Toyota owners have to pay $8/mo to keep using their key fob for remote start
12-13-21, 05:07 PM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Toyota owners have to pay $8/mo to keep using their key fob for remote start
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/12/toyota-owners-have-to-pay-8-mo-to-keep-using-their-key-fob-for-remote-start/
12-13-21, 05:11 PM
#2
Intermediate
Thread Starter
12-14-21, 01:31 AM
#4
I don't like remote start features anyway but this is ridiculous. Any vehicle can be wired up with a simple remote starting circuit/function. Any car that already has this functionality built in from the factory cannot be that difficult to modify to enable that functionality for the owner of the vehicle without paying a monthly subscription fee for it.
What a silly and unnecessarily tedious (for buyers/owners) road we're starting to go down with this pay-for-built-in-feature trend.
To that end, this part of the article says it all:
But if you have a Toyota built before November 12, 2018, you won’t have to pay, even though key-fob remote start for those vehicles was also tied to Remote Connect. Toyota said it has “enhanced” those cars so that owners can use the feature without a subscription.
Why the cutoff? It may seem like an arbitrary date, but it happens to be when Toyota stopped building cars with 3G chips. As telecoms sunset their 3G networks, owners of older Toyotas will have no way to subscribe to or use Remote Connect services. Since key fob remote start doesn’t require an Internet connection, Toyota just flipped a switch and gave it to everyone in that group.
It’s a nice gesture, but it reinforces the fact that there’s no technical reason to include RF-powered key fob features in a remote services package.
What a silly and unnecessarily tedious (for buyers/owners) road we're starting to go down with this pay-for-built-in-feature trend.
To that end, this part of the article says it all:
But if you have a Toyota built before November 12, 2018, you won’t have to pay, even though key-fob remote start for those vehicles was also tied to Remote Connect. Toyota said it has “enhanced” those cars so that owners can use the feature without a subscription.
Why the cutoff? It may seem like an arbitrary date, but it happens to be when Toyota stopped building cars with 3G chips. As telecoms sunset their 3G networks, owners of older Toyotas will have no way to subscribe to or use Remote Connect services. Since key fob remote start doesn’t require an Internet connection, Toyota just flipped a switch and gave it to everyone in that group.
It’s a nice gesture, but it reinforces the fact that there’s no technical reason to include RF-powered key fob features in a remote services package.
Last edited by KahnBB6; 12-14-21 at 01:42 AM.
12-14-21, 03:21 PM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
My new 4R has subscription remote start on the app. Also has hidden key fob start as well which Toyota doesn’t advertise. I don’t really care to be honest. I don’t use it
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12-14-21, 03:33 PM
#9
Pole Position
Who cares. Start the car and drive. In less than five minutes it's either hot or cold depending on the season.
I hope no one pays for it.
I hope no one pays for it.
12-14-21, 05:08 PM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
This has been the case for Lexus remote start for years
12-15-21, 03:25 AM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
12-15-21, 06:36 AM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
I wouldn't say its worthless, just annoying that it works that way. I still use it all the time because it runs for 5-10 minutes and takes the edge off the cold or heat before I get to the car. Just, what I use is the app as opposed to starting it as I walk up to it.
12-15-21, 07:36 AM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
Mercedes works the same way.
I wouldn't say its worthless, just annoying that it works that way. I still use it all the time because it runs for 5-10 minutes and takes the edge off the cold or heat before I get to the car. Just, what I use is the app as opposed to starting it as I walk up to it.
I wouldn't say its worthless, just annoying that it works that way. I still use it all the time because it runs for 5-10 minutes and takes the edge off the cold or heat before I get to the car. Just, what I use is the app as opposed to starting it as I walk up to it.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 12-15-21 at 07:42 AM.