Dodge and Chrysler may be considering dropping AM/FM from the brands’ vehicles, but the data show that this would work against their customers’ desires, as Edison Research data shows the drivers of Stellantis-owned autos give AM/FM more of their in-car audio time.
In data shared with Radio Ink by Cumulus Media Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard, Stellantis drivers, including Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram, gave AM/FM 55% of their in-car time, with ad-free SiriusXM second at 17%, ad-free Spotify at 5%, and every other platform in single digits.
When it comes to ad-supported in-car audio, Stellantis drivers gave AM/FM 91% of their time, the highest share in Edison’s cross-automaker breakdown, which covered Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Ford, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, General Motors, and Tesla.
Speaking at the 2026 New York International Auto Show, Dodge and Chrysler CEO Matt McAlear floated a “back-to-basics” philosophy for entry-level vehicles that would exclude built-in AM/FM access. “Do you need a radio? Do you just have speakers that you Bluetooth to?” he said. “We need to push forward and maybe make people uncomfortable, but give them something they don’t realize that they want.”
Across all US drivers 13+, AM/FM commands 55% of total in-car audio time per Q1 2026 Share of Ear figures. The lead holds even among younger listeners: persons 13–34 gave AM/FM 46% of their in-car audio time, compared to 30% for streaming music and 24% for all other audio combined.
As Bouvard examines separately in an Audio Active Blog post, the Stellantis pattern holds across competing brands.
Among Honda Motor Co. drivers, AM/FM captured 83% of ad-supported in-car audio time and 62% of all-audio in-car time. The all-locations picture is similarly lopsided. Among Honda drivers 18+, AM/FM captures 62% of ad-supported audio time across all listening environments, with podcasts a distant second at 23% and every other platform in single digits.
Quu’s 2026 In-Vehicle Dashboard Report, tracking the top 100 best-selling US vehicle models, shows Honda completing a full transition to software-only radio buttons across its entire 2026 lineup, including the Accord, Civic, CR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline. Honda separately removed built-in SiriusXM satellite receivers from several high-volume models starting in 2025, a move Quu’s 2025 Dashboard Scoreboard linked to a drop in SiriusXM availability across new vehicles from 94% to 85%.
The NAB has released PSAs in English and Spanish asking radio listeners to contact their members of Congress by texting AM to 39179, urging them to support legislation that ensures AM radio remains in cars. Get them for your station here.
