Update! AM Radio In Your Car Gets A Boost!

In May 2023, I asked you to contact your representatives because some automakers were removing AM radio from new vehicles. I said then that I wanted the choice to listen to AM in my car. More than three years later, that choice has moved a significant step closer to federal protection: On Sept. 15, the U.S. House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.

That is a big development, but please don’t mistake it for the finish line. The Senate has not passed the bill, and there is currently no federal law requiring AM radio in every new vehicle.

The House measure would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a rule making AM radio access standard equipment in new passenger vehicles sold in the United States, without an additional charge to buyers. The department would have one year after the bill becomes law to issue the rule. The requirement would expire eight years after enactment unless Congress acted again.

The House approved the bill by voice vote, so there is no recorded tally showing how each representative voted. In the Senate, Republican Ted Cruz of Texas and Democrat Ed Markey of Massachusetts have led the effort. According to their offices, the Senate version has 60 cosponsors and passed the Senate Commerce Committee in February 2025. Those are encouraging numbers, but the full Senate still needs to act.

Why has a dashboard feature become a congressional issue? Automakers began eliminating AM reception from some vehicles, particularly electric models, citing interference from electrical components. In 2023, Ford announced plans to remove AM from more vehicles, including gasoline-powered ones. After hearing from policymakers about AM’s role in emergency alerts, Ford reversed course and said it would include the feature in its 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Ford also said it would offer a software update for owners of its electric vehicles that lacked AM reception.

I applauded Ford at the time, but one company’s decision could never settle the issue for every buyer. The question was whether other automakers would continue to offer AM as dashboards changed. Congress is now considering an answer that would apply across the industry.

Supporters point first to emergencies. The National Association of Broadcasters says AM stations are a key part of the nation’s Emergency Alert System. A car radio can receive an over-the-air broadcast without the driver having a cellular connection, a streaming subscription or a working internet connection. When severe weather or another disaster disrupts communications, that distinction can matter. AM also remains a source of local news, weather, sports and talk programming for millions of listeners.

There is opposition. Automakers and the Consumer Technology Association argue that requiring AM reception would add costs and interfere with manufacturers’ decisions about vehicle technology. Some also question whether mandating AM would meaningfully improve emergency communication when alerts can reach drivers in other ways. Those arguments deserve to be heard. This is a requirement Congress is considering, and it is fair to ask what it would cost and how well it would work.

The Congressional Budget Office examined the House bill and estimated that complying with its AM requirement would cost vehicle manufacturers several million dollars annually. It said the requirement would primarily affect electric vehicles whose manufacturers had removed AM or planned to remove it. Some manufacturers might choose to make additional changes to improve reception, but the CBO treated those as separate from the cost of meeting the bill’s requirement.

For buyers shopping today, the practical advice is simple: If AM radio matters to you, check the actual vehicle before you buy or lease it. Don’t assume it has AM because another model from the same brand does. Find the radio menu and tune in a local AM station. If reception is poor, that matters, too; an AM icon on a screen is not much use if you cannot hear what is being broadcast.

I still believe drivers should have the choice I wrote about in 2023. My radio show reaches listeners on AM, and I know firsthand how much the band means to people. I also know that in an emergency, drivers need information they can actually receive.

The House has now weighed in. The next question is whether the Senate will pass the bill and send it to the president. Until then, AM radio’s place in every new car remains a proposal, not a guarantee.