Who paid Onstar or is it worth it Or 4g service Is it worth it.

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Tylus

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I feel the "service" provided is crap compared to the cost. I tested the 4G and wifi during my free 1 month trial. It was useless. My phone as a hotspot provides a stronger signal...and it's quicker too boot.

For $15 a month, they give you the ability to unlock your car remotely from the app. WTF?

I would gladly pay $15 a year for that same access. As it currently sits, the pricing is utter crap. I can't believe ONSTAR only gives new vehicles 1 month of access for 4G and wifi.
 

petethepug

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Onstar went from Verizon to ATT. Back in the Verizon days you could tie the OnStar # into your Verizon account or even simply share minutes.

I kicked ATT cell after a decade when I caught them doing a bait and switch on a BOGO deal. ATT destroyed my contract to hide the their scam, but wanted the free phones back. Told them to stuff it. I was shocked to have Apple unlock both my ATT iPhone 6s phones exchanged under Apple’s “battery software” debacle.

Apple kindly told me the ATT SIM cards lock the phone to ATT’s network. Apple started up the two exchanged 6s units to my new Mint SIM cards AND unlocked from ATT’s network. The tether feature ATT used to lock is now unlocked. YES! 4G WiFi tethering from iPhone 6s is almost free now that wholesale carriers are here. Mint Sim is wholesale T Mobile.

If ATT will let you tie a plan into OnStar it may be worthwhile, otherwise it’s a convenience and/or a novelty feature useful if pricing isn’t an issue.


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LT1ZOB

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Here’s my humble opinion since you brought up pricing and crappy proposition tylus. Onstar is a Kmart in a sea of Amazon. It’s only around because it suckles on the great teet of GM. It and its technology is about a decade behind the times and will likely be put out of its misery given a deep enough economic downturn.
 

ChrisYukon

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I feel the "service" provided is crap compared to the cost. I tested the 4G and wifi during my free 1 month trial. It was useless. My phone as a hotspot provides a stronger signal...and it's quicker too boot.

For $15 a month, they give you the ability to unlock your car remotely from the app. WTF?

I would gladly pay $15 a year for that same access. As it currently sits, the pricing is utter crap. I can't believe ONSTAR only gives new vehicles 1 month of access for 4G and wifi.

I have a '17 Yukon, let the Onstar lapse after the (I think) 3 month trial, and my phone app still unlocks the doors. It just doesn't give fuel status, milage, etc.
 

GTNator

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Here’s my humble opinion since you brought up pricing and crappy proposition tylus. Onstar is a Kmart in a sea of Amazon. It’s only around because it suckles on the great teet of GM. It and its technology is about a decade behind the times and will likely be put out of its misery given a deep enough economic downturn.

Why do you think that? I’m serious, don’t understand. I’ve used Toyota, Lexus, and BMW systems and all are way way inferior to Onstar. Last year I even got a letter from BMW stating that their system was being overhauled and my 2013 BMW would no longer be able to connect to their “new” service. They sunsetted a system that was in a 4 year old car!! That tells me they don’t have their act together. Lexus and Toyota are bad too, in my experience.

On the other hand, Onstar has been a first class experience for me. It’s actually one of the reasons I like buying GM vehicles. Maybe Onstar will be overtaken one day, maybe it already has and I just don’t have experience with the other brand that is better...


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Tylus

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I have a '17 Yukon, let the Onstar lapse after the (I think) 3 month trial, and my phone app still unlocks the doors. It just doesn't give fuel status, milage, etc.
don't let the app update, and don't talk to ONSTAR. as of 4/1/2018 ONSTAR updated their terms of service and canex all the old plans...unless you pay monthly.

I had a 2015 Tahoe that was working perfectly, zero issues. When I traded her in for the 2017 Suburban, I triggered ONSTAR to update my status. They gave me 1 month of free trial on the 'Burb. After that, locked me out of the app. The app will work for the low low price of $15/month now

Why do you think that? I’m serious, don’t understand. I’ve used Toyota, Lexus, and BMW systems and all are way way inferior to Onstar. Last year I even got a letter from BMW stating that their system was being overhauled and my 2013 BMW would no longer be able to connect to their “new” service. They sunsetted a system that was in a 4 year old car!! That tells me they don’t have their act together. Lexus and Toyota are bad too, in my experience.

On the other hand, Onstar has been a first class experience for me. It’s actually one of the reasons I like buying GM vehicles. Maybe Onstar will be overtaken one day, maybe it already has and I just don’t have experience with the other brand that is better...
10-15yrs ago ONSTAR was relevant
owned a Chevy 4+ years and have never used ONSTAR. For anything!

I'm sick of being forced to carry ONSTAR equipment in my vehicle. And you cannot disable the crap without disabling your vehicle and losing functions. I'm especially not a fan of the GPS tracking they perform behind the scene and the datalogging performed. I'm just waiting for the time when the insurance companies begin purchasing driving behaviour from ONSTAR. I'll cut every wire to the system when that happens.
 

UrbanSuburban

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As others have said, the pre May 1/18 model purchases have a 5 year subscription to the basic app on the smartphone as well as getting the monthly status bulletins. When we got our 18 Terrain, it was on May 2, and it was only good for a month. The cost for the 4G in Canada using ATT as well was 39.99 for 4 Gigs. Not impressed. What did notice though was when I included the Terrain onto the MyChevy app for the Suburban, it also kept its Remote app and status so it did not delete.
 

Miami-Dade

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Where will your phone be in an accident or while its sinking after having driven off the road? Your other points and those made by others are valid though.

About a year ago on [A&E] Live PD a 17 year old was driving his parents new Impala late one night..He lost control and crashed into the woods in a very isolated area. He was badly injured with life threatening injuries. The police said the only thing that saved him was calling OnStar or he would have died.

I still have my OnStar [for now anyway] since I constantly travel to unknown areas where phone reception is unavailable at times.
 

LT1ZOB

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To answer GT, the why for me is simple. I travel with an internet jet pack ($10 per month) iPhone and IPad at all times to client meetings. Real time traffic through my Apple gadgets plugged right into my CarPlay. On my screen, no need to “download directions and send to my car” from an Onstar Rep who I have to spell and respell my destination to several times. And the $10 per month added to my wireless service for unlimited data on the jet pack, makes Onstar’s expensive 4G completely useless.
Maybe it’s just me, but onstar doesn’t “wow” me.
 

swathdiver

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About a year ago on [A&E] Live PD a 17 year old was driving his parents new Impala late one night..He lost control and crashed into the woods in a very isolated area. He was badly injured with life threatening injuries. The police said the only thing that saved him was calling OnStar or he would have died.

I still have my OnStar [for now anyway] since I constantly travel to unknown areas where phone reception is unavailable at times.

The Onstar system has its own battery that after 10 years is designed to still allow for a 2 minute call after a crash. I was poking around to get the part number for the battery last year but did not find it. Might look again, wouldn't want my old battery to cause problems either under the dash.
 

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