I’ve never owned a GM car, so I don’t really know much about OnStar. What exactly does it do, and why would I need it? From what I can tell, it’s like an old-school speakerphone that calls one number. I can press a button for directions? It detects crashes? But my phone already does all of that. Am I missing something here?
It just collects your data like your phone does… but you don’t get a cut of the money they make from it. Feels unfair.
Caelan said:
It just collects your data like your phone does… but you don’t get a cut of the money they make from it. Feels unfair.
Yup, and the worst part is all the false positives they send out. If you brake too hard because of bad software, that might get reported against you. I saw a bunch of them on my Nexis Lexis report. Still trying to get those wiped off.
Caelan said:
It just collects your data like your phone does… but you don’t get a cut of the money they make from it. Feels unfair.
Exactly .
Caelan said:
It just collects your data like your phone does… but you don’t get a cut of the money they make from it. Feels unfair.
Just click ‘Accept’ and let them spy on you lol
OnStar is what connects your car to the internet. That’s how your app works and how you get stuff like Google Maps or Spotify without using your phone. A phone connection can replace most of it, but not everything. I liked being able to check my battery while my car sat at the airport for a week. But yeah, after three years, they start charging for everything.
@Kim
Three years free? I only got 30 days. What’s up with that?
Micah said:
@Kim
Three years free? I only got 30 days. What’s up with that?
If you have a Prologue, you get three years. The 30 days is only for the safety stuff. If your app works or your car has Google Maps without using CarPlay, OnStar is active. https://www.onstar.com/honda
@Kim
Appreciate it, I’ll check it out.
@Kim
Hotspot isn’t included in that, right?
@Kim
I’ve been trying to figure this out for weeks. Still not sure what’s actually included in that free Google access trial.
Micah said:
@Kim
Three years free? I only got 30 days. What’s up with that?
Yeah, the 30 days is just for emergency calls if you crash. The basic internet connection for the Honda app is free for three years.
@Kim
They gave me three years free when I signed up, but I never had an account before.
I don’t see the point. Feels outdated. Same with SiriusXM. Why pay for it when I have the app on my phone?
Saul said:
I don’t see the point. Feels outdated. Same with SiriusXM. Why pay for it when I have the app on my phone?
SiriusXM is still useful if you’re in an area with no cell service. Your phone won’t work, but XM will.
The remote diagnostics are useful, and crash detection is way more sensitive than a phone. Plus, your phone can fly out of the holder in a bad crash.
Enzo said:
The remote diagnostics are useful, and crash detection is way more sensitive than a phone. Plus, your phone can fly out of the holder in a bad crash.
Yeah, and OnStar will still call for help even if you’re unconscious.
Tried to get help with scheduled charging and got the runaround. Honda told me to call OnStar. OnStar said they don’t handle Honda and sent me back to Honda. Finally got someone who knew what they were talking about, but it was a huge hassle. Pretty useless overall.
The only thing OnStar is good for is crash detection. But the cost is ridiculous, and your phone can do the same thing. Especially iPhones.
And if you ask the operator for directions, they see way fewer locations than Google Maps. Felt bad for the rep I talked to… even she knew it was outdated.