AUTONEWS

If your car is connected, you don't have control...

If you think that when you buy a modern car, all the technology is yours, think again.

Acura has just shown that, even in very expensive and recent models, automakers can simply turn off connected systems whenever they want — and the consumer can do nothing.

In a recent statement sent to owners, the Japanese brand announced that it will end all services of AcuraLink, its vehicle connectivity platform, starting July 21, 2024.

And the scariest thing: this includes cars manufactured up until 2022. In other words, practically new vehicles, still under warranty, will be without tracking, assistance, concierge and remote locking features.

The list of affected models is extensive: RLX (2014-2020), MDX (2014-2020), TLX (2015-2020), RDX (2016-2018), ILX (2016-2022) and even every NSX ever produced, including the farewell Type S edition, sold as a high-end super sports car.

The justification for the end of the service is unclear. There was no shutdown of cellular networks such as 3G that would justify the technical decision.

And the most worrying thing is precisely this: the automaker simply decided to end the services, period. Customers are only entitled to a proportional refund — and no suitable replacement.

This situation reveals an uncomfortable truth: the connected car, so sold as a symbol of innovation, autonomy and safety, is completely in the hands of the automaker.

The customer may buy the vehicle, but they do not own the services that come with it. All it takes is a command from the manufacturer, and everything can disappear from the dashboard.

Imagine buying a car for hundreds of thousands of reais, with the promise of remote assistance, tracking in case of theft and advanced digital features — only to see all of that disappear a few years later, due to a unilateral decision by the brand.

That's exactly what's happening to Acura owners.

The case raises an urgent discussion about what it really means to “own” a car in 2025.

If connectivity can be disabled at any time, with no real alternatives or compensation, we are heading towards an era in which the consumer increasingly loses control over the product they purchased.

With the advancement of on-board digital platforms, more and more vehicles depend on online services, remote updates and infrastructure controlled by the automakers themselves.

And if Acura can delete these features so simply, what's stopping other brands from doing the same? Nothing.

Planned obsolescence, which previously affected only cell phones and computers, is now infiltrating cars. The difference is that, in the case of vehicles, the amounts involved are infinitely higher.

Even so, the dependence on invisible, remotely controlled systems puts the consumer in a vulnerable position.

The car of the future is connected. But if it depends on the manufacturers, it will also always be subject to being disconnected — with or without their consent.

Mundoquatrorodas