Remote Start? ya gotta pay

[Mike Mercury]

Toyota is going to make you pay to start your car with your key fob

https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/12/...-start-key-fob

Toyota is charging drivers for the convenience of using their key fobs to remotely start their cars. According to a report from The Drive, Toyota models 2018 or newer will need a subscription in order for the key fob to support remote start functionality.

As The Drive notes, buyers are given the option to choose from an array of Connected Services when purchasing a new Toyota, and one of those services — called Remote Connect — just so happens to include the ability to remotely start your car with your key fob.

Buyers are offered a free trial of Remote Connect, but the length of that trial depends on the audio package that’s included with the vehicle. Even more confusingly, only some Toyota models support the Audio Plus or Premium Audio packages that the free trial is offered with, which you can check out for yourself in this PDF.

In other words, the key fob’s remote start functionality is tied to the audio package that comes with the car. This was first spotted in a post on Reddit, where the original poster added a link to Toyota’s Remote Connect marketing materials (PDF). The post has since been flagged as “potentially misleading,” however, Toyota confirmed to The Drive that users will, in fact, have to pay for remote start when the free trial ends.

The pamphlet linked to in the post details the key fob’s remote start feature, as well as its relation to the Audio Plus and Premium Audio packages. While a car with Audio Plus gives drivers the luxury of free remote start using a key fob for three years, a car purchased with Premium Audio offers free remote start for 10 years. After that, drivers will have to pay the $8 / month or $80 / year price for the full Remote Connect service, which includes the remote start feature for the key fob.

On Toyota’s Remote Connect page, it’s not entirely clear that the key fob’s remote start functionality is included within the plan. It says that the Remote Connect service lets drivers use their smartwatch, smart home devices, or smartphone to start their cars, but there isn’t any mention of using the key fob for remote starts.

And as The Drive points out, it looks like some users have been aware of this for years. In a thread dated back to 2019 on the Toyota Nation forum, users discuss the key fob’s remote start functionality — some users claim that their key fob is still able to start their car remotely, however most of the users on this thread own a Toyota that’s 2018 or newer, which means they may still be covered by the free trial.

Typically, paywalled features like these are limited to luxury car brands. In 2018, BMW made drivers pay an annual subscription for Apple Car Play — in addition to the $300 it charges to install the feature in the first place. The German car manufacturer later walked back on its decision nearly two years later.

However, BMW still does let you pay to “unlock” new features in your car, in a way that’s been described as in-car microtransactions. The all-electric Porsche Taycan has a similar system, dubbed Functions On-Demand, which lets drivers purchase new, optional features for their Porsche, like Active Lane Keeping or Dynamic Light System Plus. Meanwhile, Cadillac charges users $25 / month after the end of the free trial for its hands-free driving mode, Super Cruise, which has since been temporarily discontinued in newer Escalades due to the chip shortage.

[Bill]

Sounds a little like hotels. At premium, high end hotels, everything is extra. At middle of the road hotels, you get a breakfast included in the room rate, you typically don't have to pay for parking, etc.

[MadInNc]

Glad I drive a Ford truck……

F Toyota and BMW.

[Datawiz]

I definitely use the remote start feature on the C8. Black car with transparent top = HOT. Love the cool down before I get in.

[Rodnok1]

Know someone who just bought a new Yota.. Bet he won't be happy.

[bsmith]

This won't stop at Toyota.

Guarantee other manufacturers are drooling over the possibility.

[6spdC6]

Originally Posted by bsmith

This won't stop at Toyota.

Guarantee other manufacturers are drooling over the possibility.

Think about it this shit has been going on a long time, now the companies are ramping up their efforts. How many here have a XM radio in their wheels. You pay for that without too much complaining.

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by 6spdC6

Think about it this shit has been going on a long time, now the companies are ramping up their efforts. How many here have a XM radio in their wheels. You pay for that without too much complaining.

I don't pay for it. I bought an iPod to stream my music library. Works great for me, no subscription.

[TripleBlack]

Our 2019 Acura RDX has the top technology package but has remote start only from you phone and that requires Acura Link which is $100 a year. I set it up during the free trial and it was more trouble than it was worth to me. I've heard some dealers off some work around but the number I saw for that was over $800.

[sublime1996525]

I'm wondering if they are confusing fob with the phone app? You've had to do that for awhile. If they disable it on your fob, they can go to hell.

[Aerovette]

These companies don't like people like me. They take things away or remove features and I simply adjust. I drove my whole life without remote start. I can do it the rest of my life too. Get dressed for work, go start car. Lock the door come in and finish my coffee.

[Bill]

The remote start on my truck has been broken for years. It does start, but then stops about 15 or 20 seconds later and the dash says something about 'fault code.'

I'll live.

[DJ_Critterus]

The way things are going, we will have to pay way too much for cars (thanks supply chain, dems, and unions) and then have to get a yearly subscription for every single feature.

Heated seats, HUD, power windows, using key fob to lock/unlock the vehicle, for the alarm, etc.... and the government will find a way to tax the ever living shit out of those subscriptions, too.

[Zed16]

Lexus has been charging for the remote connect app for several years.

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by Zed16

Lexus has been charging for the remote connect app for several years.

Remote connect or remote start?

[sublime1996525]

Nope, it wasn't misquoted. $8 a month to use your key fob. **** them.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/12...-remote-start/

[99 pewtercoupe]

It will be interesting to see how the car manufacturers deal with the wireless carriers shutting down 3G wireless next year

https://www.thedrive.com/tech/43187/...screw-your-car

[bsmith]

They are going to try to make anything they can into a subscription service to keep the money rolling in.

I hate recurring charges.

[dvarapala]

[markids77]

Originally Posted by 6spdC6

Think about it this shit has been going on a long time, now the companies are ramping up their efforts. How many here have a XM radio in their wheels. You pay for that without too much complaining.

Radio? I made sure the one in the crowd plow worked before I drove it off the lot in 2019, probably turned it on 3 times since. Driving here requires total concentration and commitment just for survival! Still not near as bad as the Jersey Pike, but getting close... most here don't use the shoulders as express lanes... yet.