New York Wants to Curb In-Car Subscriptions. But It's Not That Simple

The bill has plenty of exemptions that'll allow car companies to continue to nickel-and-dime you.

2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V Super Cruise

Photo by: Cadillac

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Nov 24, 2025 at 11:30am ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

Subscription services have infiltrated today's cars. And it's annoying. Features and amenities once included with a new vehicle now require a monthly fee to access. Thankfully, a new bill in New York is attempting to curb this practice—but it might not have the intended effect.

New York Assembly Bill A1095 would prohibit automakers from offering a subscription service for any motor vehicle feature that:

"...utilizes components and hardware already installed on the motor vehicle at the time of purchase or lease by the consumer; and would function after activation without ongoing cost to or support by the dealer, manufacturer, or any third-party service provider."

The bill basically says that if your car comes with a hardware feature that doesn't require ongoing support, automakers can't put it behind a paywall. It's a good first step, but, like most laws, it has exemptions that could incentivize automakers to put even more features behind paywalls.

The bill states that the new law would not apply to a host of vehicle features, including navigation system updates, infotainment features, satellite radio, in-vehicle Wi-Fi, and telematics services.

But most importantly, the bill exempts a vehicle's "software-dependent driver assistance or driver automation feature, or vehicle-connected services that rely on cellular or other data networks for continued operation...." This clause would exempt popular driver-assist systems such as General Motors' Super Cruise while possibly providing automakers an opportunity to circumvent the bill.

What do you think?

View

Comments

With the way automakers are cramming software into today's vehicles, which is controlling an increasing number of vehicle functions, tying more of those controls to software or data networks gives them the power to paywall even more features. Over-the-air updates can enhance numerous aspects of a modern vehicle, but they rely on software to do so.

The bill has passed both chambers of the state legislature and is now awaiting the governor's signature. The bill aims to prevent automakers from treating safety as a luxury subscription service. Still, automakers will find a way around the language and continue charging for features that were once included.

More Monthly In-Car Subscriptions:

GM Is Killing Apple CarPlay in All Its Vehicles. Here's What That Actually Means