US Average Vehicle Age Hits 12.8 Years; Rivian Vows Updates, Tesla Requires Hardware Upgrade

US motorists are holding on to their vehicles for longer, with the average age of cars on the road climbing to 12.8 years. In parallel, software-defined vehicles, which rely heavily on complex computer and software controls, are becoming more widespread. These vehicles receive updates over the air (OTA) and connect to the internet or communications networks, allowing manufacturers to diagnose certain problems remotely, perform fixes and add new features.

In 2022, AT&T became the first US telecom carrier to shut down its 3G wireless network, causing millions of vehicles from numerous brands to lose emergency response services as well as some navigation and infotainment functions, although the cars themselves remained driveable. Tesla said in 2016 that every vehicle it produced was equipped with the hardware required for full self-driving (FSD), and reiterated in 2019 that the new Hardware 3 computer would support the feature. In April 2026, Tesla said Hardware 3 vehicles would need upgraded computers and cameras to achieve "unsupervised" FSD, with qualifying customers offered hardware upgrades or discounted trade-ins.

Rivian said its vehicles are designed with roughly seven to ten years of hardware headroom for software upgrades, and has pledged to provide owners with safety and security updates indefinitely, ensuring vehicles remain fully functional and safe throughout ownership.

The rise of software-defined vehicles is also altering car culture, as collectors, restorers and enthusiasts grapple with maintenance difficulties. Older vehicles already suffer from scarce parts and hard-to-find repair manuals, while vehicles tied to proprietary software platforms require specialised skills, tools and data access. US states are progressively enacting "right to repair" laws, granting consumers more rights to fix technology such as mobile phones and cars. Rivian said an upcoming update will open the in-car service menu, enabling owners to carry out more operations in line with right-to-repair rules, and will later support complete diagnostics through an AI assistant and on-screen menus, guiding owners through certain basic repairs. Some argue that companies which choose to stop supporting a product should be required to release the software to third-party maintainers, and that if right-to-repair becomes widespread, long-term repairability will improve.