Spotify's sole expansion into audio hardware has officially come to a close. The Car Thing, a tool for owners of older cars to enhance their music streaming experience, has become completely non-operational as of Monday, December 9th.

The piece of hardware, which retailed for $89.99, was available for purchase for only five months following its launch due to low demand. Its small, but dedicated user-base is now left with a hunk of useless metal. Spotify urged owners of the Car Thing to dispose of it “following local electronic waste guidelines.”

Following the news from this past spring of the device's eventual discontinuation, several customers filed a class action lawsuit against Spotify, seeking compensation. This prompted Spotify to offer "refund options" to customers who provided proof of purchase to customer support before January 14, 2025. The initial plan from Spotify was to not offer refunds at all, in an attempt to soften the blow of the $31 million financial hit caused by the device's development.