- Sirius XM Ads Are Appearing on Subarus
- The Japanese brand claims that it has had no complaints
- A growing number of manufacturers are testing in-car ads
According to reports from Subaru owners in North America, pop-up ads have begun appearing in the infotainment systems of several models, prompting protests on Reddit and forums from those who were dissatisfied with the decision.
One Reddit user said a Sirius
This prompted several other commenters to weigh in on the thread, with some claiming that it had only happened occasionally and that checking the “don’t show me again” button prevented the ads from appearing.
While others have said they get the pop-up once or twice a week, stating that it “scares” them each time. One Reddit user said: “This really pissed me off when it happened to me, and also when I was driving.”
Autopian contacted Subaru for comment, but the Japanese brand stated that it was “the first time we heard about an issue” and that it had not directly received any negative feedback from customers until now.
In-car ads aren’t going away
Stellantis, which is the parent company of Jeep, Chrysler, Ram, Fiat and many more, has made headlines multiple times this year for reports that it has also been promoting pop-up ads in the infotainment systems of its models.
What’s more, users complained that there was no way to opt out of ads, and Setallantis claimed that this was simply a technical issue.
The various posts that appeared on
At the time, The Autopian reached out to Stellantis and said that “the in-vehicle messaging (IVM) technology in the Uconnect system is an important link that helps Stellantis stay in touch with our owners at critical points on their property.”
We have reported on other manufacturers engaging in similar activities, most recently Tesla Tron: Ares update that angered owners who thought it looked too much like a promotional tie-in.
As automakers look for new revenue streams, the software-defined vehicle (SDV), which can be automatically updated using wireless software packages, presents a golden opportunity to reach a captive audience.
While automakers might think it’s okay to display ads on infotainment screens, in the hope that an owner will sign up for a deal when stuck in traffic, it has clearly struck a chord with those who feel it is intrusive, overbearing and, at worst, distracting to the point of being dangerous.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
