Carrier networks that powered early connected cars were retired in 2022, and plenty of vehicles lost services that had once been standard selling points. Automatic crash notification, remote start and app control vanished on a dated schedule, with little recourse for owners in many cases. Here are eleven cars where the shutdown left a permanent mark.
1. Toyota Camry: Safety Connect Goes Dark
Toyota told owners that 2013-2017 Camry and Camry Hybrid models would permanently lose automatic crash notification and other features, per a consumer list of affected cars. The cutoff landed on November 1, 2022, when the older cellular hardware behind Safety Connect stopped working.
Sedans of that vintage often still run flawlessly, which makes the loss easy to miss until an emergency. A car that once summoned help on its own after a collision now depends entirely on a phone call from whoever is conscious.
2. Nissan Leaf: Crash Alerts Cut Off
Some 2011-2015 Leafs permanently lost automatic crash notification and other features when Nissan’s cellular service stopped on February 22, 2022, according to a brand-by-brand shutdown rundown. The pioneering electric hatchback was one of the first mainstream battery cars sold in volume.
Early battery cars were sold partly on their gadgetry, so the loss stung more than it would on a plain commuter. Owners kept the drivetrain but gave up the app-driven conveniences that set the model apart.
3. Hyundai Sonata: Bluelink Ends Early
A published list of Hyundai models states that Bluelink services on 2015-2018 Sonatas ended on December 31, 2022, while 2012-2016 cars on the older 2G network lost theirs permanently on January 1, 2023.
Two different network generations meant two different expiry dates inside a single nameplate. Buyers of one of the most common midsize sedans in America could not assume that a neighbor’s car, a year newer, shared the same fate.
4. Infiniti Q50: Nissan’s Premium Sedan Falls Off
The 2014-2018 Q50 sat on Nissan’s shutdown list and lost automatic crash notification when the service stopped on February 22, 2022, as the regional consumer report details. The sport sedan was one of several Nissan-group models caught by the same cutoff.
Luxury pricing did not buy exemption. A premium badge on the trunk offered no more protection than a budget one once the carrier pulled the plug, and the retired features were part of what the original sticker covered.
5. Lexus GX: No Retrofit Planned
The 2018 GX and most 2010-2017 Lexus models lost connected services with no retrofit planned, according to a detailed shutdown explainer. Toyota pointed to a clause saying certain connected services may change at any time.
That fine print turned a purchase of a premium SUV into a lesson in how little connected features are guaranteed. A body-on-frame truck built to last decades now carries dead telematics hardware that no dealer fix can revive.
6. Volkswagen Jetta: Car-Net Stops Working
Car-Net stopped working on 2014-2019 Jettas when Volkswagen’s cellular connection went dark in February 2022, as covered in a technology report on the shutdown. The telematics service had relied on that link to work at all.
The compact sedan remained a popular used buy, which means many secondhand owners discovered the loss only after purchase. Checking whether a listed app feature still functions has become a sensible step before signing anything.
7. Volvo XC90: Volvo On Call Dies
Volvo On Call died on the 2016 XC90, along with 2015.5-2018 S60 and V60 models, based on a model-year breakdown from The Drive. The service had been the brand’s connected-car offering for those models.
For a flagship SUV marketed on safety, losing the cellular side of that promise carried a certain irony. The airbags and crash structure remained untouched, yet the network layer that complemented them disappeared for good. Used buyers should verify what still works.
8. Ford Fusion Energi: Plug-In Apps Fall Silent
Connected features stopped on 2014-2020 Fusion Energi plug-ins, plus the C-MAX Energi and Focus Electric, according to a comprehensive shutdown fallout guide. Remote app functions were among the conveniences tied to that connection.
Plug-in owners lean on apps more than most drivers, since monitoring a charge from the couch is routine. The cars still plug in and drive normally, but the digital companion that made ownership smoother is gone. Used shoppers should test the app first.
9. Acura MDX: Tech Package Loses Its Lifeline
Acura’s shutdown list covers 2014-2021 cars including the MDX, whose Tech Package models lose automatic crash notification, per a science and technology outlet report. The three-row crossover is one of the brand’s best sellers.
A seven-year span of model years means a huge number of family haulers are affected. Parents who chose the trim partly for its safety extras now hold a vehicle whose emergency call-out feature no longer triggers by itself.
10. Subaru Outback: Retrofit With Strings Attached
The 2016-2018 Outbacks needed a dealer retrofit, and Subaru covered it only if the customer currently had a connected vehicle plan, as a popular science feature on the shutdown explains.
That condition split owners into two groups: subscribers who received a free fix, and lapsed customers left holding a dead module. Wagon buyers who skipped the paid plan after a trial period effectively lost out on the repair. Owners of these wagons are best served by confirming with a dealer whether the module was actually replaced.
11. Tesla Model S: Modem Upgrade Costs Money
Model S cars built before June 2015 kept their connectivity only if the owner paid Tesla’s $200 modem upgrade, as a Kelley Blue Book news item notes. Without it, the older hardware lost its cellular link.
The modest fee stands out against the repair costs elsewhere in the industry, yet it still meant paying to keep something once taken for granted. Few rivals offered any path at all, which gave the electric flagship a rare fix.
More from Morning Overview
- The NSA says three phone features should be off whenever you aren’t using them
- Hawaii’s magnitude 6.0 Kona earthquake is now a federal major disaster
- Comcast is shutting down its email service, and Xfinity customers must act to keep it
- Invisible volcanic gas at a California ski resort has killed three ski patrollers
