Connected Sync 4 Navigation monthly cost? [2024+]

[PrimeRisk]

Resurrecting this thread with some new information from Ford.

I purchased a new 2024 F-150 Lightning Lariat and there was trouble activating the Connected Navigation. As we were doing the delivery walkthrough at the dealership, I literally could not enter a destination in the Nav even through the option was enabled in the menus and the 3-year trial should have been activated. The dealer ended up having to call Ford Connected services. They found the problem and activated it while we were at the dealership, but the CSR went through the complete script on the service. My vehicle does have a 3 year trial, but she was clear that at the end of the trial that unless I subscribed that all navigation features would be disabled. I clarified what she said to make sure that I didn't misunderstand. I asked if I'd just lose traffic/weather/updates and she said no, the navigation would be completely disabled at the end of the trial, just as it was when we were doing the walkthrough when there was difficulty activating the trial.

I am disgusted at the nickel and dime subscription approach that Ford and other auto manufacturers are implementing. Yeah, I get it that I can use my phone with Android Auto to use vastly superior services for free from Google Maps or Waze, but that's not the point. They are intentionally disabling functionality that is not costing them a dime to leave enabled just to make more profit. To be clear, I don't mean that they should give you any map updates or any of the connected services for free, just disable all of those updates if you don't pay, but leave offline functionality enabled.

Maybe the backlash from Ford owners will be similar to the BMW owners that found out that after buying a $60k+ car they had to pay for a subscription to operate the heated seats. BMW finally dropped the doomed idea about a year ago and everyone can now use the heated seats they already paid for.

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[invertedspear]

I always thought that after 3 years it would "downgrade" the experience to more like those old Garmin or Tom Tom nav devices. No Traffic, weather, and increasingly stale maps which won't be a problem for some time.

I think early Job1 MME owners may just now be coming out of their initial 3 year plan. I'm curious if there will be any competitive pressure for EVs to stay connected, as routing to chargers is actually kind of important, and shouldn't be locked behind subscription plans. I'd love to see a wall of complaints as people come out of these 3 year trials result in a change to how Ford operates.

 

[bmwhitetx]

We keep forgetting that other Ford vehicles have Sync 4 and the expiring Connected Services. Specifically the ICE F-150. Some of them only got a 90-day trial even back in 2022/2023 so it has been an "issue" for a while.

The sister site a few threads on this. Here are two I found:
https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/connected-built-in-navigation-expiring.25163/
https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/paying-for-nav.24889/

Bottom line - maps and basic navigation still work but you lose connected features like weather and traffic. The subscription rate is $80/year (or 16,000 FordPass points) if you want to subscribe.

 

[Etsquared]

Resurrecting this thread with some new information from Ford.

I purchased a new 2024 F-150 Lightning Lariat and there was trouble activating the Connected Navigation. As we were doing the delivery walkthrough at the dealership, I literally could not enter a destination in the Nav even through the option was enabled in the menus and the 3-year trial should have been activated. The dealer ended up having to call Ford Connected services. They found the problem and activated it while we were at the dealership, but the CSR went through the complete script on the service. My vehicle does have a 3 year trial, but she was clear that at the end of the trial that unless I subscribed that all navigation features would be disabled. I clarified what she said to make sure that I didn't misunderstand. I asked if I'd just lose traffic/weather/updates and she said no, the navigation would be completely disabled at the end of the trial, just as it was when we were doing the walkthrough when there was difficulty activating the trial.

I am disgusted at the nickel and dime subscription approach that Ford and other auto manufacturers are implementing. Yeah, I get it that I can use my phone with Android Auto to use vastly superior services for free from Google Maps or Waze, but that's not the point. They are intentionally disabling functionality that is not costing them a dime to leave enabled just to make more profit. To be clear, I don't mean that they should give you any map updates or any of the connected services for free, just disable all of those updates if you don't pay, but leave offline functionality enabled.

Maybe the backlash from Ford owners will be similar to the BMW owners that found out that after buying a $60k+ car they had to pay for a subscription to operate the heated seats. BMW finally dropped the doomed idea about a year ago and everyone can now use the heated seats they already paid for.

It sounds kind of like the old pre internet versions of MAPS when you got a cd. Push in the cd and it works forever. Just never gets updates. I like your version, bought it, have it but…when it gets old outdated etc we are taking it away. Sounds like age discrimination to me

 

[climateguy]

As this make everything a subscription movement continues, the natives are starting to get restless:

"Hot BMW Owners Are Hacking Heated Seat Subscriptions"

 

[RickLightning]

Resurrecting this thread with some new information from Ford.

I purchased a new 2024 F-150 Lightning Lariat and there was trouble activating the Connected Navigation. As we were doing the delivery walkthrough at the dealership, I literally could not enter a destination in the Nav even through the option was enabled in the menus and the 3-year trial should have been activated. The dealer ended up having to call Ford Connected services. They found the problem and activated it while we were at the dealership, but the CSR went through the complete script on the service. My vehicle does have a 3 year trial, but she was clear that at the end of the trial that unless I subscribed that all navigation features would be disabled. I clarified what she said to make sure that I didn't misunderstand. I asked if I'd just lose traffic/weather/updates and she said no, the navigation would be completely disabled at the end of the trial, just as it was when we were doing the walkthrough when there was difficulty activating the trial.

I am disgusted at the nickel and dime subscription approach that Ford and other auto manufacturers are implementing. Yeah, I get it that I can use my phone with Android Auto to use vastly superior services for free from Google Maps or Waze, but that's not the point. They are intentionally disabling functionality that is not costing them a dime to leave enabled just to make more profit. To be clear, I don't mean that they should give you any map updates or any of the connected services for free, just disable all of those updates if you don't pay, but leave offline functionality enabled.

Maybe the backlash from Ford owners will be similar to the BMW owners that found out that after buying a $60k+ car they had to pay for a subscription to operate the heated seats. BMW finally dropped the doomed idea about a year ago and everyone can now use the heated seats they already paid for.

Not a correct understanding.

We keep forgetting that other Ford vehicles have Sync 4 and the expiring Connected Services. Specifically the ICE F-150. Some of them only got a 90-day trial even back in 2022/2023 so it has been an "issue" for a while.

The sister site a few threads on this. Here are two I found:
https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/connected-built-in-navigation-expiring.25163/
https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/paying-for-nav.24889/

Bottom line - maps and basic navigation still work but you lose connected features like weather and traffic. The subscription rate is $80/year (or 16,000 FordPass points) if you want to subscribe.

Correct. No new chargers will be added to the data either.

 

[climateguy]

PrimeRisk, a.k.a. Mark, owner of a 2024 Lightning Lariat, and the starter of this thread, says he experienced what navigation is like when Ford Connected Services is not activated on a 2024 Lightning. This happened when he took possession of his brand new Lightning and discovered that Connected Services was not functioning:

Resurrecting this thread with some new information from Ford.

My vehicle does have a 3 year trial, but [ the Ford Connected Services Rep ] was clear that at the end of the trial that unless I subscribed, that all navigation features would be disabled. I clarified what she said to make sure that I didn't misunderstand. I asked if I'd just lose traffic/weather/updates and she said no, the navigation would be completely disabled at the end of the trial, just as it was when we were doing the walkthrough when there was difficulty activating the trial.

RickLightning begged to differ.

Not a correct understanding.

I own a 2024 Lightning Flash. I've wondered what will happen to navigation when the trial expires, and I wondered at the contradiction between Mark and RickLIghtning's understanding.

I called Ford Connected Services.

I had noticed that the Flash manual referred to two distinct things: something called "built in navigation", and another thing called "connected navigation". I asked the Ford rep to explain what these two things are, what my Flash was delivered with, and what will exist when I do not pay up when my "connected services" trial period expires.

The Ford rep explained that a 2024 Flash comes with a trial period of "connected navigation" that will expire and leave the Flash with no navigation at all. The map will still show up, and the position of the truck on the map will be shown, but there will be no ability to search for a route between two points, i.e. no navigation.

She explained that if my 2024 Flash had "built in navigation", which she said is not available as an extra cost option on a Flash, when "connected navigation" expires I could use the "built in navigation" which would give me the ability to get the map screen to display a route between two points, i.e. navigate, but would probably not have whoop-de-do features such as traffic info etc. I repeated this understanding back to her and asked her to confirm: she said "built in navigation" is not on my Flash, and I could not have bought a Lightning of any trim level with this feature.

Perhaps both Ford Connected Services reps, i.e. the one that talked to Mark and the one that talked to me, have no idea what they are talking about.

On the other hand, given the existence of these two different systems, i.e. "built in navigation" and "connected navigation", that can both exist on some Ford vehicles but do not both exist on 2024 Lightnings, has led to some confusion as people explain what they understand about the navigation abilities of a Lightning once the trial period of "connected navigation" ends.

 

[RickLightning]

So wrong.

Vehicle comes with built-in Navigation, free, for life. Connected Nav is in addition.

Tip - stop calling and asking.

 

[climateguy]

Vehicle comes with built-in Navigation, free, for life. Connected Nav is in addition.

What evidence do you have? You list your Lightning as a 2022.

Here's a F-150 non Lightning owner who posted "2024 Navigation Now Subscription Based Only" who says things have changed from 2021 - 2023 models. He states things now work the way Mark observed, i.e. if you don't pay up when the "connected navigation" trial runs out, all you get is a map with no ability to navigate. He asked for anyone who doesn't agree to chime in, and no one did.

 

[chl]

As this make everything a subscription movement continues, the natives are starting to get restless:

"Hot BMW Owners Are Hacking Heated Seat Subscriptions"

A heated seat subscription?! OMG that's cold!

 

[chl]

My 2012 Leaf has built in navigation for life.
It used to get updates, not sure if it still does, I haven't checked it recently since I only drive locally.
But Nissan did not charge for any subscriptions for any of their connected services.
The only subscription for the Leaf I have to pay is XM Sirius radio.

Don''t think I will need any Ford subscriptions, except the BlueOval Charge Network but that's a free subscription with no annual fees.

A Single, Unified Network
Our network combines multiple public charging networks, giving you hassle-free, pay-as-you-go access to the largest public charging network in North America1, all through one account and one app, with no annual fee.

So let me ask - will the Lightning tell you where charge stations are located on FordPass if you don't have a paid subscription to that navigation service you are talking about?

I guess all the other apps can tell you some of that information and guide you there, eh?

 

[scoobybri]

This is so bogus. Glad I bought a 2023. Having the "non-connected" nav does come in handy when Android Auto can't get data. Back when I had my 2019 F150 with Sync 3, there were several times when I was camping remotely and I had zero cell signal. I could not route with Google Maps or Waze. Plugged the destination into the "dumb" Ford Navigation and got my route.

I just can't believe that there is a charge to use navigation when preconditioning the battery is kind of critical for charging on fast chargers. No nav means there's no way for the truck to know to precondition on your way to a fast charger. Even if you don't pay for connected services on a Tesla, the nav will still help you find a fast charger and precondition you battery on the way. You just won't have real time traffic and alternative routes.

 

[PrimeRisk]

So wrong.

Vehicle comes with built-in Navigation, free, for life. Connected Nav is in addition.

Tip - stop calling and asking.

So how do you explain the behavior of my '24 Lariat when they had trouble activating the Connected Navigation trial? There was no nav capability and it wasn't just me trying it. The Service Manager came out to look at it and couldn't get it to work either. Nothing but a map.

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