Be prepared to pay Toyota to start your car with your key fob

[Cal Jeffrey]

WTF?! Owners of certain Toyota vehicles are confused at a not-so-new subscription service the car manufacturer has in place. It seems that those who have been enjoying the remote start feature on their key fobs may have to start paying for it as early as next year.

Many owners do not realize the remote start feature of their Toyota is a paid service. It is part of the company's Connected Services platform, which has been running for several years now. But in 2018, Remote Connect came included as a trial for cars with Audio Plus or Premium Audio packages. The Audio Plus trial period is three years, while the Premium is 10 years.

Some owners who purchased their 2018 Toyota early on are nearing the end of their Remote Connect trial and may not even know it. The "Remote Connect" subscription costs $8 per month or $80 per year for those wanting to keep this functionality. The stipulation was only made widely known thanks to a Reddit post last month pointing out the conditions on some Toyota marketing material. However, dealerships seem to gloss over the fact that this is a paid feature when demonstrating it for customers.

While the Premium Audio package provides 10 years of use, it is unclear what happens to the service when the vehicle changes hands. Since the feature is still under trial for the original owner and doesn't transfer to the buyer (at least not on paper), the seller may be on the hook when the subscription runs out.

Even if the subscription does not auto-renew, the seller may receive nonstop calls and correspondence urging renewal—a problem already inherent with extended warranties. Additionally, the new owner is not likely to know why their fob stopped working when attempting to remote start the car.

The good news is that owners of older vehicles with Remote Connect will start getting the service for free now.

"Remote Connect equipped vehicles built before 11/12/18 were required to have an active Remote Connect trial or paid subscription for the key fob to perform remote start functionality," said Toyota. "The logic has been enhanced to no longer require an active Remote Connect subscription for the key fob to perform remote start functionality."

Toyota is very vague on what cars have this feature. YouTuber and car salesman "ToyotaJeff" confirms that it at least works on the 2018 and 2019 Camry and the 2019 Rav 4 (above). For 2021 models, check Toyota's connected services chart. For older models, there is an easy way to tell if it is equipped.

If you have a Toyota, new or old, but are unsure if you have the auto-start feature (there is no dedicated fob button), press Lock three times and hold for three seconds on the third press. If your car has Remote Connect, it will start. The fob needs to be within 20-30 feet to work.

Alternatively, you can install the Toyota app from that App Store or Google Play. After logging in or creating an owner account, you can link to your car with "Activate Remote Services" (follow the prompts). Once set up, you can start your car or unlock the doors from within the app. There is also an option to pair with a smartwatch.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/92607-prepared-pay-toyota-start-car-key-fob.html

 

[fps4ever]

What a crock...

 

[Neatfeatguy]

Next thing you know any people that don't want to transition to an electric vehicle will be obliged to pay microtransaction fees when doing things;

Such as starting your car. You want to go somewhere with it?
Every time you start your car, you have to pay $0.25 so the fuel pump turns on to allow your gas powered vehicle to start.

It's raining?
$0.25 to activate your windshield wipers and another $0.99 a minute to keep them operational.
If you don't want to pay, you get 300 seconds to pull over to a safe location before your vehicle turns off and is locked until you pay the re-initialization fee of $24.99 to restart your car on top of paying windshield wiper use or it remains locked until at least 60 minutes have passed since it stopped raining.

It's getting dark out?
Your headlights will automatically come on - sorry, no manual option to turn headlights off/on anymore.
You need to pay that $0.25 to turn on the headlights and an additional $0.99 for each minute they are in use. If you don't want to pay, you get 300 seconds to pull over to a safe location before your vehicle turns off and is locked until you pay the re-initialization fee of $24.99 to restart your car, on top of paying for headlight use or you have wait until it's bright enough to not require the use of headlights.

 

[winjer]

Cars as a Service.
What a scam Toyota is trying to pull.

 

[dangh]

Anything as service is absolute disaster and money grab, even, of initially looks good. Corporations see the ready money and will do what they can do we never own anything and constantly pay. When traditional model become non existing, prices will go up and quality will go down. This is just one of many examples, more to come.

 

[Squid Surprise]

The scam is simply not notifying buyers that they will eventually have to pay for it... anyone who has satellite radio in their car is already paying a monthly fee... same with Onstar.... this isn't unique to Toyota...

What needs to happen is for car companies to be transparent with these things.

 

[axiomatic13]

Don't buy a Toyota is all I read. Thanks.

 

[Squuiid]

Yep. Avoid Toyotas. Check.
Marketing guys must be losing their **** over this one. One step forward, five steps back.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

This is misleading... In the original Reddit link, Toyota's materials actually detail which features are part of "Remote Connect" and "Key Fob Remote Start" is not one of them:

Connected Services registration will be required to use the complete suite of Remote Connect services, which include Smartphone, Smartwatch, and smart home devices.

It just says that vehicles that have "Remote Connect" also support key fobs with "Remote Start" functionality:

Vehicles equipped with Remote Connect have key fob compatibility for Remote Start.

It later says this, meaning if you bought a car that has hardware support for Remote Connect but nixed paying for the "Remote Connect" package (I'm assuming it's a paid feature when buying the car), then "Remote Start" won't be supported:

Note: Key Fob Remote Start will not function if Connected Services are waived.

The part referencing vehicles built in 2018 and earlier just means that what's described in this article would've actually been the case, but it only applied to those vehicles and has now been fixed:

Remote Connect equipped vehicles built before 11/12/18 were required to have an active Remote Connect trial or paid subscription for the key fob to perform remote start functionality. The logic has been enhanced to no longer require an active Remote Connect subscription for the key fob to perform remote start functionality.

If it applied to all Toyota vehicles but was only changed for 2018 and earlier vehicles, it would've been phrased to say that.

For example, nowhere does it say this (I made it up): "Remote Connect equipped vehicles are required to have an active Remote Connect trial or paid subscription for the key fob to perform remote start functionality, except vehicles built before 11/12/18 which have been enhanced."

Apparently a Toyota spokesperson confirmed with The Drive that Key Fob Remote Start using no connection besides local radio waves really does require the subscription. Yeah that's appalling, and it's much clearer explaining it (ie. 2018 cars and before support it because they used 3G modems which is dead): https://www.thedrive.com/news/43329/toyota-made-its-key-fob-remote-start-into-a-subscription-service

 

[BadThad]

That's absolutely ridiculous! You can buy a complete remote start kit and have it installed for $200. I get a feeling they will see a lot of angry customers soon and they'll have to make it free....at least they should.

 

[Lionvibez]

Lol remote start paid service?

Instant no buy.

 

[Alfatawi Mendel]

"You will own nothing and be happy". Maybe the conspiracy nuts are right...

 

[Nobina]

I didn't expect this from Toyota, always held them in higher regards compared to German car manufacturers.

Guys, this is called progress. Everything will eventually become a service and you won't completely own it.

 

[Aceseven]

Well, how many years til this is just normal? 2, 5?

I've given up on hoping grimy, bs, tactics like this wont catch on because people just accept it with imho no fight at all, actually most will probably come up with some dumb af reason for why this or whatever else is good for us.

 

[VitalyT]

This is plain illegal, and smells like a class action suit.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Well, how many years til this is just normal? 2, 5?

I've given up on hoping grimy, bs, tactics like this wont catch on because people just accept it with imho no fight at all, actually most will probably come up with some dumb af reason for why this or whatever else is good for us.

The car industry is looking at the gaming industry, watching people pay hundreds of dollars a year for digital skins, and is asking themselves "why dont we charge that much for something you can actually USE?"

As usual, the problem is the consoomers, they enable this behavior.

That's absolutely ridiculous! You can buy a complete remote start kit and have it installed for $200. I get a feeling they will see a lot of angry customers soon and they'll have to make it free....at least they should.

Well this is what any savvy consumer will do.

VW quoted me $1000 for the OEM remote start kit, plus another $150 for the remote. I got a third party installed for $250 with labor, works just as well. Given these toyotas already INCLUDE the remote starter, all they'll need is replacement electronics to activate it, likely $150 or less.

All this bad press to milk a few bucks out of already overpriced machines.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I didn't expect this from Toyota, always held them in higher regards compared to German car manufacturers.

Guys, this is called progress. Everything will eventually become a service and you won't completely own it.

Much like honda and subaru, toyota has been coasting on their past achievements for YEARS now. They're no better then any other auto maker (except fiat chrysler stelanis, they can go pound sand).

 

[Burty117]

I've never had a car with remote start but can someone explain to me why you'd want your car to start without you in it?

 

[Uncle Al]

I'm betting the new President of Toyota is demanding to know who dreamed up this one .... and I'm betting there will be a vacancy or two at Toyota in the coming year .....

 

[scavengerspc]

I've never had a car with remote start but can someone explain to me why you'd want your car to start without you in it?

Warm up in the winter and to let the heater warm the inside.
Set the AC to come on and let it start and cool in the summer.

Also, the doors still remain locked and even at that you have to insert the key to be able to drive it. Or at least be close to it. My car is like that but with my truck I have to put in the key.

Plus, starting it from somewhere else when someone is near it is always hilarious.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

This is plain illegal, and smells like a class action suit.

The law and "what I think things should be" are two radically different things.

 

[Karlos95]

"You will own nothing and be happy". Maybe the conspiracy nuts are right...

Not conspiracy theories if they keep becoming reality

 

[VitalyT]

The law and "what I think things should be" are two radically different things.

If the subscription part wasn't made clear to the buyers (which looks to be the case), then it is a violation of the buyer's rights. Your innuendo into how I don't know the law, apparently, doesn't help anybody.

 

[scavengerspc]

Plus, starting it from somewhere else when someone is near it is always hilarious.

Remember this?

 

[dragosmp]

I've never had a car with remote start but can someone explain to me why you'd want your car to start without you in it?

To warm the engine / cabin, only useful in certain parts of the world

TBH you can buy a kit today on amazon to remote start any car from 60$ and up. Fitting might cost 100 more unless you diy:
https://www.amazon.com/remote-car-starter/s?k=remote+car+starter#

What Toyota did is probably illegal, but the amount they will pay for the inevitable class action will be less than what they gain by ripping people off, unfortunately.