How would you feel if you started your car, and a sales promotion appeared on the screen offering a discount on a new car? That’s exactly what’s happening to many Stellantis owners right now. Friend of the site Zerin Dube recently posted a picture on X of the ad he received in his Jeep Grand Cherokee for a $1,500 Loyalty Retail Bonus Cash on the purchase of a new Jeep. He also wrote, “Late stage capitalism popping up on our Grand Cherokee.”
This is not the first time Stellantis owners have had to deal with spam in their vehicles. Earlier this year, a different Grand Cherokee owner repeatedly received a pop-up ad for an extended warranty that he didn’t even qualify for, as he had exceeded the required mileage. The repetition was a bug, according to Stellantis, but it doesn’t change the fact that the manufacturer continues to send spam to its cars. The part that amuses me most is how it asks, “Own a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, or Alfa Romeo Brand Vehicle?” They already know what you drive and so much more, so asking is unnecessary. You wouldn’t be seeing this ad if you were driving something not made by Stellantis.
Nobody asked for this
A Stellantis spokesperson told The Drive that the company uses this notification system to keep drivers informed of recalls and vehicle health alerts, among other things.
“Recently, a select group of owners received a special marketing notification in their vehicle, and we tailored this special offer to minimize any intrusions:
* The simple text message offering a $1,500 bonus incentive appears only on startup and while the vehicle is stationary
* The message disappears when the vehicle begins moving, or the driver clicks the OK or X icon on the screen, or after 15 seconds
* The message returns at the next key-on cycle only if the driver clicked on Remind Me Later, or they did not click OK or X
“Our goal is to deliver the best vehicle experience for our customers. As a result of these efforts, we have seen our customers take advantage of this offer,” the spokesperson said.
The Stellantis spokesperson concluded by saying that owners can permanently opt out of in-vehicle messaging by calling the company’s customer care line at 800-777-3600.
In Dube’s case, the promotion actually worked. He took advantage of the offer on his screen and just became the proud new owner of a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X. However, most comments and shares of his original post say that they will never buy a Stellantis product specifically because of these ads. Dube makes a sad, but fair point, however:
Just you wait this will be industry wide
Google has been plotting for years to bring ads to our dashboards, regardless of what we drive. Ford holds a patent for technology that scans billboards you pass and displays them on your screen. It’s everywhere, and it’s coming for all of us, sooner or later. We’ve missed our window of opportunity to kill in-car advertisements before they’re allowed to live. But I swear, if my car ever starts blaring Gas Station TV at me, I will light it on fire and walk away without looking at it, because cool guys don’t look at explosions.
