BMW to charge car owners US$18 per month for heated seats

National Post ^ | July 13, 2022 | Amarachi Amadike

[grundle]

The company has launched a variety of subscription-based services in South Korea. North America has so far been spared

Some BMW owners will now have to pay US$18 per month for the added luxury of heated seats.

The company has launched a variety of subscription-based services in South Korea, Fortune reported. Other add-on features include US$10 per month for a heated steering wheel and a US$8 monthly charge for a driver safety feature. Each monthly feature is available at a discounted rate if drivers opt for a multi-year commitment.

Micro-transactions appear to be garnering popularity among auto manufacturers — although consumers have expressed opposition to the strategy. BMW says the pay-per-feature decision was made “because the majority of drivers opted against purchasing these options and it didn’t want to charge customers for things they didn’t use,” Fortune reported.

Critics say these features should be a permanent part of their car upon purchase. The vehicles already come with the hardware that controls these add-ons, so it seems unnecessary to use a software block to stop them from properly functioning without a monthly fee.

The company has attempted subscription based services in the past. In 2018, they introduced a US$80-per-year or $300 for 20 years charge for Apple CarPlay, however, the decision was quickly reversed following public uproar.

[AlaskaErik]

That’s like buying a first-class airline ticket and being nickel and dimed for snacks and beverages.

[jpp113]

They should not be allowed to make you pay for these features when you buy the car if this is the case.

[jpp113]

My latest Mustang was a 2017 GT that had heated AND cooled seats. The seats were fantastic for SoCal, mpg not so much

[HKMk23]

“...if I have to pay a monthly fee for the heated seats to work.”

If you quit paying, will BMW lock the heaters OFF or ON?

[Jonny7797]

everything going subscription based.

[Wuli]

“In the case of BMW’s idea, might be a good time to buy stock in 12-volt heating pad companies.”

If only you could legally demand BMW sell the car without THEIR dam seat in it, with a price discount for that, and have a custom shop put in your own heated seats for you. Not likely but nice to imagine.

My third hand experience with multiple friends who have had BMWs is that they ARE engineered for great “performance” but have on average more time in the shop for maintenance than most other cars.

Of the highest 48 cars for average 12 month maintenance costs, BMW has ten of its own on the list.

https://joinyaa.com/guides/the-cheapest-most-expensive-cars-to-maintain/