Why can't cars be like cell phones?

I don't know anything about cars, but I like to whine about them anyway. I guess I should really learn more about cars.

For cell phones, you pay a flat price for the phone and you subscribe to a service plan based on the number of minutes you think you will use. You are responsible for charging your own phone and getting insurance for it, if you so desire. The phones have warranties in case the battery explodes or something. When the phone gets really old, say, as much as a whole year old, some people who are still happy will hang on to their old phones, and other people will want to upgrade.

So why won't this work with cars? Couldn't you pay a flat price for the car and sign on to a service plan based on the number of miles you drive each month? The price of the service plan would include regular maintenance. The car company could call you in periodically to have the service done. They could estimate the schedule based on your service plan and check the odometer against the expected usage. You, of course, would be responsible for the occasional recharge (gas).

Of course this is more expensive, in much the same way (but with major differences) land lines cost less than cell phones. But I wonder if there are many people who would rather do this than be surprised when they run out of washer fluid.