r/extremelyinfuriating 1d ago

Discussion Audi forces you to purchase a subscription to use a feature that comes standard with no paywall on a base model Nissan

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u/Electronic-Title4194 1d ago

That shit should be illegal

u/Which-Primary3929 15h ago

Will probably be a class action in a couple years.

u/fyodor444 1d ago

People are going to start jailbreaking their cars soon

u/20Factorial 1d ago

This is why we need Right to Repair laws.

u/HiTork 1d ago

Yep, because otherwise companies like Audi are going to punish consumers for doing their own repairs. John Deere is the poster child for being extremely unfriendly for customers doing their own repairs, which in the field of farming is something that happens all the time.

u/20Factorial 1d ago

Yes, and I’d argue that repairs in field of farming is something that HAS to happen.

u/Aggravating_Sky_4421 1d ago edited 1d ago

California have RTR but I still don't see Apple selling batteries and displays for repair.

You can actually order parts from here...

u/HardLobster 1d ago

Apple literally sells both batteries and displays for repair lmao. You can buy parts through their authorized online distributor called Self Service Repair Store. Or you can buy them directly from their parts distributor.

This is the same place any authorized apple repair location sources their Apple branded parts. Apple directs you to the exact place to buy the official Apple parts, gives you the repair manual for free and they direct you where to buy quality tools for the repair.

u/Aggravating_Sky_4421 1d ago

Holy shit! Ok, I take my statement back. Never knew that existed until now... thank you!

u/ORA2J 1d ago

They already have and have been for decades. It pretty much started in the early CAN days, especially at VAG.

u/K1llswitch93 1d ago

Aren't people doing that on their BMW's? I remember reading something that they're hacking their seats for the seat heater function.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

Seat heater? Really? I used to have a cheap old Honda accord with that feature

u/Tank_Gloomy 1d ago

As far as I've read, they simply hardwire a switch, lol. No software exploit was used yet.

u/vertigostereo 1d ago

Imagine having your car bricked?

u/SupposablyAtTheZoo 1d ago edited 19h ago

I once softbricked my car. I was coding options, when the accesoire mode (power without engine on) of the car ran out of time and everything stopped. Car has like 50 errors on restart. I did some backup restore thing and that fixed it. That was a very stressful moment. Very thankful that the coding software (bimmercode) has that backup feature.

I now only program with the engine running which is apparently the way to do it (new options become available after restart).

u/Tank_Gloomy 1d ago edited 1d ago

You should definitely not buy a Z.ai subscription and have GLM guide you through finding an exploit by reverse-engineering the firmware. That would be illegal, however, the Revanced method of just posting the patches and letting users apply them themselves implies that they are technically not distributing proprietary software.

So, I'm just saying, you should be careful, some AI models can help you hack into things. Getting started with the free GLM 5.3 Flash bonuses for ZCode is also especially problematic because it's free.

u/Antlaax 1d ago

They are trying to make every feature a service behind a paywall. Stop supporting the companies that do this.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

This was a rental car. It was either this or a Ford, I chose it because I had a good experience with an older Audi in the past where this wasn’t paywalled. Should’ve picked the Ford.

u/Afoxinthefridge 1d ago

We don't have a choice when they all start doing it. That's why policies that favor people driving fucking matter.

u/lordMaroza 1d ago edited 1d ago

The point is to stop supporting companies that are doing this now. If they stop getting money for their shitty paywalled product, they'll stop producing it, and we never come to the point where everyone is doing the paywalling.

But it's an impossible feat as upper classes with money don't really give a shit about anything if the money they're spending gives them something valuable in return, speaking from personal experience dealing with such folk. They usually dictate how stuff is done to the rest of us plebs. Then regular folk who take out loans for these types of brands follow the trends, and they complain into their beards constantly.

u/SinnaBuns666 22h ago

absolutely yes you do have a choice. reject convenience.

u/MousseHuge8339 17h ago

And yet with all of this some people will still bray out

"Buu bu bu...fWeE mArQuEt!"

Usually said by people who are either terminally clueless or who are actively participating in rigging the game.

u/KarmelitaOfficial 1d ago edited 1d ago

I drove 7 hours using a company Passat where the radio and navigation was behind a paywall. I mean WTF.

Even my 20 years old shitbox has radio (and a casette player). This is the most basic thing ever...

u/Peek_e 1d ago

Are you kidding me, a radio! Lol

u/Particular_Plum_1458 1d ago

I guess dab and FM was free.

u/LegitimateSituation4 1d ago

I feel that's just gotta be against the law. Lots of important alerts goes through AM/FM.

u/kneegrowbehellafaded 1d ago

In other countries, customers have rights as customers, and have protections against companies breaking those laws. In America, the corporations are people themselves, and have laws to protect themselves from customers /s (kinda serious tho lol)

u/dart-builder-2483 1d ago

It's actually true, corporations have way more rights than people, and they can basically do whatever they want, including mass murder, while only getting a fine.

u/MousseHuge8339 17h ago

"Every person is equal but some are more equal than others".

u/Camimo666 1d ago

I remember a few years ago my parents were buying a new printer and i was like don’t buy hp or anything that requires a subscription and the seller was like... you know thats like not legal in colombia right.

Idk if it is legal or not but no subscrpition. The printer sucks tho

u/MousseHuge8339 17h ago

Part of me would like to bolt a cheap bulky transistor radio to the dashboard and return the car that way.

u/SameDistrict2627 1d ago

It's getting ridiculous. I'm done with these car based subscriptions.

u/justhereforfighting 1d ago

It's getting ridiculous. I'm done with these car based subscriptions

Fixed it for you

u/NuclearHateLizard 1d ago

Stop buying this shit then. You enable them, and the past several generations that also bought into it enabled this for your enjoyment. Stop buying shit you hate and maybe they'll stop developing hateful shit

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

This was a rental car. It was either this or a Ford, I chose it because I had a good experience with an older Audi in the past where this wasn’t paywalled. Should’ve picked the Ford.

u/NuclearHateLizard 1d ago

Ahhhh I get you

u/MousseHuge8339 17h ago

Somewhere in this timeline newer came to mean crappier. This disease is everywhere.

u/cherrycherrylad 1d ago

I thought this was made illegal. Or is this just the EU?

u/Doctor-Chill 1d ago

The RAV4 i just bought has it. It's glorious. I've never had a car with this many features. Or even a car with navigation.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

The first car I’ve ever driven with this was actually a rental base model Corolla, though it was more expensive than the rental Nissan I later drove that also had it. Still wasn’t paywalled though.

u/Teredia 1d ago

What do you mean cars now have micro transactions?! Next they’ll be telling us buying a car doesn’t make it ours and we are just buying a license to use the car!

u/SinnaBuns666 21h ago

we won't allow this on our other things, idk why a car is different.*oh actually, you haven't re-upped your subscription to the popcorn button on your microwave*

u/Teredia 21h ago

That last part is all too real though. I’ve seen a lady locked out of an oven if memory serves because she hadn’t paid a subscription for it.

u/SinnaBuns666 19h ago

return due to being defective o7

u/RetreatHell94 1d ago

And this is why I keep driving with older cars

u/Alias267 1d ago

Sure there is a way to code this?

u/iSpaYco 1d ago

makes me more happy to switch to chinese cars.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 10h ago

Chinese cars seem to give you more than what you paid for

u/Aqua_LionHD 1d ago

Is it actually a subscription or is it a used car that didn’t get the tick on acc and you have the option to buy it now either monthly or permanently? I’m asking out of curiousity and not out of spite

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

I think it’s actually a subscription. European automakers are pretty bad with this stuff. I previously rented a Volvo which also locked ACC behind a subscription

u/Aqua_LionHD 1d ago

I don’t necessarily hate the concept of subscriptions if you get the option to either buy it with a new car fully unlocked then or one reasonable payment (like 20€ for unlimited cruise control), if it’s something rudimentary as like cruise control, but it’s crazy when whole hardware is there and you just didn’t pay for it on purchase, and now face having to spend money every month.

But even if they did that, it’s only a matter of time until it gets enshittificated further

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

Actually the Volvo might have been a one time purchase. Not the case with this Audi though

u/Aqua_LionHD 12h ago

Damn…

u/MousseHuge8339 16h ago

It's too bad that the internet has become an absolute Abusapalozza fest. All of this paywall and DRM crap relies on the internet in one way or another.

I guess we just can't have nice things because so many other people (including corporations which are regarded as people in the U.S.) can't frigging control themselves or practice any kind of restraint. 😡

u/Snoo72721 1d ago

Then maybe you should’ve bought that nissan. Stop buying the shit from these manufacturers that put subscriptions on the cars. You’re voting with your wallet

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

I didn’t buy either car. My first car with non-paywalled ACC will either be a 20-25 year old Lexus LS or a 15 year old Toyota Sienna

u/LabRealistic5000 1d ago

Mercedes does the same

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

Don’t even get me started on modern Mercedes

u/JaapStar 1d ago

Rebranded Renaults. Which are very well known for their rigid electronics. /s

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

I can complain for days about the CLA I was once stuck with. Didn’t know better to ask for the A4 they also had, which I’m glad I did on another occasion. Unfortunately that experience tricked me into accepting this today under the assumption it would be the same (the only other option was a ford SUV which I should’ve picked).

For the record I don’t like any Mercedes built after 2011 unless it’s a continuation model that still has the M272, M273 or M156 engines.

u/Santa_Hates_You 1d ago

Extra base model A1?

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

I’m not sure what grade it was but it was a rental 2025 Canadian spec A3 TFSI Quattro. Probably close to base if not base for Canada.

u/Aggravating_Sky_4421 1d ago

I rented a Toyota pickup recently to move a TV and and it had ACC! I mean I don't think rental companies would pay for that for an economy class if it was optional.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

Where did you rent that? Budget? All of the rental companies where I am only have American pickups

u/Aggravating_Sky_4421 1d ago

It was Enterprise. I’m in Southern California.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

This was an enterprise car too but I’m in western Canada. The only Toyotas I’ve ever seen them renting out in recent years were Camrys

u/ForkUK 1d ago

My little Toyota Yaris has this as standard.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

Yeah, a yaris. Exactly my point

u/PeppermintEvilButler 1d ago

Expect them all to start heading this way.

u/u2020bullet 1d ago

I got a weird question. Assuming the car goes through some authentication process every time you start it, it likely connects to a server to authenticate your account. So what happens when they shut the server down one day? Or your car simply become incompatible with their server protocol?

u/gorodos 1d ago

Paywall and car are not words that should exist in the same universe. Consumer protection laws with actual accountability would fix our economy.

u/SinnaBuns666 22h ago

I can't wait to be a car jailbreak tech, going to be lots of money 🫡

u/ioncloud9 14m ago

I guarantee you if the radar sensors broke, even if you werent subscribed, this car would be harassing the shit out of you to get it fixed.

u/itss_Olivier07 1d ago

Luckily adaptive cruise control sucks, but it the fact that you got to pay for things in a car you already paid for is evil

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

It’s not my car. But Audi adaptive cruise control is good imo

u/itss_Olivier07 1d ago

I guess it does depend on where you’re from and what the roads are like thete, but me personally i despise it

u/CharAznableLoNZ 1d ago

My truck has it at the time was part of a package but is now standard. Best yet it works great even though it's a stick.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

I’m curious how it actually works on a manual vehicle. Does it prompt you to shift when needed or does it lug the engine to get back up to speed after slowing down?

u/CharAznableLoNZ 1d ago

I've never used it not on the highway however it seems it would just lug the engine if I didn't downshift. However when I'm climbing a hill on the interstate when I drop to 4th the engine does not go to the moon but drops to idle and once I'm back in gear it's back to the floor until it reaches the set speed or sees something on radar.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

Good to know. I mean wouldn’t it still lug the engine to get back to speed on the highway if you didn’t downshift though?

u/CharAznableLoNZ 1d ago

Yea, it doesn't say anything about it either that I've seen. On the other hand I'm pretty attentive to it and don't let it get under 2k rpm. I also don't like how it reacts to seeing a car, instead of just getting off the throttle and trying to slow down to pace the car in front it gets on the brakes kinda hard. Like a teenager on the highway for the first time. It is a six year old system though.

u/t_a_6847646847646476 1d ago

What kind of truck?