Dodge Chargers now have pop-up ads at every stoplight

by surprisetalkon 3/13/2025, 4:53 PMwith 66 comments

by Animatson 3/13/2025, 5:21 PM

I own a Jeep Wrangler. I was considering buying another one. Not happening.

Here's the Stellantis customer agreement.[1]

Free Access Subscription Plan: The Free Access Plan is our free advertising supported Subscription. You may be offered the opportunity to self-activate this Plan or we may activate your vehicle radio after your Trial Subscription or paid Subscription Plan. The Service will continue until: (i) you or we cancel this Plan; (ii) your radio is transferred; or (iii) you purchase a Subscription. The content available may differ depending on the capabilities of your radio and this Plan is not available on all radios. You agree that we may activate this Plan on your inactive radio and the availability of this Service is determined solely by us. If this Plan has been activated on your radio, you may cancel it as set forth in Section 4. You may request that your radio not be activated with this Plan after your trial or paid Subscription by mailing a letter to Sirius XM Care, PO Box 33174, Detroit, MI 48232, Attention: No Free Access Subscription. In your letter include: (1) your first and last name; (2) email address; (3) postal address; (4) Vehicle Radio ID/ESN; and (5) indicate that you do not want the Free Access Plan.

Stellantis stock has dropped from 29 to 12 over the last year.

[1] https://www.siriusxm.com/customer-agreement

by duxupon 3/13/2025, 4:56 PM

That’s a “you are dead to me” brand decision for me.

by neuralRioton 3/13/2025, 8:45 PM

I work on cars, to diagnose a “stellantis” (Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, etc) I need to login and pay subscription in 3 different sites, to use an aftermarket tool still need to pay and login. This obviously carries a cost that I need to charge the customer. So if you own a FCA vehicle expect to get charged north of $150 just to plug the tool on your car.

by h1fraon 3/13/2025, 5:01 PM

We can hate European regulation all we want, that's the kind of stuff it would make illegal straight away

by wkat4242on 3/13/2025, 5:16 PM

This is so incredibly ridiculous. It's like reading an article from the onion.

In fact I've been having this feeling a lot lately :'(

by markhaslamon 3/13/2025, 5:04 PM

Let's hope that consumers hate this terrible idea enough that it doesn't spread to other car manufacturers.

by araeson 3/13/2025, 5:22 PM

So glad I gave up driving automobiles. The industry obviously hates their own customers.

All this would motivate is putting piece of cardboard over the dashboard display, or ripping out the dash entirely and replacing it with your own custom 3rd party alternative. Or ripping out the satellite / wifi equivalent.

Starting to get like Windows with wheels. Get a new install. Disable camera. Disable microphone. Disable remote desktop. Disable call-home reporting. Disable corporate features apps.

And Windows still keeps trying to get me have XBox game pass on my work laptop... Why did you uninstall this? Are you sure you don't want to interact with teabaggers on Halo and Fortnight during work?

And how much can they possibly make? A couple $ million for an ad contract that makes nobody ever want to buy your automobiles ever again?

Like many have noted, if there's ever a return to driving it's going to be about the least "connected" automobile that can be found on the market. Want wifi while driving I'll use a phone.

by galleywest200on 3/13/2025, 5:06 PM

Based on the comments in the subreddit post this article is talking about, this seems to be the fault of SiriusXM?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dodge/comments/1j838k8/why_tf_am_i_...

by pvgon 3/13/2025, 5:01 PM

Some big recent threads a month and a week ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43009682

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43272453

by ChuckMcMon 3/13/2025, 5:01 PM

Seems like such a dumb idea. Now I totally see it on rental car fleets but on car you own? not so much.

Edit: To be clear I think it would be a deal breaker for rental cars too, but I could see a marketing type make the case for the 'marginal revenue add' or some such.

by methouon 3/13/2025, 10:56 PM

Never bought a car, but can you request the dealer to remove SIM module from the vehicle? So you can selectively update the infotainment system only when you vetted/needed to?

by KoolKat23on 3/13/2025, 5:02 PM

I see in a linked Reddit thread it's the radio station pushing it?

by BMc2020on 3/13/2025, 4:56 PM

Isn't distracting the driver a safety hazard?

by pgibon 3/13/2025, 5:40 PM

I also can't believe how many cars display a terms of service Every. Time. You. Start. The. Car.

So incredibly ugly, tacky, and unnecessary.

by r0ckarongon 3/13/2025, 5:07 PM

Ruin everything. Fire has always been entertaining to watch.

by josefritzishereon 3/13/2025, 8:31 PM

Nothing says "I hate my customers and am fine with sales crashing and burning" like pop up ads.

by hingusdinguson 3/13/2025, 7:23 PM

Welp yeah cancelling that test drive now. Want no part in that bs.

by readthenotes1on 3/13/2025, 5:08 PM

A car company at war with its users...

... miss you, n-gate!

by 14on 3/13/2025, 5:04 PM

Dodge vehicles suck so bad these days as it is. They have been making poor products for decades now and customers are finally starting to wake up to it. Guess they are doubling down now. No one needs this shit put in their face in their car. Sending an email which surely most people end up giving up in modern car purchases with the information this ad is trying to sell is more than enough. Just another poor decision from a company that fails to impress customers.

by xbaron 3/13/2025, 5:07 PM

Dateline June 1, 2025 Big 3 Automakers Changed to Tesla, GM, Ford After Total Stellantis Collapse