While subscription-based features on cars are deeply unpopular, some of them have their fans. Some people enjoy the convenience of telematics, but because these services are subscriptions, they can be taken away at any time. Acura is discontinuing telematics for previous-generation models, some of which are only three model years old. As you’d expect, some owners aren’t terribly happy with the news, and it’s hard to blame them.
According to an email posted on Reddit and issued as a memo on an official Honda webpage, AcuraLink telematic will be cancelled in roughly two months for the following models: The 2014 to 2020 RLX, the 2014 to 2020 MDX, the 2015 to 2020 TLX, the 2016 to 2018 RDX, the 2016 to 2022 ILX, and the 2017 to 2022 NSX supercar. It’s worth noting that most pre-2018 models were affected by the 3G network sunset some years back, but hardware updates were available to continue connectivity. Now it sounds like vehicles that received the hardware updates are impacted by this latest move.
As the email states, “Effective July 21, 2025, all AcuraLink services for the above-listed vehicles will be deactivated.” So what services will Acura drivers lose out on? On the list of available subscription-based services, you’ll find stuff like stolen vehicle tracking, being able to lock and unlock a car remotely if you leave the keys in it, security alarm alerts, and automatic collision notification.
AcuraLink being discontinued on older cars
byu/orange9035 inAcura
This is far from the first time telematics features for cars have been discontinued, as the 3G network sunset in 2022 led to loads of connected cars with 3G modems going offline, but this latest move is odd considering that LTE networks aren’t going anywhere soon.
Granted, it’s not like Acura is taking the money from these subscriptions and running. As the brand states, “If customers have a current a subscription plan set to expire after July 21, 2025, they will be issued a pro-rated refund for the unused portion of their paid subscription services.” However, this end of support seems premature. In an extreme case, a 2022 NSX Type-S is a three-year-old supercar that carried a price tag of $171,495 including freight. That’s one seriously expensive car to only effectively get three years of telematics compatibility.
Naturally, owners don’t seem particularly happy about paid connectivity features disappearing on relatively recent cars with only about two months’ warning. As Reddit user SlowerThanTurtleInPB so eloquently commented:
The whole appeal of buying an Acura, at least for many of us, is the long-term reliability. I don’t buy these cars planning to ditch them in three years. I keep them for 8–10 years because historically, they hold up well with proper maintenance.
But if Acura is going to treat 3-year-old models like they’re obsolete and stop supporting key features like AcuraLink, then what’s the point? It completely undercuts the value proposition for people like me who buy into the brand for the long haul. If I wanted a car that only lasts a few years before functionality drops off, I’d lease something flashier and cheaper.
Indeed, an image of longevity is a big part of Acura’s appeal. Honda enjoys a good reputation for making durable cars that owners can keep for hundreds of thousands of miles. Acura benefits by extension. Discontinuing features while first owners still have the vehicles they bought brand new can shake the confidence of those who wish to keep their cars longer than the duration of a typical lease.
Granted, AcuraLink has also caught plenty of flak for not being as easy to use as apps from some other automakers, but for users who’ve had positive experiences, the decision to sunset previous-generation cars seems like a bit of a heartbreaker. Reddit user einsteinsdrms wrote that they were involved in a crash where AcuraLink automatically dialled the emergency services, and now says it’s “something I don’t see being able to do without now.” Unfortunately, the rapid sunset is giving this person second thoughts about buying another Acura, although it’s worth noting that some modern phones can automatically call 911 if they experience a high-G impact.
We’ve reached out to Acura for additional insight on why AcuraLink telematics are being discontinued for these previous-generation models, and will update you as soon as we hear more. In the meantime, let this serve as a reminder that you don’t own anything you subscribe to, especially digital features dependent on further support.
Top graphic credit: Acura
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This kind of blows, and seems like a very-poorly-conceived decision on Honda/Acura’s part. That ‘cut off your nose to spite your face’ thing that my parents always warned me against. WHY? Why do this and ding your rep with loyal customers? Is the cost of maintaining the service really so significant that a business case can’t be made for keeping it going? I find that a bit hard to believe.
I’d sooner scoop out my own eyeballs with a rusty grapefruit spoon than subscribe to ANY service in a car, but I know in this day and age when some folks will happily pay $30 for the convenience of having $8 worth of junk food delivered to their door, subscription services in cars are somehow a thing. If Acura already offered a hardware upgrade to avoid the 3G network shutdown issue that befell many other cars (including some very recent VWs and my neighbor’s 2017 BMW i3) then whyowhy would they choose to discontinue the service now?
It doesn’t make a lot of sense. But honestly, not many things do these days.
There’s your issue right there. Longevity is bad for business.
The three years is a bit of a misnomer. While it is true of the last model year NSX, that is only because it had the same infotainment and connection setup as the 2017 Pilot. All of the other vehicles they are pulling support for are at least 5 years old, most are more like 5-8 years old. A better example would be the RDX, it has had support since the 2019 model year (2018 calendar year) and will through at least the next 2-3 years.
When I sold for a different manufacturer a few years ago and they pulled support of some model years, they offered upgrading the connection hardware in the car at no extra cost. The clients just had to ask for it and come in to have it installed… there was a decimal point in front of the take rate of that. That said a lot to me about how much people really value these services.
Subscriptions are the worst. And whatever bean counter thought this was a good idea is very wrong.
This is why the smart car shopper stops the salesgoober as soon as he starts listing the subscription crap. It’s not guaranteed to be in the car down the road, so I’m guaranteed not factoring it in when deciding what I’m willing to pay.
My phone manufacturer has committed to at minimum 5 years of updates/support. Acura is now pulling support after 3 years. Which of these do people tend to replace more often again?
When I got T-boned, 911 was talking to me practically before the car stopped sliding, and I truly do not know if it was my Honda or my iPhone which made the call. Darn nice, though. A little confusing though, to have some nice lady asking me questions immediately after a bunch of airbags go off in my ear (they’re loud!)
Reason #9371 why new cars are stupid.
I would much rather choose someone like Apple or Google or other third party than be stuck with the whim of the manufacturer. You know that most manufacturers are going to drop ongoing support for everything.
This is my gripe with almost every connected product. Just give the thing an IP v6 address and get out of the way.
Rant about non-connection-centric subscriptions like seats, and why isn’t IP v6 ubiquitous removed for brevity.
Yeah because Apple and Google have never abandoned technology. 😉
No, because an API open to third parties would mean that you would have a choice of who to provide those services. Sort of like being able to buy tires from anyone.
I only picked Google and Apple because the already have a stack that’s close to what is needed.
I don’t know that I’d rather have AWS, Azure, Cloudflare, or IBM providing the infrastructure, but whatever.
A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t own the entire chain of whatever you’re buying, you’re at risk of losing out at some point.
Even back before SaS started stripping apps from everyone left and right, back in the late 80s I bought an Apple IIgs for $2,000 because it was the next big thing in the Apple II familyand it was gonna be awesome. 6 months later, Apple announced the II family was dead and it was all Macintosh from that point forward.
I own everything to do with my MR2 except the gas station so unless we stop using gas, it’s gonna keep working. When I bought it I did not own everything to do with my 2016 Lexus, but I refused to listen to the salesgeek’s swooning over all the connected features. I can start my car from my phone? Neat, but it’s gonna go away so stop acting like that adds to the price of the car. And sure enough, 3g sunset and none of that shit works on the car anymore.
Another aspect of that is that it cost like $500 to get a Compustar remote starter installed, and that thing has a 1+ mile range so I don’t need phone functionality. so for 2 or 3 years worth of subscribing to their stupid service, I ended up owning everything involved and don’t have to wonder when Lexus is going to disable features that I paid for.
“I own everything to do with my MR2 except the gas station so unless we stop using gas, it’s gonna keep working.”
Oh? What about the other fluids? And when the tires expire, what then? Or the timing belt? Brake pads/rotors? Battery? Light bulbs? Shocks, bushings, starter, alternator, lots of parts will eventually need replacing and maybe you can find someone who still knows how to rebuild some of them but those folks are vanishing fast.
Well, that’s very clever. You’ve just shut down the argument against subscription services because the eventual lack of parts availability on decades-old cars is exactly the same thing.
Truly, your debate skills dazzle. You’ve convinced me. I’m gonna buy a new car and subscribe to absolutely everything.
The point is cars need a lot more than gas. You want mobility independence? Try a bike.
The really sad part is now the owners will forever have to endure harassing marketing and reminder messages to subscribe to new different services and/or log in to the nonexistent ones.
“For eff’s sake, my door is not a jar!”
While I understand sunsetting technology because the underlying infrastructure no longer exists (eg 3G), features are that specifically tied to a safety component should have some alternative option to update or upgrade.
The last thing you want to hear from your automated emergency services call is “something I don’t see being able to do without now.” (I also hope that’s a typo and not the actual message)
They need to end the subscription, not the service. That’s how you make it right, win back old customers, and win over new ones. They should also consider pathways to update the hardware if needed in the future. C’mon Honda/Acura, don’t be the bad guy.
Simply promising not to sue anyone who redirects the hardware to a different server would be enough.
Regarding subscription automotive services of this type, all I can say is…
P.T. Barnum would be quite amused.
Whether you support the idea of a subscription service for a car or not, these things are usually advertised as a feature for the car.
And to essentially remove a feature from the car you just sold 3-5 years ago is a real bad look for Honda. On your “luxury” brand no less.
I get it that companies don’t want to support these platforms forever, and some just plainly become obsolete (e.g., the 3G connections) but as that commenter said, I’d imagine 5 years is not a “good run” for many Acura/Honda owners.
Many infotainment systems have been able to make a 911 call though a Bluetooth connected phone in the event of a crash for over a decade. I assume these can do that if not then that’s a massive defect. It seems like Hondalink needed an update in 2022 to avoid connectivity issues from att network network shutdown but they don’t have a wide statement saying they will be discontinuing services. Just Acura, kind of strange as they are basically the same on the back end and I assume the incar systems are basically the same at least from the connectivity and platform standpoint.
How long until manufactures start with the “Your 5 year old car no longer works, you will now need to buy a new one from us”
Some of them are sort of there now
We’ve all heard of Tesla by now.
As I stated in the other article me 23 ND Miata needed a new trans at ~8k miles so I would say we are already there everything is just built to fail nowadays.
Planned obsolescence was a great con for the big three before Japanese cars entered the market and the feds cracked down with safety regulations.
I hate to be That Guy, but I don’t see any big loss here. It’s not like they’re losing heated seats or XM radio something innate to the car’s paid-for features. This is basically just Honda’s OnStar. Almost all of these functions are either esoteric in most cases, or could be replicated much more cheaply with Life360 or similar.
It’s not a good customer-facing move, but Honda is like teflon. We quickly forget about their screwups.
The problem is that market got too flooded with too many competing services and some of them didn’t work out. That’s just how it goes with the me-too-ism of so many manufacturers trying to keep pace with each other on everything.
That said, I think the right move is for Honda to pay for everyone to get a year (or more) of a substitute service here.
Nah. Fuck that. Don’t give spoiled, whining, Karen’s free shit. The spoiled whiners are the reason useless tech like this exists in the first place. The sooner they realize they shouldn’t be ok with subscription tech in cars, the sooner that shit in cars goes away.
This is pretty much where I land: the car is as young as three years old, and at least some owners wanted this functionality. The right thing to do is ensure continuity somehow with a replacement.
Some, but apparently not enough for the subscriptions to turn a profit.
They are giving prorated refunds for the time left on the subscription.
I’m with you. We’re not even being “That Guy.” We’re pointing out spoiled brats whining that their pseudo luxury car is losing capability they never should have subscribed to to begin with or based a buying decision on. They just want to be publicly mad (via anonymous user names) about something because that is the current (and going on for too long) trend in this fucked up timeline. They’re being karens over useless, unneeded technology going bye bye in their fluffed up civics and accords. It’s not like their insulin pump is being bricked. They need to touch grass.
“Siri, need direction to grass. Siri? NOT YOU, TOO!”
Maybe they discovered the income generated by these subscription based services doesn’t provide an adequate rate of return?
Gee, who’d have guessed the juice ain’t worth the squeeze.
And some auto companies were figuring on a billion a year in income from these schemes…
I’ve had six cars that potentially could have had this nonsense – I could not be bothered to even activate the free trial periods. In fact the VW dealer dude wanted to do it for me, and I told him nein.
I’d guess the take rate is very low, and they decided the risk of pissing off 5 customers was worth the savings of shutting it down.
Really crappy move, Honda.
There’s certain features that make sense as subscriptions, so taking them away for seemingly no reason is scummy.
Prorating the subscription costs is the bare minimum here.
Go ahead, call 911. I’m sure the Porsche dealer will be happy to get you out of that NSX into something new.