Mazda Connected Services, initially offered free for the first three years of ownership, will transition to a subscription model. Owners have about two months to decide whether to continue these services for a fee or lose them.
The news was communicated through personal messages to owners, stating, “As a valued member of the Mazda family, we want to inform you that your complimentary 3-year trial of Mazda Connected Services will expire in 60 days.”
Without the subscription, remote unlocking, remote start, and vehicle status/health reports will no longer be available. Some owners have expressed their dissatisfaction on Reddit, criticizing the decision.
One owner remarked, “You pay 30-60K for a car. Remote start should at least be on the key fob and the app where the app has further range and capability but you still have the option to start your car when it’s snowing outside.” Another criticized Mazda for ending an open-source platform that allowed remote start and fuel level checks via smart home gadgets.
Mazda responded to Carscoops, stating, “Since Mazda Connected Services launched in 2019, we have advertised to customers that they receive a complimentary 3-year trial of Mazda Connected Services, after which time a payment would be required to continue the Connected Services. For customers who have exceeded this 3-year trial period, we have continued to extend the complimentary trial period with the notification that the free trial would transition to a paid subscription service at a future date.”
Source: Carscoops