Car Makes & Models with No AM Band.

[TheBigA]

The government never mandated that cars have them---even when they were the only logical source of emergency information.

I never said they did. I said the government mandates things in cars. Then I said this law would be another one of those things. Future tense.

What I've learned about government & regulation is that just because they haven't done something before doesn't mean they can't or won't. If they can, they will.

 

[Kelly A]

What I've learned about government & regulation is that just because they haven't done something before doesn't mean they can't or won't. If they can, they will.

Banking regulations come to mind.

 

[radiofan2023]

I have a neighbor a few doors down with two classic Porsches. He says they are reliable---but the reliability requires maintenance and maintenance is expensive.

To him, that's worthwhile.

To me, even though I'm a car guy, it's not. Reliability to me means the car will never leave me stranded and maintenance is regular, predictable and well within my budget. Porsches for him, Hondas for me.

What kind of Porsches?

Anything can be reliable if you take care of it or know someone who knows how to take care of it - but a lot of people go for cheap parts and then blame the car for breaking, when it's their fault for using cheap parts, because "lo barato sale caro" - the cheap becomes expensive.

When I was shopping for a new car about 12 years ago, I looked at Hondas and at that time, used ones were going for more than new ones. I eventually got a VW but I never would again. It's been mostly reliable but VW HQ refused to reimburse me fully for a fuel pump that failed just out of warranty and stranded me on a cross country move. It's not good when your car gets towed to a shop and the mechanic says, "Never seen one of these cars before...."

 

[Kelly A]

When I was shopping for a new car about 12 years ago, I looked at Hondas and at that time, used ones were going for more than new ones. I eventually got a VW but I never would again. It's been mostly reliable but VW HQ refused to reimburse me fully for a fuel pump that failed just out of warranty and stranded me on a cross country move.

So you expect any auto manufacturer to honor the base warranty after it expired? Good luck with that.

It's not good when your car gets towed to a shop and the mechanic says, "Never seen one of these cars before...."

You're right. Best to check on the qualifications of the shop before the tow truck pulls away.

 

[radiofan2023]

So you expect any auto manufacturer to honor the base warranty after it expired? Good luck with that.

Some manufacturers would have done it as a goodwill gesture, considering it was my first new car and fuel pumps normally last longer than the 3 year/33,000 mile VW base warranty. I just wanted them to cover the part cost, since it was about $4-500 just for the fuel pump, and this was after I had paid for it to be installed, plus paid to have it towed to the dealer because it was past the miles range for a free tow on my insurance, and paid for a rental car. I took the hit on the labor, tow and rental which was more than the pump cost by a mile. Instead, VW North America only reimbursed me $100 and said if I wanted any more than that, tough cookies. So I won’t be buying my next new car from them, so they saved $4-500 and lost out on having a repeat customer.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Some manufacturers would have done it as a goodwill gesture

There is very little goodwill in corporate America anymore, even if the head office is based elsewhere.

Also, as a reminder of how unethical VW is/was as a company, your experience happened during the time when VW was actually scamming all Americans with rigged emission tests that ultimately led to congressional hearings and a record $2.8 billion criminal fine.

 

[Ryan Williams]

So, despite knowing the increased owner cost, I drove a Porsche Macan and it was everlasting love. Beautiful style, wonderful feel (even the "cheap" 4-cylender model), very nice control and nav system and they had one with my options on the lot. It went home with me.

That's a really nice rig. Congratulations!

How's the radio?

 

[michael hagerty]

I never said they did. I said the government mandates things in cars. Then I said this law would be another one of those things. Future tense.

This is actually the line I have the issue with:

Radio and automobiles are not separate, except in your head.

Yes, they are. One operates just fine without the other. And until and unless Congress intervenes, every automaker could choose what kind of audio system to offer, or offer none at all. And the bill proposed in Congress wouldn't change that---as you noted first, automakers have an out they can exercise by simply notifying customers that they're not providing AM in their vehicles.

 

[TheBigA]

One operates just fine without the other.

But both are regulated industries. So congress proposing a law that includes both is not out of line.

Also the proposed law doesn't change the kind of audio system they offer. Ford itself has offered to make a software change to its existing audio systems. So they're really not adding an AM radio.

 

[landtuna]

---as you noted first, automakers have an out they can exercise by simply notifying customers that they're not providing AM in their vehicles.

Didn't they used to do that by adding a "radio delete" line in the Mulroney sheet?

 

[davideduardo]

That's a really nice rig. Congratulations!

How's the radio?

Satellite and streams via CarPlay are great. Can configure a personal favorites menu that covers all sources.

Have not tried AM and FM as there is nothing local I want to listen to.

 

[kevtronics]

Also, as a reminder of how unethical VW is/was as a company, your experience happened during the time when VW was actually scamming all Americans with rigged emission tests that ultimately led to congressional hearings and a record $2.8 billion criminal fine.

Almost every automaker has been guilty of cheating on their emissions tests. In the '90s Cadillac had cars that would exceed emissions standards if you turned on the air conditioning. And in 2014, Hyundai/Kia had to pay a $100 million fine:

Hyundai and Kia Clean Air Act Settlement | US EPA

Automakers Hyundai and Kia will pay a $100 million civil penalty to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations based on their sale of more than 1 million vehicles.

www.epa.gov

 

[CTListener]

Almost every automaker has been guilty of cheating on their emissions tests. In the '90s Cadillac had cars that would exceed emissions standards if you turned on the air conditioning. And in 2014, Hyundai/Kia had to pay a $100 million fine:

Hyundai and Kia Clean Air Act Settlement | US EPA

Automakers Hyundai and Kia will pay a $100 million civil penalty to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations based on their sale of more than 1 million vehicles.

www.epa.gov

And the negative publicity from the "scandal" made perfectly fine used VWs much more affordable for at least a year afterward.

 

[Ryan Williams]

Have not tried AM and FM as there is nothing local I want to listen to.

Wow. It's been a year or two since I have been through Palm Springs. Is the market really that bad?

 

[davideduardo]

Wow. It's been a year or two since I have been through Palm Springs. Is the market really that bad?

Not bad, just not competitive with what I can find on streams or satellite.

 

[Kelly A]

I've been vacationing in the Florida Keys (Key West) for the past week. Did a brief dial-around, and heard one dead AM carrier, one religions AM and three FM stations with decent signals, one FM being religious. Talking with some of the locals, there used to me many more terrestrial choices in the Keys, but most never came back after the last hurricane. Albeit anecdotal, most of the businesses and residents seem to be relying on SXM or streaming, not radio. Cell/PCS and Internet seem to be excellent.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Here's a fun fact I just learned. In model year 2023 and newer Tesla cars, Bluetooth connectivity to your phone is only included as a free, multi-year trial. After that, it costs $10 a month. Tesla’s “unlimited” connectivity plan, including navigation, now expires after eight years

So maybe the EV revolution will be good for radio. FM radio, that is.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Here's a fun fact I just learned. In model year 2023 and newer Tesla cars, Bluetooth connectivity to your phone is only included as a free, multi-year trial. After that, it costs $10 a month. Tesla’s “unlimited” connectivity plan, including navigation, now expires after eight years

So maybe the EV revolution will be good for radio. FM radio, that is.

The way to get around that is to buy a Bluetooth adapter that connects to the auxiliary jack or FM.

 

[wadio]

Here's a fun fact I just learned. In model year 2023 and newer Tesla cars, Bluetooth connectivity to your phone is only included as a free, multi-year trial. After that, it costs $10 a month. Tesla’s “unlimited” connectivity plan, including navigation, now expires after eight years

So maybe the EV revolution will be good for radio. FM radio, that is.

So your Tesla is now 8 years old, the battery is dying, and to make matters worse you need to start paying an additional $10/mo for a feature that you assumed came with the car? Welcome to the future!

 

[davideduardo]

So your Tesla is now 8 years old, the battery is dying, and to make matters worse you need to start paying an additional $10/mo for a feature that you assumed came with the car? Welcome to the future!

It certainly seems like the future holds little for "ownership". We now rent our software. In my area where solar is productive and very common, most of the companies who install have plans where they lease the solar back to you while still saving you on energy. In mid-price and luxury cars, most are now leased.

I can see things like refrigerators and other major appliances going that way... with the salespeople showing how you can get a top of the line unit for "just $xx a month" where it looks good compared to a cash buy or putting it on the credit card.

And radio is now moving to subscription services vs. ad supported ones, again with monthly payments.

This is a reincarnation of the old "rent to own" where those with no credit could get TVs and furniture for about 4 times what they were worth!