Stellantis Is Spamming Owners' Screens with Pop-Up Ads for New Car Discounts
Carmaker Stellantis is pushing pop-up ads for new vehicle discounts directly to in-dash screens, triggering outrage over safety, privacy, and ownership of modern cars. Commenters link this to a broader trend of always-connected vehicles that serve ads, track location and driving behavior, hide features behind subscriptions, and limit repair and modification via locked-down software. Many advocate voting with their wallets, disabling connectivity where possible, and pursuing regulation or collective action to curb what they see as escalating corporate overreach in essential products.
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.