Cellular networks that carried older telematics systems were shut off in early 2022, and not every automaker offered owners a way forward. Several brands replied with a flat no, a silence, or a bill for new hardware. Here are ten vehicles where the result was a lost feature, an unanswered question, or an expensive part.
1. Toyota 4Runner: Safety Connect Left Stranded
The Toyota’s no-upgrade answer reported that 2010-2019 4Runners lost Safety Connect, the Toyota emergency-assistance service, when the 3G networks went dark. Asked whether any upgrade existed, the answer was no, so owners received neither a modem swap nor a discounted path to a replacement.
Anyone holding a 4Runner from that span should treat the built-in SOS and crash-notification features as gone for good. A phone-based roadside plan or a separate aftermarket tracker is the only realistic substitute, and used-car shoppers should not pay extra for a connected-services badge on these trucks.
2. Lincoln MKZ: Connected Services Cut Off
Lincoln’s connected services stopped working on 2015-2017 MKZ and MKZ Hybrid sedans, according to The Drive’s 3G rundown. The report specified neither an upgrade cost nor any upgrade path, which left owners of these luxury sedans without even a price to consider.
For these MKZs, features tied to the cellular modem should be assumed dead. A shopper comparing used examples can safely ignore sticker-era promises about remote services, and an owner wanting remote features would need to ask a Lincoln dealer directly, since no published fix exists to point to.
3. Porsche Panamera: Porsche Connect Goes Silent
Porsche Connect stopped on 2014-2018 Panameras, and eligible cars had to be upgraded by February 22, 2022, per Porsche’s February 2022 deadline. That made the Panamera one of the few entries here with a fix on offer, but only for owners who acted before the cutoff.
A Panamera bought used after that date raises a practical question: whether the earlier owner completed the upgrade. Buyers should ask for documentation, and should assume an unfinished car has lost its connected features until a Porsche dealer confirms otherwise.
4. Audi Q7: Audi Connect Goes Dark
Audi Connect went dark on 2012-2018 Q7s, and Audi’s missing retrofit price listed no retrofit cost for them. A seven-year production span means the loss reaches both the older and the newer examples of the big Audi crossover.
Owners of these Q7s lose cellular conveniences the original window sticker once advertised, with no public price to buy them back. Used shoppers can still enjoy the vehicle itself, but features such as remote lookups and in-car data should be treated as unavailable.
5. Honda Pilot: The $900 Telematics Unit
Owners of 2019-2022 Pilot Touring, Elite and Black Edition trims were told they “may need to get an updated telematics control unit (TCU), which could cost as much as $900,” according to a KSDK list of affected cars. That sum is the largest repair figure attached to any car in this group.
The wording matters: “may need” and “as much as” mean the bill varies by car. A Pilot owner wanting crash notification and remote features back should get a dealer quote before agreeing to work, because the high end of that range is real money for a connected-services convenience.
6. Jaguar F-Pace: Silence From Jaguar
The 2017 F-Pace sits on the 3G list, and when asked about a fix, Jaguar gave “no response from automaker,” as KSDK’s 3G vehicle list reports. That left owners of the 2017 model with neither a price nor a promise.
Without an answer from the maker, any F-Pace owner has nothing official to act on. The sensible approach is to confirm with a Jaguar retailer which functions still work on a specific car, and to avoid paying a third party for a modem swap that has no manufacturer backing.
7. Land Rover Discovery Sport: Listed Without an Answer
The 2015-2017 Discovery Sport appears among the affected vehicles in a KSDK affected-vehicle list, and the manufacturer offered no retrofit answer. Land Rover’s compact SUV thus reaches the same dead end as the F-Pace, with no manufacturer fix to point owners toward.
Owners and shoppers should read that silence as a no. Cellular services tied to the original modem should be considered permanently off, and the practical move is to price the vehicle as if no connected features exist, since nothing official suggests they will return.
8. Infiniti QX80: Crash Alerts Gone for Good
Nissan’s 3G service stopped on February 22, 2022, and 2013-2017 QX56 and QX80 models “permanently lost automatic crash notification and other features,” KSDK’s Nissan and Infiniti details reported. The word permanently is the notable part, since it closes the door on any later restoration.
For a large three-row SUV often loaded with family passengers, losing automatic crash notification removes a safety net. Owners should not count on the car to summon help after a collision and should keep a charged phone within reach on long trips.
9. Tesla Model S: The $200 Modem Upgrade
Tesla kept pre-June 2015 Model S cars connected only for owners who paid a $200 modem upgrade, according to a Kelley Blue Book report. Owners who skipped that payment were left without the cellular connection on the earliest cars.
The figure is small beside Honda’s quoted $900, yet the principle differs: connectivity on these cars became an owner expense. A buyer eyeing an early Model S should confirm whether the modem was already swapped, since the answer decides how much of the car works.
10. Subaru Forester: Free Only With a Plan
Subaru’s 2016-2018 Foresters needed a dealer-installed hardware upgrade, and per Popular Science’s 3G coverage it was free only “if the customer currently has a connected vehicle plan.” Owners who had let a subscription lapse faced a different situation.
The condition turns an apparent giveaway into a trap for the unwary. A Forester owner with a lapsed plan should ask the dealer what the installation would cost before assuming it is covered, and should check subscription status before scheduling the visit. The free offer, as quoted, applies only to customers with an active plan.
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