Mazda Connected Services trial to become subscription model

The automaker confirmed to Carscoops that it will begin charging owners for features like remote start

Mazda Connected Services is a collection of features that the automaker offers owners for the first three years of their vehicles. Now, the company is officially moving several of those features to a $10-per-month subscription. Owners have about two months to decide whether to continue paying for the services or forgo them.

The news did not originally come from a Mazda press release, but rather a private message to owners, which read: “As a valued member of the Mazda family, we would like to inform you that your 3-year free trial of Mazda Connect Services will expire in 60 days.”

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Once that time is up, remote unlock, remote start, and vehicle status/health reporting will no longer be available. Of course, buyers can sign up for $10 per month and keep those services. Owners on Reddit were quick to complain and express their disinterest.

“You’re spending $30k-60k on a car. The remote start feature should at least be on the key fob and the app so the app has more range and functionality but you still have the option to start your car on a snowy day,” one user said.

Another user said: “They’re banning free open source Home Assistant plugins that use their API so they can fuck off with a $10 fee.”

The comment refers to how Mazda discontinued the open-source platform that was developed by third-party developers. Owners liked the system because it allowed them to check fuel levels before setting off in the morning and even start the car using smart home devices and apps.

Mazda explained the situation to Carscoops: “Since the launch of Mazda Connected Services in 2019, we have been advertising to customers that they can try Mazda Connected Services for free for 3 years, after which they will need to pay to continue using the Connected Services. For customers who have tried it for more than 3 years, we will continue to extend the free trial period and inform them that the free trial will transition to a paid subscription service in the future.”

In Mazda’s eyes, it’s been generous so far. Will customers actually pay up? Some will, of course, but only time will tell if the money is worth the expense of Mazda’s reputation.