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What happens when your car tech gets outdated?
Today’s cars are basically computers on wheels. The average modern car contains between 1,000 and 1,500 semiconductor chips. For electric vehicles, it’s as many as 3,000 chips. Just like your computer, your vehicle’s features could become outdated and unsupported. How long does your connected car have? Well, it depends.
Off the ‘Wagen
In 2022, Jake Brown bought a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. He knew some Volkswagens had been having trouble with their connected features, but Volkswagen said a fix was coming. He was in for a rude awakening; his Passat runs on 3G, a service AT&T discontinued for VW that same year.
Without connectivity, VW models built between 2014 and 2019 can no longer access smart features, including remote start, antitheft alerts and emergency assistance.
Volkswagen admits they still haven’t found a fix — and buyers aren’t happy. Some Hyundai and Nissan owners lost their smart features in the great 3G death, too.
It’s all about headroom
“Headroom,” of course, means how long your car has before its hardware can’t accept updates. Volkswagen says 4G sunsets won’t happen until 2035. If you have a car with 4G, that gives you 10 more years.
EV manufacturer Rivian says their hardware and software will last roughly seven years, but the right support could extend that estimate beyond the seven-year mark.
What happens after that?
The average age of cars still on the road is 12.6 years. When vehicles lose their ability to update, it’s like a hot potato. Whoever’s left holding the car when the time runs out gets burned, especially when it comes to resale value.
Steer clear
If you’re buying used, pay attention to any vehicles with connected features, especially those manufactured between 2012 and 2019. Here’s a list of all the 3G-equipped cars affected. Nearly every carmaker is listed, but these are the manufacturers without a fix:
- Ford
- Hyundai
- Jaguar/Land Rover
- Nissan/Infiniti
- Toyota/Lexus
- Volkswagen
Close, but no cigar: Subaru and Honda both offered updates for 3G-connected cars in 2022, but if you or the previous owner missed the deadline to install it, you’re now out of luck.
For new cars, keep that 2035 deadline in mind. It’ll be here sooner than you think. Losing connected features isn’t a dealbreaker for some, but you should know what you are (or aren’t) getting.
😂 Since I went to church this morning … How do we know the Apostles drove a Honda? When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one Accord.
Tags: computer, Hyundai, tech, updates
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