The internet is currently in an uproar over Stellantis sending marketing pop-ups to owners’ car screens. It’s certainly unpleasant, and it’s legitimate – we have confirmation of this from a jeep driver as well as Stellantis. But this isn’t the first time this has happened, as we reported in February about Jeep advertising a similar extended warranty.
Auto writer and all-around car man Zerrin Dube posted about a “marketing notification” of his WL Grand Cherokee on X earlier this week. The photos started coming in, and soon, others were sharing the same ad that was sent to their screens. Dubey dubbed it “late-stage capitalism,” which sounds like an accurate descriptor.
What’s interesting is that Dubey was in the market for a new Wrangler anyway, and he took advantage of a $1,500 loyalty offer sent directly to his Grand Cherokee by Jeep. He walked away Thursday night with a new Rubicon X, so I guess you can say it worked.
Others online were less accepting of the move. While practically every repost of Dubey’s photo largely condemned Jeep and Stellantis, some RAM and Chrysler drivers confirmed the rollout of the ad which spread across multiple brands. Most of the comments said something like, “Guess what I’ll never buy.” Some made informed predictions that this type of promotion would soon become common in the industry.
For its part, Stellantis pointed out drive It sends these information to “stay in touch with our owners at key points in their ownership”. The in-vehicle messaging system is also used to inform drivers about vehicle recalls and health monitor alerts. A spokesperson for the brand said:
“Recently, a select group of owners received a special marketing notification in their vehicle, and we created this special offer to minimize any intrusion:
- Simple text message offering a $1,500 bonus incentive appears only at startup and when the vehicle is stationary
- The message disappears when the vehicle starts moving, or the driver clicks the OK or
- Message returns on next key-on cycle Only If the driver clicked Remind Me Later, or they did not click OK or
“Our goal is to provide the best vehicle experience to our customers. As a result of these efforts, we have seen our customers take advantage of this offer,” the spokesperson said.
A Stellantis spokesperson concluded by saying that owners can permanently opt out of in-vehicle texting by calling the company’s customer service line at 800-777-3600.
The $1,500 loyalty bonus is one of the many rebates that Stellantis dealers are offering for transferring more units. I reported last week that the Ford Bronco’s storming sales are actually threatening the Wrangler’s place in this segment, and as Dube shared on X, he got $16,500 off his new Jeep. Apparently, if you can tolerate the occasional spam on your car screen, now is a good time to make a purchase.
The last time this happened, Stellantis was advertising the extended warranty to owners through its infotainment. Many people were frustrated because the offer continued to appear even after accepting it by pressing “OK.” What’s more, others viewed the ad despite having a car that exceeded the mileage limit mentioned in the promotion.
Connected cars, man. Gotta love them.
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