Stellantis Is Spamming Owners' Screens with Pop-Up Ads for New Car Discounts

Backlash to In‑Car Ads and Screens

• Many commenters see Stellantis’ pop-up ads as a hard “no‑buy” line, adding the brand to existing personal boycotts (alongside others that push ads on devices).
• People object to having ads on long‑term, high‑value items (cars, fridges, appliances), likening it to someone slapping a billboard on your house.
• Several argue that receiving a new, intrusive ad after purchase should reopen the return window or trigger lawsuits/class actions.

Connectivity, Tracking, and OTA Updates

• Strong concern that embedded SIMs and telematics are used to track location and driving behavior, potentially sold to insurers or other third parties.
• Some owners report explicitly disabling telematics/OTA and accepting trade‑offs (e.g., slower dealer updates, recall fixes taking hours).
• OTA updates are viewed by many as net‑negative: fear of bricked cars, updates blocking starts, and lack of clear liability when an update breaks something.
• A minority defend OTA as valuable (safety fixes, feature updates) and note disabling connectivity may void warranties or break features.

Workarounds, Hacking, and Right to Repair

• Popular advice: locate and disable the cellular modem or telematics module, though people note future vehicles may resist this or refuse to operate.
• Stories of infotainment “jailbreaks” (e.g., to unlock CarPlay) show it’s technically possible but non‑trivial.
• Stellantis’ “secure gateway” and similar systems are criticized as locking out diagnostics and independent repair, feeding calls for right‑to‑repair and regulation.

Car Quality, Brands, and Subscriptions

• Stellantis/Jeep are repeatedly labeled unreliable and overpriced, with anecdotes of extensive repairs at relatively low mileage.
• Others counter that such repairs over 10–12 years can be “normal” for that segment, though there’s broad agreement that modern Jeeps are problematic.
• Subscription‑gated features (e.g., remote start, some Toyota/Subaru services) are heavily disliked; many say they’ll drive older cars “into the ground” rather than pay.
• Remote start itself triggers debate: some find it basic winter/summer comfort; others see it as wasteful, polluting idling.

Old Cars, Manuals, and Resisting the Trend

• Many want simpler, pre‑connected cars: late‑90s/2000s are cited as the “peak” era; some plan to maintain older vehicles indefinitely or buy used.
• Reverse‑camera mandates are noted as making screens nearly universal, pushing screen‑averse buyers to the used market.
• Long side‑thread on manual vs automatic: manuals praised for control, anti‑theft, and involvement; others say modern automatics/DCTs are as efficient or better and see manual enthusiasm as cultural rather than practical.

Regulation and Collective Action

• Multiple comments argue that only regulation (privacy rules, ad bans in vehicles, right‑to‑repair laws, limits on arbitration clauses) will stop these practices.
• A few urge concrete political engagement—contacting representatives, building campaigns—rather than relying on individual hacks or passive complaining.