Car Subscriptions You Forgot About 2026 — The Hidden Costs of Car Ownership

Updated March 2026 • 8 min read

Your car has quietly become a subscription platform. Between the connected car services, satellite radio, parking apps, toll transponders, dashcam cloud storage, and car wash memberships, the average car owner is paying $100-400/month in recurring charges they barely think about. Here's the complete list of car-related subscriptions to audit.

Connected Car Services ($25-50/month)

OnStar (GM): $25-50/month — remote start, navigation, WiFi, crash detection
Toyota Connected Services: $8-16/month — remote connect, service link, navigation
BMW ConnectedDrive: $15-50/month — remote services, navigation, concierge
Ford Connected Services: $8-15/month — FordPass, remote start, vehicle health
Mercedes me connect: $15-30/month — remote vehicle access, navigation
Hyundai Bluelink: $10-20/month — remote start, vehicle finder, emergency

💡 Replace ALL of these: Google Maps/Waze (free navigation), phone hotspot (free WiFi), iPhone/Pixel crash detection (free), AirTag ($29 one-time for vehicle tracking), aftermarket remote start ($150-300 one-time install). Total savings: $300-600/year.

Satellite Radio ($5-22/month)

SiriusXM: $5-22/month depending on plan
Free alternatives: Spotify Free, Apple Music (bundled with many plans), podcasts, YouTube Music, AM/FM radio
Cancellation tip: Call to cancel SiriusXM and they'll offer you $5/month — a 75% discount. They'd rather keep you at $5 than lose you entirely.

Car Wash Memberships ($20-50/month)

Typical cost: $20-50/month for unlimited washes
Worth it if: You wash your car 4+ times per month (individual washes run $8-15)
Not worth it if: You go 1-2 times per month — pay per wash instead
Watch for: Memberships that are hard to cancel (some require in-person cancellation at the specific location)

Dashcam Cloud Storage ($3-13/month)

Ring Car Cam: $6-13/month for cloud storage
Nexar: Free basic, $4-8/month for extended cloud storage
Viofo, Rexing, others: $3-10/month for cloud features
Free alternative: Buy a dashcam with local SD card storage ($50-150 one-time) — no monthly fees, footage saved locally. A 256GB card holds weeks of footage.

Parking and Toll Apps ($5-30/month)

SpotHero/ParkWhiz premium: $5-10/month for "guaranteed" spots
EZ-Pass/toll transponder: Often auto-replenishes $25-50 at a time — check your balance settings
Airport parking subscriptions: $50-200/month if you travel frequently — compare to rideshare costs
ParkMobile: $0.35/transaction fee adds up — check if your city's parking meters accept coins or a free app

EV Charging Memberships ($5-13/month)

ChargePoint: Free account, but some networks charge membership fees
Electrify America Pass+: $4/month for discounted per-kWh rates
Tesla Supercharger: Pay-per-use, no membership required
EVgo: $7-13/month membership for lower per-session rates
Only worth it if: You charge publicly 4+ times per month. If you charge at home 90% of the time, cancel the membership.

The Complete Car Subscription Audit

Check your credit card and bank statements for these recurring charges:

☐ Connected car service (OnStar, Toyota, BMW, etc.)
☐ SiriusXM / satellite radio
☐ Car wash membership
☐ Extended warranty / vehicle service contract
☐ Dashcam cloud storage
☐ Parking app memberships
☐ Toll transponder auto-reload settings
☐ EV charging network membership
☐ Roadside assistance (AAA, manufacturer, insurance overlap?)
☐ Car insurance (when did you last comparison shop?)
☐ Gap insurance (no longer needed once car value exceeds loan balance)
☐ Navigation/map updates (phone maps are better and free)

✅ Potential savings: Most drivers can cut $50-200/month by canceling overlapping or unnecessary car subscriptions. The biggest wins are usually connected car services ($25-50/mo saved), SiriusXM ($10-22/mo), and extended warranty cancellation with pro-rated refund ($500-2,000+ back).