote start. Some of these offers have been withdrawn after backlash. The idea hasn't gone away.

## The pitch

The industry argument goes like this. Building one version of a car is cheaper than building ten. Subscriptions let buyers try features before committing, and let second owners add what they want. Everyone wins.

It's not a crazy argument. Software-unlocked features can make sense for things that cost money to run, like navigation with live traffic or a cellular connection. Those have ongoing costs.

## The problem

A heated seat doesn't. Once it's installed, it costs the manufacturer nothing to keep working. Charging monthly for it isn't a service. It's rent on hardware you paid for when you bought the car, because the cost of that hardware is built into the price.

> If the part is in my car, I've already paid for it. The only question is whether I'm allowed to use it.

And subscriptions have a way of spreading. Today it's comfort features. Tomorrow it could be safety features, or performance you were promised at the dealership.

## What drivers can do

Ask before you buy: which features in this car require a subscription? Can they be bought outright? Do they transfer to the next owner? If the answers are bad, say so, loudly, and shop elsewhere. Carmakers are watching how buyers respond.

## What regulators should do

At minimum, require clear disclosure at the point of sale, and ban subscriptions for hardware features with no ongoing cost. A car is one of the most expensive things most people ever buy. They should be able to use all of it.