mikemu30 and all, the remote start feature has had (too) many iterations. Was initially only available with paid subscriptions
to the App which had a 12-month trial then $249/year. Then in was included in the 36-month trial after which is (still) $160/year.
Then it became free for 120 months if you are enrolled in the free 120-month Service Connect program.

 

I guess I have the 120 month free version with my ES as it's still working six years later with not a penny out of my pocket!

 

Yeah, mine too...

 

Thank you for the video. So it says that it turns off when you open the door. Interesting. So i have tried it and all the lights do their thing but with a hybrid it is so quiet. And I open the door and it is off. So I assume it never went on. I don't live in a particularly cold or hot climate so not sure what the use of this is for me?

 

What year is your ES? They do turn off when you open the door. In the cold weather, the gas engine will come on to warm the cabin. In our 24RX hybrid, it no longer shuts off when you open the door. You just press start and away you go.

 

It's a 2022. I was just looking at the video above that says this. Not sure what year cars it covers. I live in an area where I would not need heat or cold on before I start so honestly, I don't really care? More of a curiouslity thing. I assume it cuts off when you open the door for safety.

 

For this generation of ES I found two (US) Lexus official documentation on key fob remote starting. The first is a 29 October 2019 Key FOB – Remote Start one page pdf explaining the feature, enabling requirements, and operating procedures. The second is a Lexus support article Remote Vehicle Start & HVAC which expands upon the pdf content and covers the 2022 changes introduced with redesigned vehicles (e.g., NX, RX, and RZe) with the 19ePF V2 electrical platform.

I see there's a 2019 and 2022 difference in what connected services active subscriptions (trial and/or paid) are required to enable key fob remote start. In the 2019 document, any of the connected services - Safety Connect, Service Connect, Enform Remote, and Destination Assist - would satisfy the active subscription requirement; whereas, the 2022 support article doesn't include Service Connect as one of the connected services subscriptions meeting the requirement leaving just Safety Connect, Remote, or Destination Assist.

However, the 2022 support article may not be correct about not including Service Connect. The (US) Lexus 22MY Connected Services Feature Applicability Chart and Lexus 2023 Connected Services Chart are still indicating Service Connect as a key fob remote start enabling connected service subscription.

Whether or not Service Connect is an enabling subscription is important for 2022 model year ESs since that will dictate whether key fob remote start will have a no cost enabled period of 3 (from Safety Connect trial period) or 10 (from Service Connect trial perid) years. (Lexus returned to a Safety Connect 10 year trial subscription for 2023 and later model year ESs so keeping or dropping Service Connect will have no effect on the length of the key fob remote start "free use" period.)

 

That's what they used to say but as I indicated, they have revised it at least with the latest gen RX. You still need the fob to drive it away even though POWER is ON. But it does in fact keep running when you open the door.

 

The problem is the way the vehicle was designed.

The last Lexus I had, 2013 RX350, came with a navigation system that included GPS, and a baseline map database with then current data. Annual updates were available for the database, at $250 each, ALL WERE OPTIONAL. If I chose not to update, I could still use the existing database, for the life of the car. NOT SO TODAY!

Then, as part of “improvement”, Lexus changed to a subscription model to keep the data up to date. No problem, if someone wants to do that. Unfortunately, if you choose not to get the most current data, you lose your whole navigation capability! There are several outrageous aspects of this change.

First, providing GPS location and time does NOT cost Lexus anything, because they provide NOTHING!
Any GPS receiver gets time from the satellite constellation, maintained by the U.S. government. Software in the receiver gets all the data needed to provide 3 dimensional GPS location, and needs nothing except power to run it. Those are facts that can be readily verified.

Second, map data is provided to the GPS receiver system under a license, from the owner of the database, which may or may not be free, depending on the source​​​​​​. My older GS did not require periodic payment to anyone, unless I chose to pay to update it. So why has has an existing capability been taken away.

it’s worth noting that you can buy a full capability, handheld GPS receiver with a map license, for less than $100 from Amazon, and not pay ANY recurring costs!

With the master Lexus data sharing approval being required for so much of the core functionality to work is essentially extortion.
Many of the capabilities that are disabled are ones that routinely existed in earlier versions of the car models, and did NOT REQUIRE ANY PAYMENT. The only reason the software requires the data sharing consent is because Lexus wants to make more money by “monetizing” OUR data!


IF LEXUS TREATS CUSTOMERS THIS WAY, THEY WILL SOON LOSE CUSTOMERS.
GOOD REPUTATIONS TAKE A LONG TIME TO ESTABLISH, BUT ARE EASILY DESTROYED!

I have been an exclusively Lexus buyer for over 20 years, and have spoken very highly of the brand. Unfortunately, these design decisions will NOT have my support. I’ll keep talking about the brand name, and all the excellent attributes, but after my experience, I’ll have several very negative things to say too!

 

Agree 100%. My 12 year old Acura still has a fully functioning GPS (satellite based) which I have not paid a cent for since I purchased it in 2012. I have chosen not to update the DVD and it still works fine. I think the apple car play navagation system I have in my new Lexus is fine too. I would resent having to pay to keep it working each year and for this reason, I would not buy the lexus navigation.

For me, the little add on costs like Enform, etc, are a waste of money. Just ways to nickel and dime you and it should just have a lifetime of inclusion on the car.

 

Wait until they start charging subscription fees for options like heated seats etc. It's coming.

 

can one drive the car just with your phone in the car, after remote starting? or you have to have the actual key fob in the car also?

 

Car turns off as soon as you open the door so you need the FOB to restart it.

 

I saw somewhere, that for some lexus models there is a paid option to just have the Lexus app run as a "digital key" and you dont need a key fob. But maybe not for the ES 7th gen? I dont see that as an order able add-on on my lexus app.

however, even if that is possible, not sure if I really want to end up with something that is an annual subscription fee.

 

when I first learned recently that what was standard in my 2020 Toyota Tundra is now something that must be purchased. And it's not just with the GPS it is with other things that are built into the vehicle that you had to pay subscription for in order for them to continue working. Which to me is ridiculous you bought the vehicle it has the components installed in the vehicle so obviously you paid for those components and now you must pay a subscription price to keep them operating that's just playing BS and it is a rip off! Many companies are doing this over the last several years and it is a growing Trend that I do not like. It is extortion for something you already paid for. My 2020 tundra has GPS built into the vehicle and it is permanent, I pay nothing, I understand some European cars you have to pay for things like heated seats to work etc??? now if this is true I would be unbelievably pissed off